Today we’d like to introduce you to Arnella Barbara.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was never meant to live a small life.
I started as a singer — even though my parents didn’t want me to be one. They wanted a lawyer, a doctor, a wife, a mother — the story that ends in safety, not fire. But I wanted so much more than that. I wanted to create, to perform, to burn brighter than the walls that tried to contain me.
I graduated from the Conservatorio di Musica di Milano, one of the most prestigious conservatories in the world. I studied opera — the language of passion, tragedy, and power. That’s where I learned that beauty demands discipline, and that art, real art, costs everything.
While living in Milan, I became a runway model, walking through a world of velvet and chaos to support myself. My parents refused to help me. They loved art from a distance, but they called mine “madness.” What they didn’t understand is that madness is sacred. It’s the raw energy of creation itself — and I chose to live inside it.
Years later, life brought me to Los Angeles for my son, Ronnie Connell — a brilliant actor, and an even more brilliant musician, drummer, and singer. He was a child actor then, and I came here to guide him, to give him what I never had: unconditional support. Watching Ronnie perform was like watching a mirror of my own spirit — fearless, expressive, born to create. He reminded me that our blood runs electric with rhythm and courage.
When he grew up and began carving his own path, I finally looked in the mirror and said, Now it’s your turn.
I threw myself into every corner of art that called to me — design, music, food, storytelling — and let them fuse into something that was wholly my own.
I started as a Production Designer, building worlds from nothing. I fell in love with transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary — an empty room into a breathing story, a scrap of fabric into a dream. Whether it’s a horror film’s haunted motel, a glowing jazz stage, or a candlelit kitchen, I design with emotion first and logic second. Every set I touch has a pulse.
And then came food. I became a vegan chef, not out of trend, but out of survival. I had allergies and restrictions, so I learned to cook for myself — and discovered a natural gift. I realized food, like music or film, is energy and art. Every dish I create is an experience, a little bit of theater on a plate — compassionate, sensual, and alive.
Eventually, my love of music brought me home — not to a stage, but to a microphone.
At KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, I found my second heartbeat. My dear friend and mentor Gary Baca, the one who first brought me to the station, believed in me long before I did.
Today, I am the host, DJ, and producer of Dark Star Dead & Music, a two-hour cosmic odyssey dedicated to the spirit of the Grateful Dead and beyond — a show where love, loss, and sound intertwine under one endless sky. I also produce The Signal, a program that speaks truth to power, and co-produce Tuesday’s Global Village with Gary Baca — a celebration of world music and unity across borders.
For me, radio is a kind of theater — invisible but deeply alive. It’s where emotion, intellect, and imagination collide. It’s not just something I do — it’s something I become.
But make no mistake — Los Angeles is not a city that gives. It takes. It tests. It demands everything before it offers you anything. You have to bleed persistence, breathe patience, and still walk into the storm with your head high. Talent is only the spark; endurance is the flame.
And yet, through it all, I never lost my rhythm. Every set I design, every meal I create, every show I produce — it all carries the same frequency: psychedelic flair, feminine power, and raw heart. I’ve learned that beauty isn’t about perfection; it’s about truth. It’s about feeling something real in a world obsessed with pretending.
Los Angeles didn’t hand me anything easy — but it gave me everything real.
I built my life here the only way I know how — one glittered prop, one song, one broadcast, one act of faith at a time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No — and I wouldn’t expect it to be.
Los Angeles is a city that tests your resolve. It doesn’t hand out dreams; it demands that you fight for them. And I have. The road has been long, unpredictable, and often unfair — but it made me who I am.
There were times I had to build sets out of nothing, create magic on shoestring budgets, and push through exhaustion just to keep the work alive. I’ve faced rejection, betrayal, and people who looked at me and underestimated what I could do — until they saw it with their own eyes.
And yes, there were darker moments too — moments that tested my soul.
In this industry, I’ve encountered producers and executives who tried to take advantage of women, who believed our careers were theirs to manipulate. When I refused to do what they wanted, I was told, “You’ll never work in this town again.” And for a time, they made sure of it. I was fired from a major movie and a major TV show because I said no.
