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, and has not stopped singing since. The sultry-soulful singer’s debut album “Still Standing” represents the high point of a singing career which began before she could talk. 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. The songs on her debut R&B album, “Still Standing”, expresses likes, love, lust, and hurts she’s been through - realistic songs that make you think.
Dionne 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 her Uncle, a bass player for a local band, who used to play all kinds of different styles of music ranging from Aretha Franklin and Barbara Streisand to Ella Fitzgerald in the house where Dionne grew up. Dionne remembers composing songs as early as 5 years old. Her mother would hear Dionne singing songs that she didn’t recognize and would ask Dionne “baby what are you singing?” Dionne would answer “Mommy I’m singing a song I made”. Dionne’s mother was quite impressed because although Dionne was only 5 years old, the songs that she created had sweet sounding melodies. It was clear that Dionne was destined to write as well as sing. At 5 years old with a hair brush in her hand, Dionne would sing in front of the mirror pretending that the mirror was her audience. From that moment, she knew that one day she would really have an audience. She didn’t know how it would all come together but she knew that one day it would.
Dionne’s formal introduction to music was through the gospel choir at her 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, Dionne wrote, composed, and sang with continued enthusiasm; with Whitney Houston, serving as her sources of inspiration. Her recently completed music video for her single - “We Belong Together”, which is currently airing on major television stations worldwide, highlights Dionne’s acting abilities; a skill she learned from her performing arts classes while in High School.
After emigrating from the Caribbean island of Grenada, Dionne’s 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 Dionne’s strong musicality and dedication to her craft. More important to Dionne however, is her desire to not just make great music, but to also have her music touch people's hearts.
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