Romania: Songs of Love and Longing is the newest E.P. from Romanian-born, Irish-residing singer
Aleka. The E.P. will be released on the 1st of February 2024. The E.P. features 4 tracks with fresh
arrangements of traditional Romanian folk melodies, using elements of jazz and rock propelled by
the thrilling rhythm section of Chris Guilfoyle on guitar, Barry Donohue on bass, and Matthew
Jacobson on drums. The release reflects Aleka's life journey from being born and raised in Romania
as a classical cellist to moving to Ireland and becoming one of the most exciting and versatile
vocalists in the Irish jazz scene. Romania: Songs of Love and Longing is an ode to both her home
country and her adopted homeland of Ireland.

'Fresh sounds with eastern tinges' - The Irish Times
'Experience, delight, vocation, hardwork, emotion, recreation, variation,
improvisation – all of these revealed a moment of musical quality' – MagmaNews
(Romania)
‘Hip cosmopolitan sounds... have a borderless, trans-national flavour, liberally
spiced with bossa nova, downtown jazz, outlier pop, art rock and free improv’
The Irish Times about ‘Aleka’ EP

Oxygen Thief's music aims to reimagine the traditional confines of the jazz guitar trio by blending
elements of math rock and electronica together with jazz. The trio featuring Chris Guilfoyle on
guitar, Barry Donohue on bass and Matthew Jacobson on drums - has a unique chemistry through
their years of playing as the rhythm section in the critically acclaimed quintet Umbra. They’ve
joined forces with Aleka, a Romanian vocalist based in Dublin, who has made a name for herself as
one of the top jazz singers in Ireland, garnering attention of Irish jazz household names, working
alongside the likes of Tommy Halferty, Michael Buckley, and Ronan Guilfoyle. As well as playing
in Ireland, she has been a featured guest with the Romanian Radio Big Band, and toured with her
band across Romania last summer to promote her latest release ‘Romania: Songs of Love and
Longing’.