But I still walked away with my head held high. I chose self-respect over compromise. And while it cost me in the moment, it gave me something far greater — freedom. Integrity. Power.
This business can break you if you let it. But I refused to be broken. Instead, I built my own path, on my own terms. I took everything I had — my creativity, my persistence, my madness — and turned it into fuel.
Every obstacle, every betrayal, every “no” only made me louder, bolder, and more unstoppable. The road wasn’t smooth — it was jagged and wild and real — but it led me exactly where I needed to go.
And here I am — stronger than ever, still standing, still creating, still believing.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I build worlds — whether it’s through set design, sound, or flavor.
As a Production Designer, I don’t just decorate spaces — I create emotional landscapes. I turn walls into memories, color into character, and texture into storytelling. Every set I design — whether it’s a gritty horror film, a shimmering jazz club, or a surreal cooking show — has a pulse. It breathes. It feels alive.
For me, realism is everything — even in fantasy. I believe the audience must feel that what they’re seeing could exist. Whether it’s a dream sequence or a dark, twisted nightmare, the environment must be grounded in emotional truth. That’s what I’m known for: building worlds that feel authentic, even when they’re otherworldly.
As a Vegan Chef, my story began out of necessity and evolved into purpose. I became vegan for my health — but also because of the way animals are treated. I couldn’t ignore that truth. At first, I had to learn to cook for myself due to allergies and restrictions, but along the way I discovered that food is pure art — a living, sensory expression of compassion. My kitchen is my stage: it’s where ethics meet aesthetics, where flavors become philosophy. Every dish I create is an act of kindness — cruelty-free, beautiful, and full of life.
And then there’s radio, the heartbeat of everything I do. I’m the host, DJ, and producer of Dark Star Dead & Music on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, a two-hour voyage dedicated to the spirit of the Grateful Dead and beyond — a space for sound, love, and community. I also produce The Signal with the brilliant host Armando Guidino, a.k.a. Dino — an incredible professor and an incredible activist who brings intellect, power, and purpose to every broadcast. And I co-produce Tuesday’s Global Village with my mentor and friend Gary Baca, a show that celebrates the rhythms of the world and the voices that connect us all.
I’m most proud that I built this path on my own terms. I’ve said no when others said I had to say yes. I’ve faced the “you’ll never work in this town again” moments and walked away with my integrity intact. I turned rejection into creation, adversity into fuel, and silence into sound.
What sets me apart is that I don’t separate art from life. Everything I touch — a film set, a plate of food, a radio broadcast — is guided by the same current of beauty, rebellion, and truth. My work is feminine, fierce, and fearless — a collision of elegance and edge.
At its heart, everything I do comes down to one mission:
to create worlds where people can feel something real — something kind, something powerful, something that reminds them they’re alive.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Connection is everything to me. My work has always been about creating worlds — but those worlds only come alive through collaboration, energy, and trust.
If someone wants to work with me, the door is open to anyone who leads with creativity, kindness, and vision. Whether it’s building a film set, designing a live experience, curating a food and art event, or producing a radio segment — I love collaborating with people who have something real to say. Artists. Dreamers. Activists. Musicians. Rebels. People who believe that art can shift consciousness.
I’m always open to partnerships that align with purpose — projects that have soul, integrity, and something to say to the world. I’m especially drawn to collaborations that fuse sound, visuals, food, and storytelling — because that’s where true alchemy happens.
For support, it’s simple: listen, share, and show up.
Tune into Dark Star Dead & Music on Sunday nights from 8 to 10 PM, The Signal on Saturdays from 12 noon to 1 PM, and Tuesday’s Global Village every Tuesday from 11 AM to 1 PM — all on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, or stream online at kpfk.org.
And if you’d like to collaborate directly — reach out.
Bring your ideas, your courage, and your spark. I’ll bring the glitter, the vision, and the love.
✨ Connect with me:
• Instagram: @realarnellabarbara
• Facebook: Arnella Barbara
• TikTok: @arnella.barbara
Because when we create together — that’s when the magic happens.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.Lsdivaproductions.com
- Instagram: @realarnellabarbaracoco
- Facebook: Facebook Arnella Barbara
- Other: TikTok @arnella.barbara
Image Credits
All images belong to Arnella Barbara
