Ailyn
![]() |
Ailyn Giménez | |
---|---|
Ailyn, 2010 Ailyn, 2010 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Pilar Giménez García |
Also known as | Ailyn Giménez |
Born | Barcelona, Catalonia Spain | May 29, 1982
Genres | Gothic metal, symphonic metal, pop |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 2002-present |
Pilar Giménez García (Barcelona, Spain, May 29, 1982) known artistically as Ailyn Giménez, is a Spanish singer, songwriter, best known as the former female vocalist of the Norwegian symphonic/gothic metal band Sirenia.
Before joining Sirenia, she was one of the contestants for Spain's version of the The X Factor, and was eliminated on the fourth episode.
Early life
Her musical career started at the age of 15, when she studied solfege and classical singing at The Albéniz School of Music.
Her professional debut was in 2002 in Cornellà de Llobregat, in an annual benefit fashion show the city held to raise money for Alzheimer's sufferers.
Her first discographic contract was as part of the group Charm (a female vocal trio that played Japanese music). After their first album titled "Konnichiwa" and released in 2003, she wanted to try her luck as a solo artist, she began recording tracks on her own. In 2004, after completing some tunes for the "Kimagure Orange Road" anime series, she left the group.
Musical career
Solo career
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Sirenia-flickr004.jpg/220px-Sirenia-flickr004.jpg)
In September 2005, she was a contestant representing Spain in the International Pop Music Festival "Canzoni Dal Mondo", being among the 10 finalists. In October, she got the "Silver Tabaiba" to the Best Performance in the 5th Edition of the International Song Festival in the Canary Islands. In November, she got the "Gold Tabaiba" to the Best Singer Of A Published Song, in the 6th Edition of the International Song Festival in the Canary Islands. The song, "Puedo Sentir", was originally sung by Lena Park (Fall In Love).
In May 2007, she was selected as a member of the young team in the Spanish version of X Factor.
In the different episodes she sang "Time After Time", "Moonlight Shadow", "Bring Me to Life", and "Why". She was eliminated in the fourth episode.
With Sirenia (2008-2016)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Ailyn-performing-with-Sirenia-at-Norway-Rock-Festival-2009.jpg/210px-Ailyn-performing-with-Sirenia-at-Norway-Rock-Festival-2009.jpg)
On April 9, 2008 it was announced that Ailyn was chosen as the new singer of Sirenia out of over 500 women. "I got selected as Sirenia’s new vocalist as an accident," she later told an interviewer. "My sister added them to my Myspace’s friends, but we didn’t realize that if you wanted to audition for the band you had to send them your demo or add them as friends, so I was shocked when they wrote to me asking to go to Norway and audition for the new vocalist. I went there twice, the first time was a studio audition and the second one with all the band members. I think I was selected because I’m what Morten was looking for the band, and also since the first moment we connected all the members from Sirenia and me."[1]
Her first album with the band is The 13th Floor, which was released on January 23, 2009.
She is also the female vocalist on Sirenia's fifth album The Enigma of Life, released on January 21, 2011. Although Henriette Bordvik performed vocals on both An Elixir for Existence and the EP Sirenian Shores, the release of The Enigma of Life makes Ailyn the first female vocalist to record two full-length albums with Sirenia.
On April 13, 2013, Sirenia announced the title of their next album on their Facebook page, Perils of the Deep Blue.
on April 3, 2014, the band announced they had returned to Napalm Records with a pending album release for early 2015.[2] On February 10, 2015 Sirenia announced the title of their next record called The Seventh Life Path which was released on May 8, 2016.
On July 5, 2016, it was announced via the bands website that Sirenia and Ailyn were amicably separating "for personal reasons," and that the name of the new singer would be announced on September 8, 2016 ahead of the November release of their new album Dim Days of Dolor. The same day, Ailyn stated on her Facebook that she did not make the decision. Her replacement in Sirenia was the French mezzo-soprano singer Emmanuelle Zoldan.
To date, Ailyn is the only female vocals of Sirenia that recorded more than one album and lasted for 8 years compared to their previous singers.
Other works
In 2011 she contributed to the Austrian power metal band Serenity's album Death & Legacy, singing the songs "The Chevalier" and "Prayer". She also features the video "The Chevalier".
In 2014 she collaborated with several other bands such as the Spanish metal band Diabulus in Musica, in their album Argia, singing the song "Furia de Libertad" and with the Greek symphonic metal band Enemy of Reality, in their new album Rejected Gods, singing the song "Needle Bites". She also appears in the music video of the song. Also she performed live with German/Norwegian symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes at their 10th anniversary show in Wieze, Belgium.
Ailyn is mentioned in the Dutch metal band The Gentle Storm's album The Diary booklet for a useful advice she gave regarding that band's "Shores of India" music video.
In 2015 Ailyn's part in the new album of the metal opera Melted Space was announced.
Personal life
Ailyn has heterochromia iridis,[3] meaning she has two different eye colours, one eye (right) is brown, and the other eye is green.
Discography
Sirenia
Albums
- The 13th Floor (2009)
- The Enigma of Life (2011)
- Perils of the Deep Blue (2013)
- The Seventh Life Path (2015)
Singles
- "The Path to Decay" (2009)
- "The End of It All" (2011)
- "Seven Widows Weep" (2013)
- "Once My Light" (2015)
Music videos
- "The Path to Decay" (2009)
- "The End of It All" (2011)
- "Seven Widows Weep" (2013)
- "Once My Light" (2015)
Guest vocal appearances
- Serenity - Death & Legacy (2011)
- Diabulus in Musica - Argia (2014)
- Enemy of Reality - Rejected Gods (2014)
- Melted Space - The Great Lie (2015)
- Magö de Oz - "Finisterra Ópera Rock"
- Sebastien - Dark Chambers of Déjà Vu (2015)
References
- ^ "Interview With Sirenia". Lebmetal.com. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
- ^ "Sirenia Returns To Napalm Records - Blabbermouth.net". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ "Wishes are Free: Happy Heterochromia Day". Wishesarefree.blogspot.com.au. 2011-07-12. Retrieved 2016-07-05.