Ep. 64: Irene Cara – Top 6 Songs
Intro
Hello and Welcome to this episode of the podcast, "The Mnemonic Tree", where we add a single mnemonic leaf, to our Tree of Knowledge.
Today's episode is on the triple threat Irene Cara who had extraordinary talents in singing, dancing and acting. Her recent passing still comes as a shock and her cause of death to this point is still unknown. One thing for sure her iconic music will live on, along with her film and stage appearances for which she won critical acclaim.
Today’s mnemonic is on her top six songs.
With that being said, we will begin with a summary from Wikipedia
Wikipedia Summary
Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959[note 1] – November 25, 2022) was an American singer and actress[13] who rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film Fame, and for recording the film's title song "Fame", which reached No. 1 in several countries.
In 1983, Cara co-wrote and sang the song "Flashdance... What a Feeling" (from the film Flashdance), for which she shared an Academy Award for Best Original Song and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984. Before her success with Fame, Cara portrayed the title character Sparkle Williams in the original 1976 musical drama film Sparkle.
Irene Cara Escalera was born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, the youngest of five children.[8][12] Her father, Gaspar Cara,[14] a steel factory worker and retired saxophonist, was Puerto Rican, and her mother, Louise Escalera, a movie theater usher, was Cuban.[8][12] Cara had two sisters and two brothers.[12] She began to play the piano by ear, studied music, acting, and dance,[citation needed] and began taking dance lessons when she was five.[8] Her performing career started with her singing and dancing professionally on Spanish-language television. She made early TV appearances on The Original Amateur Hour (singing in Spanish)[15] and Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show.[14] In 1971–1972, she was a regular on PBS's educational program The Electric Company as a member of the Short Circus, the show's band.[8] As a child, Cara recorded a Spanish-language record for the Latin market and an English-language Christmas album. She also appeared in a major concert tribute to Duke Ellington, which featured Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr., and Roberta Flack.[16] Cara attended the Professional Children's School in Manhattan.[12] In 1985, Cara told Cosmopolitan "I don't mean to sound immodest but I'd never had any doubt that I'd be successful, nor any fear of success, I was raised as a little goddess who was told she would be a star."[17]
Above information extracted from Wikipedia – link: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Cara]
Mnemonic
Irene Cara – Top 6 Songs Mnemonic – Fantastic WOMAN
(Simply picture Irene Cara as a fantastic woman that could sing, dance and act)
1. Fame
2. What a Feeling - Flashdance
3. Out Here on My Own
4. My Baby (He’s Something Else)
5. Anyone Can See
6. No One But You
Five Fun Facts
1. At the age of three, Irene Cara was one of five finalists for the “Little Miss America” pageant. And by the age of five, she began taking dancing lessons, and she also began playing the piano by ear. Well, at least that explains some of the strange early videos I saw of Cara, banging her head on the keys!
2. Cara’s performing career began with singing and dancing professionally on Spanish-language television.
3. Her acting stocks were seriously boosted with dramatic roles in two mini-series, firstly, Roots: The Next Generations and Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones.
4. Cara was married to stuntman and film director Conrad Palmisano in 1986. They unfortunately divorced in 1991 and since that time Cara never remarried or had a romantic relationship.
5. Cara’s talents weren’t limited to entertaining; she was also multilingual and spoke French, Spanish and German.
6. Bonus: And an indulgent bonus fact to finish off. Irene Cara performed the pre-match entertainment for the 2006 Australian AFL Grand Final. She performed a flawless version of Flashdance …… What a Feeling and I highly recommend and encourage everyone to go to YouTube or The Mnemonic Tree Website to take a look. It will give you goosebumps and in light of her unexpected passing maybe even shed a tear. What a voice!
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Three Question Quiz
Q.1. What was the name of the band that Cara formed? Options are Steamy Rice, Duck Soup or Hot Caramel
Q.2. Name one character in the animated films “Beauty and the Beast” or The Jungle King” that Cara voiced?
Q.3. Name either or both (if you’re clever) the main character and the actor that portrays the main character in the film flash dance?
Bonus Q. Which song came out first “Flashdance” or “Fame”
Mnemonic Recap
Irene Cara – Top 6 Songs Mnemonic – Fantastic WOMAN
(Simply picture Irene Cara as a fantastic woman that could sing, dance and act)
1. Fame
2. What a Feeling - Flashdance
3. Out Here on My Own
4. My Baby (He’s Something Else)
5. Anyone Can See
6. No One But You
Three Question Quiz Answers
Q.1. What was the name of the band that Cara formed? Options are Steamy Rice, Duck Soup or Hot Caramel
A. Hot Caramel which was formed in 1999
Q.2. Name one character in the animated films “Beauty and the Beast” or The Jungle King” that Cara voiced?
A. Cara voiced Beauty in the 1992 film Beauty and the Beast and Lionette in the 1994 The Jungle King.
Q.3. Name either or both (if you’re clever) the main character and the actor that portrays the main character in the film flash dance?
A. The actor was Jennifer Beals and she plays the character Alex Owens
Bonus Q. Which song came out first “Flashdance” or “Fame”
A. Fame was in 1980. Flashdance was 1983.
Word of the Week
zinfandel
[ zin-fuhn-del ]
noun
a dry red wine made from a black vinifera grape in California.
Example
Irene Cara celebrated drinking zinfandel after she won an Oscar for best music (original song) for Flashdance …. What a Feeling, in 1984
Extracted from: [https://www.dictionary.com/]
Website: https://www.themnemonictreepodcast.com/
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References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Cara
https://www.uselessdaily.com/movies/irene-cara-trivia-42-facts-about-the-actress-and-singer/
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/quizshow.php?title=pp-how-much-do-you-know-about-irene-cara&q=1