There are those who’d say that singer-songwriter Dionne Blaize was destined to sing even before she could talk. She imitated songs she heard her mother singing as early as six months old, and has not stopped singing since. Dionne’s enduring spirit is a gift from her parents and her confidence comes from knowing that she has “people” around her, watching her back.
She credits her love of music to her father, who taught himself to play the piano, as his family didn’t have enough money to pay for music lessons and from her Uncle, a bass player who used to play for a local band in Europe. Dionne grew up in a house filled with music and remembers her father and Uncle playing all kinds of music ranging from Aretha Franklin, Barbara Streisand, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald just to name a few.
When she reflects back at her early childhood, she remembers composing songs as early as 5-years-old. Her mother recalls how she used to hear Dionne singing songs that she didn’t recognize and asking her about the songs she was singing. Dionne would tell her mother that she was making the songs up in her head. Her mother reflects at how impressed and amazed she was by the songs she heard her daughter singing because although she was only 5-years-old, the songs that she created had sweet sounding melodies.
It was quite clear, even at that tender age, that Dionne would have a career in music. At age 5, with hairbrush in hand, she used to sing in front of the mirror pretending that the mirror was her audience. From that moment, she knew one day she would have a real audience. She didn’t know how it would all come together but, she knew it would. At the age of 5, she also remembers performing for her grandmother who was visiting America from Grenada for the very first time. She remembered how happy she was that her grandma was visiting and how she put that special performance together just for her. "My grandmother was quite impressed and amazed". Dionne laughs as she recalls the story. Her grandmother told Dionne’s mom that she has a star on her hands.
Dionne’s formal introduction to music was in church. Starting in the junior choir, she quickly graduated to singing with the adult group, where her tiny, but strong voice, brought an Angelic sound to Sunday morning praise. During her teenage years, she wrote, composed, and sang with continued enthusiasm; with Whitney Houston, serving as one of her main sources of inspiration.
After emigrating from the Caribbean island of Grenada, her parents raised her and three siblings in Brooklyn, New York, an area whose cultural diversity continues to inspire her work. Critics and enthusiastic listeners alike have commented on her strong musicality and dedication to her craft.
More important to Dionne is not only to make great music, but have her music touch many hearts
Listen to Dionne Blaize On Reverbnation https://www.reverbnation.com/dionneblaize
