Irene Melo
Born and raised in Hartford, CT Irene
has been involved in the entertainment industry since the age of 15.
In 1990 Irene began volunteering at the Hartford Public Access
Television Station assisting with production
and development of a local show entitled, Reggae Vibes. Reggae Vibes
aired music videos and interviews with the various musicians and singers
from the Jamaican community. During her five year experience at Reggae
Vibes Irene was able to develop a deep knowledge of the Jamaican
culture, as well as, develop many recording industry and production
contacts. In her dual role as co-host, Irene interviewed Ziggy Marley,
Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Spragga Benz, Super Cat, Shaggy, Patra and Luciano to
name a few of the artists.
In 1997 Irene graduated from Emerson
College
(Boston, MA) with a BA in Film
Production (and she Interned at MTV in New York and New Line Cinema in
California). During her last year at Emerson, Irene produced directed
and wrote a documentary entitled "School Smarts: A Positive Outlook to
the Negative Views".
It dealt with the daily challenges that young people face especially in
urban areas and how education can help them surmount those
obstacles. It is an inspirational piece to all minority adolescents in
the community.
Irene
has now expanded her talents to writing with the introduction of her
self-published novel
How Far Would You Go? Which is
available on
Amazon.com &
Borders.com.
ARTICLES ABOUT IRENE
The Hartford Courant Article: Volunteer of the Month
The Hartford Courant
Article: Documentary Showcases Public Schools
The Hartford Courant
Article: Alumna's Tape to Run on TV
The Hartford Advocate Article:
Schooled on Film
The Hartford
Courant Article: About Reggae Vibes
The Hartford Courant
Article: Review on Reggae Festival
The Hartford
Courant Article: Irene's Response to the Reviewer's Lack of Knowledge
The Hartford Courant
Article: Elissa Papirno - The Reader Representative