Female Artist Of The Year For 2015: Diane De Mesa

While most children still weren’t speaking in complete sentences when they were 2 years old, Diane de Mesa (StarCentral Magazine’s Female Artist of the Year for 2015) was already singing along to Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’!  That love for music continued to grow and now, Diane has so far released 3 independently produced albums (‘Fly Away’, ‘Heartstrings’ and the latest, ‘Only For You’ released in January 2016) packed of her own compositions and collaborations reflecting her smooth, soulful style.

For the Northern California Bay Area-based singer/songwriter performing makes her “feel alive. It is when I can express my emotions and free all the sentiments that I feel inside. I feel a different kind of high, a rush of adrenaline like no other…it is a stress-relief and very therapeutic for me. Whenever I sing, all of my troubles and worries go away.”  Along with her albums, Diane still continues to upload YouTube videos (which was her “training ground to further improve myself in singing and performing”), she is also the lead vocalist for the acoustic band: ‘Diane de Mesa and the LSS Sessionists’ in which she regularly performs in along with her bandmates, acoustic guitarist, Greg Felix and drummer, Audy Felix.  “They are seasoned musicians and veterans of the live music scene. I learn a lot from them especially when it comes to performing live. My musician friends are those people I can truly connect with. No one else in this world can truly understand the rollercoaster ride that can go with this …”

Also a registered nurse (she works with mothers and their newborns in the postpartum unit), Diane took part in the ‘Power of Love’ concert in 2013.  The concert (organized by Amado Tuazon), was held as a benefit for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan.  She performed her original song ‘Love Will Find A Way’ – a collaboration with Andy Chesterton from London.  “It meant a lot to me to be able to sing for a good cause, touch people’s lives, and inspire and help people at the time of calamity.”

“The music industry is a truly intimidating world and highly competitive…” and it is a world Diane would have found difficult to navigate without the support of her husband, Mike.  “He has always been there for me and without his love, patience and understanding, it will be hard to juggle being a nurse, a wife, a mother to a 2 year old, and a musician.”

With her 3 albums already available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play and more, Diane has already enjoyed success other artists could only dream of.  While “happy to be an independent music artist” for now, “I hope one day the right ears could hear my music and get me signed to reach a wider audience.”  With her voice, her heart and a poet’s soul, Diane de Mesa may just see that dream become a reality.

‘LIGHTNING FAST’ Round:

1. What haven’t you done yet that you wish you could? I want to go back to the Philippines to visit. Ever since I moved to US in 1998, I have not gone back and I miss home. Hopefully one day, I could go home despite my busy schedule.

2. Favourite place in the world and why?  I would say that it will be where I came from, the Philippines. It will always be beautiful to me and even though I live in the US now (San Francisco Bay Area), my heart will always belong to “home”.

3. The 5 things you can’t live without?  My MacBook, iPhone, internet, car, and of course my recording equipment.

4. Complete this sentence: “I’m a sucker for…” I’m a sucker for watching movies, especially romantic dramas and horror movies. I like anything related to “ghost stories” and I just don’t know why!

5. Your best way to combat nerves….  Be prepared, do my vocal warm ups, take deep breaths and enjoy the moment and just have fun with it.