Ounce

ONZA is a progressive rock band formed in February 1989 and based in Jerez de la Frontera. It is one of the longest-lived and most recognized bands within the Spanish progressive scene, both nationally and internationally.
They have to their credit a long history of both live performances and editing of various studio works with prestigious European record companies specialized in this type of music.
Continuators of the Hispanic progressive tradition, punctuated by the influence of Andalusian Rock, the band continues with the living flame of developing this particular style of music, which although less popular, is followed by thousands of fans around the planet.
From the beginning the band’s style has been difficult to frame.
Fusion, jazz-rock, new age, Andalusian rock or melodic rock among others have been qualifiers associated with the music of the group, which only confirm the idea that within progressive rock, OUNCE It has its own style, created by compacting the ideas contributed by each and every one of the members who at some point have passed through the band. The music of ONZA It is composed based on the experimentation, evolution and remodeling of compositional concepts and influences taken from the great formations of this genre, without being able to appreciate a clear influence of any of them but that in a deeper state of the themes of the band underlie all their compositions. Their bet has always been very risky for not following the orthodox schemes and sonorities of the progressive panorama, but this same characteristic makes them a very original group, with a very personal and attractive sound.
In 1989 they founded the band José María Colón (drums and percussions), Antón Ramírez (bass and choirs) and Jaime Padilla (guitars and vocals). Soon a keyboardist, who appeared in the summer of that same year, Rafael Buscalioni, from the city of Puerto de Santa Maria, would join. This formation achieved the first successes of the band, such as recording a first demo in the studio that belonged to Chano Domínguez, who participated as a technician; To be elected the best band in the city in 1989. sign for the edition of their first album with the prestigious French label MUSEA, specialized in Progressive Rock and act as a band suport sharing stage with Pendragon in the first documented performance in our country of this formation in the II Festival Noche Mágica 1989, held in Jerez de la Frontera that year. All in less than five months.
After the release of the first album and a few years dedicated to concerts, ONZA takes a break of two years, between 1994 and 1996, when their guitarist Jaime Padilla decides to take the project. For this it has Alejandro Pérez (keyboards) and David Navarro (sound technician), young musicians of the Cadiz music circuit, with wide artistic projection as they have been demonstrating so far in various personal projects, and under the ONZA Project. Thus arise the next two albures edited throughout the first decade of the 2000’s and where it has the invaluable collaboration of renowned musicians such as Pepe Torres (Cast) or the mythical Randy López (Machine, Mosque, Medina Azahara). For the live shows there are different studio musicians until in 2010 Daniel Torres, experienced drummer and Javier Salmerón, a great bassist who also develops his solo career as a singer-songwriter, join the project.

BAND EVOLUTION

The history of the band could be summarized in two major stages, the first lasted until 1994, with the original formation and the recording of their first album.
The second from 1996, where the only original component, guitarist Jaime Padilla, takes up the project with new musicians. Throughout these years, the style and sound of the band has evolved towards a more Anglo-Saxon style, typical of progressive and neoprogressive rock. Little by little they have been getting rid of the Andalusian influences and secondly of the lines of jazz-rock, to achieve their own style where compositional, virtuous, experimental and lyrical concepts are mixed, but always using the language of progressive rock.
Currently, ONZA is preparing what could become their fifth studio album, further specifying the style achieved and establishing themselves as the longest-running progressive rock band in our borders.