Irene Cara is an American singer, actress, and music producer born on March 18, 1959, in New York. She is known for playing the role of Coco Hernandez in the musical film "Fame" in 1980 and for singing the theme song of the movie "Flashdance", What a Feeling, in 1983. In 1984, she won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy Award for What a Feeling. Cara began her acting career at the age of five in various television advertisements. At the age of ten, she made her Broadway debut in the musical "The Me Nobody Knows". She later appeared in several other musicals, including "Hair", "Jesus Christ Superstar", and "The Wiz". In 1980, she starred as Coco Hernandez in the musical film "Fame", for which she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. Cara also sang several songs for the movies "Fame" and "Flashdance", including the title song of the movie "Flashdance", What a Feeling, which won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy Award. In 1984, she released her first solo album, "Anyone Can See", which reached number 33 on the Billboard 200. Her second album, "What a Feeling", was released in 1985 and reached number 7 on the Billboard 200. In 1987, she released her third album, "Carasmatic", which was not as successful as her first two albums. After taking a break from her music career, Cara returned in 1998 with her album "The Irene Cara Album", which was successful in Europe. In 2001, she released her fifth album, "Latin Soul". Cara has also worked as a music producer and has produced several albums, including the rap album "Latin Hip Hop" by Fat Joe in 1993.

Irene Cara - What a Feeling Extract :

Irene Cara - Flashdance Extract :