Ileana has a gift for transforming ordinary issues into extraordinary songs as shown in her Folk-Flavored-Pop release ?Super Ordinary Girl?. Often compared to Jewel, Dido and Michelle Branch, her songwriting sets her apart as she reveals the intimate struggles of finding her way.
* Honorable Mention in Billboard Song Contest 2005 for ?What R U So Afraid Of?, ?Waiting So Long? and ?Hold Me?
* Voted ?Best Musical Production-Adult Contemporary? for the song ?Barely? by the New Mexico Music Industry Awards
* Voted ?Best Female Vocalist?, ?Best Songwriter? and ?Musician of the Year? by the Weekly Alibi
* Honorable Mention in Billboard Song Contest for the song ?I Would?
Ileana is working again with producer Peter Torsiello (Third Watch, That 70?s Show) on her upcoming fourth album. Fans in LA at venues such as Room 5, The Cat Club and Unurban Café soon discover what audiences from her hometown of Albuquerque, NM already know. Nothing at all is ordinary about Ileana.
Ileana Bio
Ileana has a rare gift for transforming ordinary issues into extraordinary songs as shown in her Folk-Flavored-Pop release Super Ordinary Girl. While her sound is often compared to Jewel, Dido and Michelle Branch, her songwriting sets her apart as she reveals the intimate struggles of finding her way. Every song is a memoir to a life open to experience and the world and is uniquely personal to her and yet they elicit these kinds of responses from first-time listeners and long-time fans alike:
* I heard Unworthy...you said just what i was thinking! I just ended a year long relationship...and I wish I had those lyrics...cause that's the way it went. You're awesome! –Dave Albuquerque, USA
* I do things like that every time. It’s like you read my journal!-Sara Los Angeles, USA
The title song, Super Ordinary Girl, takes the mundane of every day life and celebrates them. As a super hero whose power is her normalcy Ileana rejoices in the simple pleasures of friendship and acceptance of self.
Despite the down to earth nature of the title song Ileana isn’t afraid to open her heart. It’s like hanging out with your best friend over coffee and sharing your life. She is unashamed of her fears on songs like Table For One and What Are You So Afraid Of. Counterbalancing those fears you get joy and in songs like Secret Sunshine and Super Ordinary Girl. She examines realistic relationships in songs like Unworthy, Worth The Risk and Waiting So Long.
And it’s not just fans who connect with her sincere storytelling. Ileana has received the following honors:
* Honorable Mention in Billboard Song Contest 2005 for What R U So Afraid Of, Waiting So Long and Hold Me
* Voted ‘Best Musical Production-Adult Contemporary’ for the song Barely by the New Mexico Music Industry Awards
* Voted Best Female Vocalist, Best Songwriter and Musician of the Year by the Weekly Alibi
* Honorable Mention in Billboard Song Contest for the song I Would
* Finalist for ‘Best Song’ for the song I Would by the New Mexico Music Industry Awards
This is a continuation of the path Ileana began with her previous releases, Counting Stars As They Fall, Miles To Go and her live acoustic CD, Playing Solo. The strength of these releases led her to perform numerous times to on local radio programs (103Peak, KUNM, KBTK) and music festivals (Thirsty Ear Music Festival, PEAK Picnic, Weekly Alibi Fall and Spring Crawls).
Ileana worked with producer Peter Torsiello (Third Watch, That 70’s Show) on her fourth album which will be released in September. Fans in LA at venues such as Genghis Cohen, Room 5, The Cat Club, Hallenbeck’s, The Coffee Gallery, Unurban Café and Renaissance Coffee soon discover what audiences from her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico already know. Nothing at all is ordinary about Ileana.