Diamanté is Music Only Records’ Premiere Zenith Member with his smash cover “A dream is a wish your heart makes” – which is out now – and some fire original singles on the way. Stay tuned for a world of inspiration from one of America’s top underdogs, who is steadily working his way to the top.
1. What is the most embarrassing moment of your life and what did it teach you?
Diamanté: My most embarrassing moment of my life. I have had a myriad of embarrassing moments when I was going to school. What stood out the most is when I got booed off stage when I was 12. It was a middle school talent show. I sang a pop song from a movie at the time in the 1997. It was the hit movie with Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, Space Jam. Ok, now this movie is streaming on Hulu, but it was a big hit then, and the big hit song at the time was ‘For you I will’, by Monica. I don’t know what happened, but at the time I was a very awkward child growing up, and not too many kids liked me. So there was practical joke made, to embarrass me on stage, making the microphone louder than it should be. Well there was a lot of static. I guess it sounded really bad, and I was literally booed off stage, which was very traumatic for a kid. What I learned from it? Number one, check the microphones, two, don’t stop believing, don’t stop doing what you love, because there are people who enjoy it when others fall flat on their face. It was a learning experience for me, to improve myself. Even more so vocally, and to get the training that I needed in order for me to go up again in front of people, and be able to perform. It is not easy going up there in front of people in general, it takes experience to just do what I do now, which now easy for me. It takes about a lot courage to go up there and perform. There are techniques I have learned in the past to help with the nerves and the butterflies, but it is all about just going up there and doing it. No matter how badly you mess up keep on going.
2. Who is your favorite actor or actress, and why?
Diamanté: I would have to say my most favorite actor is Tyler Perry. He is more than just an actor; he is an inspiration to me. He is a comedian, actor, motivational speaker, play writer, and author. Tyler Perry has the ability to touch people’s lives with his life story. He resonates with the people who surround him, in a positive way, to help change their lives for the good of mankind.
3. If I were to sing a duet with any two famous singers who would they be?
Diamanté: I would have to say Michael Buble and Barbra Streisand’s son, Jason Gould.
- What is the most valuable advice you have ever gotten from your best friend and mentor, growing up?
Diamanté: The best advice that she has ever given me is something I am still going through in my life and that is, not to dwell on the past. The past has a way to get to your heart the best way to overcome it, is living in the moment. The world can be cruel and discouraging sometimes. We don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring us and surrounding yourself with positive people, will warm and help you.
- How do you keep yourself so motivated and positive?
Diamanté: I think being motivated and positive is a skill. I haven’t always been upbeat and positive, when I was growing up, since there was an atmosphere of negativity in my life. Being positive is a learned behavior. As a singer I definitely feel as if I want to be an inspiration to people and motivate them to follow their dreams. I don’t want to be just a singer, I want to be an advocate and also an inspiration and a voice for people who feel that they don’t have one. In the future I also want to be a philanthropist supporting great causes that are important to me, as well as a motivational speaker.
- What is your mental illness diagnosis and what does it mean?
Diamanté: I am schizoaffective and what is means is having symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar.
- How has your mental illness impacted your life?
Diamanté: I think on the positive side, it has given me the chance to get to know myself, and my mental illness, and to learn coping skills, to deal with my issues, to move forward in life, and to meet people who aren’t suffering alone with this disease, to come together and to talk and support each other.
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