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Irene Cara

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Irene Cara was an American singer and actress. She was born on 18 March 1959 in the Bronx in New York, the youngest of five children. Her father was Puerto Rican and her mother Cuban. She took dance lessons from an early age. In 1971 she was part of the band Short Circus on the educational programme The Electric Company, and as a child she recorded a Spanish-language record and a Christmas album. She appeared on Broadway and off-Broadway in Via Galactica, Ain't Misbehavin' and The Me Nobody Knows, among others. In 1976 she played the title role in the film Sparkle.

Music and breakthrough

The breakthrough came in 1980 with the film Fame by Alan Parker. She was cast as a dancer, but the producers heard her voice and rewrote the role of Coco Hernandez for her. She sang the title song Fame and Out Here on My Own. In 1983 she wrote Flashdance... What a Feeling, the title song of the film Flashdance, together with Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey. In 1984 came Breakdance, her last Top 40 hit. Her albums were Anyone Can See in 1982, What a Feelin' in 1983 and Carasmatic in 1987.

Influence

Her music combined pop and dance with the synthesizers of the early 1980s. She showed how film music and pop music came together in that era: her hits were soundtrack songs, and the film brought the record to a large audience. Irene Cara died in 2022.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Flashdance... What a Feeling and notice how it is built: how does the song begin, and what do the synthesizers and the drum machine do once the beat sets in?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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See also

Categories: Artists