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Irene Diaz being considered for a Grammy


My long-time friend Irene Diaz is now under consideration for Grammy!  She is one of only two other Chicanas from East LA to be considered for a Grammy, the others being Quetzal founding member Martha Gonzalez, a which won the Grammy for the album ‘Imaginaries’ in 2013, and Marisol Hernandez of La Santa Cecelia, who was nominated as lead singer of LSC multiple times and won in 2014.  If Irene is nominated, she will be the first East La Chicana to be nom’ed as a solo artist.

Diaz is part of a rich  history.  Chicana/o music started to make its mark  in1958 with Ritchie Valens (born Richard Valenzuela) who soared to stardom with iconic hits like “La Bamba” and “Donna” before his life was cut short in 1959.   He was followed in 1960 by Rosalie “Rosie” Méndez Hamlin,  of Rosie and the Originals whose hit “Angel Baby” got her and the band inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame. (Rosie was born in Oregon and raised in National City –a Chicana, but not from East LA).

Irene Diaz is very definitely East LA – she grew up in the heart of Los Angeles—first in Highland Park, then Northeast LA—as the only girl among four siblings, navigating the pressures and possibilities of a Chicana upbringing. Her father gigged in local Rock en Español bands while her mother worked, imbuing their modest two-bedroom home with music, resilience, and hope. Diaz learned piano as a child, then she switched to acoustic guitar and found a new sense of self in LA’s vibrant open mic and Chicano music scenes.

Diaz resisted industry expectations about image and genre, holding tight to her given name and refusing to filter her songwriting style. Instead, her music reflects lived experience—a blend of soulful torch songs. love ballads,  and evocative R&B, delivered with intimate vocals that have drawn praise from outlets like NPR, IndiePulseMusic, and Vents Magazine. Her 2021 album “Lovers & Friends,” executive-produced by Carla Morrison, showcases an unvarnished emotional honesty, often exploring themes of longing, belonging, and the fragile dance between independence and intimacy.

Diaz’s retro soul sound is steeped in classic influences yet unmistakably modern, characterized by lush harmonies and the kind of smoldering groove that invites listeners to linger in life’s gray areas. Whether she’s performing in English or experimenting with Spanish, Diaz’s artistry is guided by a sense of place—her Eastside roots, her Chicana identity, and a refusal to compromise her vision.  

I first met Diaz in a church basement concert in Venice California ten years ago, pushed there by a music agent who said ignore the venue, focus on the talent.  The “talent” – Irene and her now wife  Carolyn Cardoza – blew me away.  Her song “Crazy Love”, which has streamed over 4 million downloads, stopped me in my tracks;  I said to myself this girl is going places. (see my 2019 and 2021 reviews).

And she has.  In the past decade she has released standout love songs, R&B hits and ballads like her most recent Fool” and “Anything for You” and she has been inducted into the Recording Academy and toured with Carla Morrison.

If there are any Grammy voters reading this column, move her up to a full  nomination.  You will not only be recognizing a huge talent, but also helping to make history. 

Patrick O’Heffernan, PhD., is a music journalist and radio broadcaster based in Los Angeles, California, with a global following. His two weekly radio programs, MusicFridayLive! and MusicaFusionLA are heard nationwide and in the UK. He focuses on two music specialties: emerging bands in all genres, and the growing LA-based ALM genre (American Latino Music) that combines rock and rap, blues and jazz and pop with music from Latin America like cumbia, banda, jarocho and mariachi. He also likes to watch his friend drag race.

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