Irene Diaz is a modern-day torch singer blessed with an earnest talent on the piano. She performs on Tuesday, April 21 at Soda Bar to promote her EP debut, "I Love You Madly," which pays homage to silent era film actor Buster Keaton. As seen in the eponymous music video, her lyrics and music create the perfect endearing atmosphere for intimate relationships when words are absent yet present.
Diaz certainly knows what being an independent artist is all about, and she owes a lot of it to her proud "Mexi-Can" work ethic. In 2012, the singer/songwriter raised an impressive $10,000-plus on Kickstarter to finance the EP and a tour -- not bad at all for a relatively unknown singer.
"If you’re a young woman or minority in the arts, don’t sell yourself short," she told KSPC radio. "Keep making art and keep sharing it and never alter your art to make someone else happy. Be yourself."
In April, Diaz celebrated the milestone of reaching 5,000 "likes" on Facebook. She said it was like getting "hugs and kisses" from her fans.
The Los Angeles native uses social media to positively influence her fans. Diaz has even advocated for one homeless single mother through her Facebook, and continues to share the legacy of the late singer Selena.
Luckily for her, Diaz's music has made it into the hands of NPR Alt Latino -- and is totally getting its well-deserved shine from radio host Felix Contreras.
"The first time I heard it, Irene Diaz's voice stopped me cold," he says. "Diaz conjures a place where emotions run deep and beauty is unmistakable."
Dita Quinones is a multimedia journalist born in Tijuana with a passion for Latin alternative and hip-hop music news. Her main goal is to uplift and inform so that the Latino, Filipino and hip-hop community get knitted into the fabric of American history. In addition to SoundDiego, she contributes to Latina, Fox News Latino, Poder, VidaVibrante, San Diego CityBeat and HipHopDx. She is also the founder of the infamous music and politrix blog GN$F! Follow Dita on Twitter or on Facebook.
