Marlena Khramov (Ukulena) was born in the L.A. County City of Santa Monica, raised in the O.C. City of La Palma, and grew up listening to the best kind of music, thanks to her parents, Igor Khramov & Janelle Frese. Her parents gave her the best of both cultural worlds. Igor was born and raised in a small villiage called Yegorevsk, Russia. He studied Jazz Trombone in Moscow and toured extensively. After the Soviet-American Peace March of 1991, Igor was invited to visit America with his Russian Folk 'n Roll band, Limpopo who won Ed McMahon's International Star Search competition in 1993. Limpopo later branched out to form another band called The Red Elvises, with Janelle as their first drummer. Janelle met and managed Limpopo during their first years in America, taking them to SXSW in 1992 where they enjoyed a great deal of positive attention. Janelle, a California native, credits her grandmother Theone for being the musical influence in her life. Theone was a singer who sang the first live radio commercial jingle in 1926, a Bubble Up ad during the Harry Von Zell show with Special Guest Jimmy Durante. Durante became quite smitten with Theone and gave her his piano stool. They remained friends through the years and it is quite possible Theone is the infamous "Mrs. Calabash". Marlena was born into the music world, and made for the stage as she now sits poised upon the Jimmy Durante piano stool in her living room whenever she gets the inspiration to write a new tune on her little Fender Ukulele.
Ukulena has a band that will rock you and fill your music holes with pleasant vibrations. Check out her music at:
http://ukulena.com/index.html
