floradio #feeltheflo
At the age of four or five, Ms. Irene Renee was scheduled to perform a duet with her sister for the Easter Sunday children’s show. She rehearsed “Yes Jesus Loves Me” and “This Little Light of Mine” for weeks, knew her lines, and was all set to perform. But stage fright struck, and she chickened out, leaving her sister to render the songs on her own. Despite that experience, Ms. Irene Renee went on to develop a love for performing and singing. She joined the children’s choir and the adult choirs at both Northwest C.O.G.I.C. and Glad Tidings C.O.G.I.C churches in Detroit, MI, where she was a member for most of her young adult life, thereafter graduating to performances in gospel groups, church plays, and school talent shows. At Michigan State University, her alma mater, she continued to nurture her desire to perform, choreographing dance routines for various talent shows before landing a spot as a dancer for the then popular rap/dance recording artist/group known as MCM and the Hype Crew.
After moving to New York, Ms. Irene Renee started learning the performance circuits and began singing around NYC at popular venues like Amateur Night at the Apollo, Chaz ‘n’ Wilson’s night club, and Café Wha? At many of her performances, she was relished and encouraged by famed artists like Sean “Puffy” Combs and Rapper/Recording Artist and Radio Personality Ed Lover. “Keep singing sister!” he whispered, approvingly. She even gained an invite from a top A&R music executive at Sony Music. While these encounters did not result in a recording contract, she was resolved in her spirit to continue honing her musical skills and pursuing her passions. In the midst of an upward climb, however, life happened. And she put her dreams on the back burner to tend to the greatest love of her life—her son and the role of motherhood. Intermittently, to keep the dream and the ecstasy alive, she performed at weddings and dance club ban
ds, but decided those weren’t her forte. Years later, Ms. Irene Renee decided to make a come-back and began again with local karaoke competitions, taking a few titles before getting back to the Big Apple open-mic circuit, particularly, the famed “Sugar Shack” owned by Valerie Simpson and the late Nick Simpson. This evolved into her own monthly show at the beautiful Zuppa Restaurant & Lounge, where she sings her sultry renditions of jazz, R & B, and neo soul cover tunes. After an almost two year stint, she stumbled upon a last-minute audition notification for a singing competition that she only had 24 hours to prepare for. Auditioning, she wowed the panel of judges which consisted of seasoned musicians and recording artists and landed a spot as one of 12 winners in the 2012 Forum Jazz Arts competition. She was debuted as one of Westchester County’s rising jazz entertainers in the Forum Jazz Arts Summer Concert Series. Ms. Irene Renee has received numerous performance invitations by local and private organizations, such as Yonkers Public Schools, Delta Sigma Theta’s Westchester Alumnae Chapter, Westchester County’s African American Heritage Council, Gold Stilleto Magazine, and Power of the P “Where Women are Being Empowered” Organization.
After having already developed a love for writing, working with phenomenal musicians and producers over the years Ms. Irene Renee decided to embark upon a journey to independently produce and release her debut album, aptly entitled, Serendipitous Experience. Her dynamic melding of sultry and earthy, mixed with a bit of sweet and sexy is incredibly appealing; the album’s lyrically conscientious vibe, coupled with its melodic assortment evoke genuine reactions in her listeners: they love it; they get it! Her music promotes reflection, inspiration, and movement. She has been compared to singers like Toni Braxton, Jill Scott, Cassandra Wilson, Phyllis Hyman and Anita Baker and complimented by accomplished artists, including Cissy Houston and Luther Vandross.
Album : Ubiquitous Soul released 30/6/17
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
