Kareña K Ashton

Education

About me

With a voice and classic writing style reminiscent of torch singers past, Kareña can belt out those blues or sizzle with smoky jazz vocals.
Hailing from the north of England originally, Kareña came up through the big band scene there before embarking on what became an international music career that has taken her far and wide, including an appearance at Dubai Rock/Blues Festival with her blues band.

Now settled back in the UK she is currently working on her solo album, the single from which, 'If This Isn't Love' was released August 2016 and received great reviews and international airplay. She is also working on the soundtrack for a feature length movie, due for release next year.

Kareña provided her signature backing vocal arrangements on multiple recording projects with Wily Bo Walker, including ‘Moon Over Indigo’, WBW’s solo album, which involves some of the finest musicians from across the globe, released September 2015.

When The Angels Call Your Time, a track from the album was featured on the covermount CD of Blues Magazine in July 2014.

Kareña and Wily Bo also released a 6 track mini album in December 2014, which had heavy radio play across the globe, on prestigious blues shows and excellent press reviews. Love Will Find A Way, a track from the album was featured on the covermount CD of R2 Rock’n’Reel Magazine in March 2015.

Long Way To Heaven was runner up in the final nominations for the 2015 British Blues Awards for Best Blues Song.
Kareña was runner up in the 2016 awards in the instrumentalist category.

Kareña’s backing vocals also feature on ‘Stone Cold Beautiful’ the new album from Wily Bo Walker and E.D Brayshaw.

Kareña also performed with mad cap festival favourites, and IBBA 2014 nominated band ‘Rattlin Bone’, as M.D, backing vocalist/second lead and backing vocal arranger. The début album ‘The Life and Death Of…’ was released in 2011 and is still extremely popular.
Former keyboard player/backing vocalist with The Mescal Canyon Troubadours , whose track Chattahoochee Coochee Man was featured on the covermount CD of Blues Magazine, in Dec. 2014.

Midnight Walk and Temptation Eyes, début tracks from her forthcoming solo album, produced by Wily Bo Walker, are currently on release, plus three limited edition taster tracks, which can be found on Bandcamp and Nimbit

The album Wily Bo Walker And The Danny Flam Big Band and a Wily Bo Walker single, I Want To Know, both feature Kareña’s backing vocals and backing vocal arrangements and were considered for the 2015 Grammy’s.

Kareña was consistently in the Top 10 of the Myspace Jazz and Blues charts both in the UK and US, achieving the number one spot several times in 2012/13.

The trilogy of albums released last year is now available as The Wily Bo Walker Story Vol. 1 and 2 including some additional tracks for which Kareña also arranged and sang backing vocals.
Additional skills:
Accomplished alto and soprano sax player, additional keyboard skills, arranging and event management.


Supporting artist:
With a voice and classic writing style reminiscent of torch singers past, Kareña can belt out those blues or sizzle with smoky jazz vocals.

Currently working on multiple recording projects with Wily Bo Walker, including 'Moon Over Indigo', WBW's forthcoming solo album, which involves some of the finest musicians from across the globe.

Releases from the project have already been released to critical acclaim.

Kareña and Wily Bo are also working on a joint project with the first four tracks 'Angels In The Night',(also featuring Kareña on soprano sax), 'Did I Forget', 'Long Way To Heaven' and latest sing noir track 'Rendezvous Des Cheminots' released to critical acclaim.

Kareña also performs with mad cap festival favourites, 'Rattlin Bone', as M.D, backing vocalist/second lead and backing vocal arranger. The debut album 'The Life and Death Of…' was released in 2011 and is constantly selling out at gigs. The second album is well under way with two releases 'Who Do You Love' and 'Yesterday Is Here' already out and very well received

Also recording/arranging backing vocals for many of the tracks of Wily Bo's guitar based band, the Mescal Canyon Troubadours, for their debut album 'Stone Cold Beautiful' and of these already on release are 'Storm Warning' and 'Loan Me A Dime' ,'September Red' and most recent release 'I Want To Know'.

Midnight Walk, debut track from her solo album and second release Temptation Eyes were produced by Wily Bo Walker
More to come later in 2013!
Acting experience:
Played Rizzo in am dram production of Grease, Consuelo in West Side Story, Rowan in The Little Sweep,
Dancing experience:
Basic routines
Singing experience:
Professional singer/musician for many years and recording artist for Flaming Hearts Records
Modelling experience:
Childhood catwalk modelling experience for local fashion shows
Television experience:
Audience in various shows including TOTP
Specific skills:
Arranging, choir vocals, Alto and soprano sax, some keyboard ability and expert midi programmer
Interesting past experiences:
Session singer for the soundtrack of Punk Strut The Movie, extra in gang fight scenes, lead alto player for WYJO at Jazz at the proms at The Albert Hall, toured the world as a pro musician,singer, MD for Rattlin Bone at various festivals
My interests:
Music, travel, good food, scifi, languages and french cinema

Skills

Languages Spoken	English, French
Dance Styles	Contemporary
Vocal Types	Mezzo Soprano
Singing Styles	Adult Contemporary, Funk, Indie, Jazz/Blues, Pop/Rock, Soul
Musical Skills	Percussion, Piano/Keyboards, Saxophone