Irene Cara, real name Irene Cara Escalera, was an American singer-songwriter who started her artistic career by playing mini misses at the age of 3. Then learn music and dance from the age of 5.
She is found at the age of 13 on the educational TV show 'The electric company'. A TV show of which she quickly became a permanent member of the 'Short Circus', a five-member singing group whose songs make it easier to read.
At the end of the 70s, she took part in several Broadway musicals but also in the Love of Life TV series, particularly well known in the USA. She is also seen appearing in other series such as 'Roots : the next generations' and Guyana Tragedy : the story of Jim Jones'.
Recognition, the real one, came in 1980 when a little film called Fame was released. Originally, the singer was only supposed to dance in the film. And it was upon hearing her sing that the film's producers decided to give her one of the key roles and have her perform one of the film's flagship songs, "Fame". The title, like the film, is a global hit and propels the artist to the height of fame in a shattering way.
Overnight, the singer becomes essential and she is even offered a sitcom in her name in 1981. She is also seen appearing in several films and plays in the years that follow.
New consecration in 1983, once again thanks to a musical film, this time called Flashdance. The singer does not play any role there but interprets one of the flagship titles of the soundtrack namely "Flashdance...what a feeling", a title which will be even stronger than "Fame" in its time. An incredible film soundtrack from which a second global mega-hit will be extracted with the title “Maniac” by Michael Sembello. The singer was then at the peak of her career.
An absolutely incredible year 1983 which sees the release of the album "What a feelin", album which will produce the trifle of a planetary mega hit, of two planetary top hits that are "Why me ?" and " Breakdance" which came out in 1984 and two planetary hits that are" The dream (Hold on to your dream)" and "You were made for me" which also came out in 1984. Just that !
Unfortunately, the artist’s decline will be almost as rapid as his meteoric rise and anything that comes out thereafter will have no previous success.
Artist who will leave us definitively on November 25, 2022 at the age of 63...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
The me nobody knows 1971
Fame 1980
Out here on my own 1980
Anyone can see 1982
My baby (He's something else) 1982
City nights 1982
Flashdance…what a feeling 1983
Why me 1983
The dream (Hold on to your dream) 1983
Breakdance 1984
You were made for me 1984
Embreaceable you 1984
Busted up 1986
The long shot 1986
Girlfriends 1987
Give me love 1987
Now that it's over 1987
Love survives 1989
Paradiso 1990
No one but you 1990
You need me 1996
All my heart 1996
Downtown 2004
Letter to a fan 2011
Kiss and walk away 2011
One step closer 2011
Clips :
1971...the first steps of young Irene. Who would imagine at that time that the very young singer would become in a few years one of the leading singers of the American music scene ? Not many people, that's for sure...
1980...the providential gift granted to her 9 years later. While she was only supposed to dance to this title, fate will want the singer to sing it herself. And the result will far exceed all her expectations. She signs here an enormous Dance hit which remains to this day one of the best known of the 80s. With this colossal success from the first title, she could not have dreamed of a better gift from Providence. MAS-TER-FUL !
1980 ... we go from one extreme to another. After setting fire to all the Dancefloor on the planet, the singer signs here a beautiful Intimist track which shows that she is good in all areas. Rather a very good omen for the future !
1982 ... new foray into the Intimist field and the least we can say is that it is an area that suits her perfectly given the quality of this absolutely sumptuous Ultimate Slow. MA-GIC !
1982 ... surprisingly, this title will go completely under the radar. But given what is on the horizon, really nothing to worry about !
1982...we will find her on a good number of film soundtracks during this decade of the 80s, including this one which we will find in the film "Killing em' soflty". This one will go somewhat unnoticed, which will not be the case with the one that follows, far from it !
1983...she had already signed one of the biggest Dance hits of the decade. She does it again here with an even more incredible title which will remain as the biggest success of her entire career. A fantastic new Dance title that we will find in the soundtrack of the movie "Flashdance" and which remains to this day one of the biggest Dance hits of all time. MO-NU-MEN-TAL !
1983 ... an exceptional year in all respects with a 2nd mega hit in the wake. The singer is then one of the biggest planetary phenomena of the moment and connects mega tubes at a truly staggering speed !
1983... the pass of 3 ! Even if this title there will not have the level of success of the 2 titles which preceded it, it comes to close an incredible year which will have seen the singer reach a level of fame which she would never have imagined, even in her wildest dreams !
1984...a new vintage that got off to a flying start with this new mega hit. The singer brilliantly proves that her status as a phenomenon of the moment is not usurped, far from it !
1984 ... after 3 totally euphoric years, it's already the beginning of the end. As incredible as it may seem, the singer will not have been able to capitalize on the duration and will have passed like a shooting star. Hard law of the trade ...
1984...fortunately the film soundtracks managed to keep her going for a while. She will never reproduce the feat achieved on the soundtrack of "Flasdance" but will do more than well on the others...
1986... it is clear that the film whose soundtrack she illustrates will not stay in history as a masterpiece, that's for sure. Its title will not demerit for all that...
1986... ditto for this one. However, she puts a more than obvious good will into it, but when the quality of the films is very average, it is difficult for the soundtrack to exist at the highest level...
1987...after 3 empty years on the albums side, the singer comes back to us in little shape, that's the least we can say. A relative form that she pays cash with a gradual and above all irremediable disappearance of radars....
1987...that won't stop her from continuing the adventure, but it's clear that the best years are now behind her. Hard law of the trade...
1987... anyway it's the basic fans who are delighted to see her continue at all costs. A desire to believe in it to the end which undoubtedly commands respect...
1989... back in soundtrack mode this time for the animated film "All dogs go to heaven". Once again the soundtrack will make talking about him more than the film itself...
1990... here she begins the 90s with the hope of a possible career rebound. It comes from a good feeling to hope again and again, but not sure that's enough to put her back in the saddle...
1990...we find her this time on the soundtrack of the film "China cry". As always with her, quality is essential, but this is once again the film that will not remain as THE film of the year...
1996...here she revisits Matia Bazar's flagship title 'Ti sento' dating from 1985 and makes an ultra Dance version of it which is not lacking in interest. But difficult to surpass the original as the bar has been set high...
1996...she revisits here the title 'Movin on' of the Novecento dating from 1984 and once again her cover is far from unworthy. Unfortunately, still no return to favor on the horizon...
2004...we will lose sight of her for almost 8 years and here she is back at the beginning of the 2000s with the firm will to finally ward off fate. Not sure that's enough again...
2011...new big air hole and new attempt to come back. She will have tried everything but nothing will be done in the end...
2011 ... anyway it's always a real pleasure to see her come back again and again. An iron will that we can only salute...
2011... the adventure will not go any further despite all the efforts made. She will still have been present for the last 4 decades and will have left behind a discography that is impressive to say the least. RIP...
Top Bonus : the story of a lifetime I
Top Bonus : the story of a lifetime II
Top Bonus : the story of a lifetime III
Top Bonus : the story of a lifetime IV
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :