Irene Cara is a mixed-ethnicity singer; although officially an American she has African, Cuban and Puerto Rican ancestry. Using talents throughout her career that led her to both write and perform music as well as to act, perhaps her best known work was co-writing the song "Flashdance?What a Feeling", a hit in 1984 (and beyond) that won her an Academy Award for Best Original Song. She also starred in the movie Fame in 1980. Although her main pursuit has always been film, Cara has released three full length albums: Anyone Can See (1982), What A Feelin' (1983) and Carasmatic (1987). The singles "Fame", "Flashdance What a Feelin'" and "Breakdance" earned her prestige within the top ten of the US Billboard charts, however other singles released, even on the same albums as other hits, failed to reach any kind of success. Cara's real notoriety as a singer and musician came to her through the roles she played in movies and through the associated hit singles. Her music has always tended towards the pop category and attracted an audience intent on enjoying the melody and, more importantly, dancing along. Although Irene Cara has remained a somewhat mysterious figure where her personal life and history are concerned, she has carved a permanent place for herself within the music industry because of her undeniable talent for contributing the perfect songs to movie soundtracks as well as dance compilations throughout her career. Her songwriting has maintained a very upbeat, melodic, and overall pop vibe that her fans and her musical/theatrical collaborators truly appreciate. She continues to tour, mostly in Europe and Asia, sharing her passion for good pop tunes.