Diana Patrícia Silveira da Piedade (born April 22, 1985 - Lagos, Portugal) is a Portuguese rock singer and songwriter.
In February 2010, Diana finished as the runner-up in season 3 of Ídolos, the Portuguese version of Pop Idol, a musical TV show.
Biography
editDiana Silveira (also known as Diana Piedade) is a Portuguese singer who gained national recognition as the runner-up in the third season of Ídolos, the Portuguese adaptation of the Pop Idol franchise. Silveira began her music career at the age of 15, performing with local bands and developing her vocal abilities. Her participation in Ídolos marked a pivotal moment in her career, earning her significant attention from both the public and music critics.
In 2010, Silveira was highlighted by the media as one of Portugal's emerging vocal talents. Known for a voice influenced by rock, blues, and soul, she has since engaged in various musical projects both within Portugal and internationally, establishing her reputation as one of the most versatile voices of her generation.
Musical Influences
editDiana Silveira is recognized for her vocal versatility, with influences rooted in rock, blues, and soul. During her time on Ídolos, she demonstrated an ability to interpret diverse musical styles, which contributed to her popularity. Her primary musical influences include artists like Led Zeppelin and Jeff Buckley.
Background
editDiana Silveira was born in Lagos, Algarve, into a family with roots in Cape Verde, Angola, and a Portuguese father. Surrounded by a musical environment from a young age, many of her family members were involved in music. Despite this background, Silveira developed her vocal abilities in a largely self-taught manner. By the age of three, she was already showing talent for singing and dancing, highlighting her deep connection to artistic expression.
During her childhood, she was inspired by major musical figures, including Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and Prince. At age ten, she began to broaden her musical tastes, exploring various genres and styles that later contributed to her versatility as an artist. Between the ages of 15 and 19, she took her first steps as a professional singer, joining the Algarve-based funk/rock band Duck. With them, she recorded her first studio tracks, song "Funk my Funk" and "Rich Dude." During this period, she also made her initial television appearances, including on the program Cabaré da Coxa on SIC Radical.
In 2004, Silveira was invited to join the band Fadomorse, participating in the album Gritar o Fado – Revisitado, where she recorded tracks like "Cinzeiro de Prata" and "Deicídio" with Adolfo Luxúria Canibal. After a national tour and a live DVD recording at ESMAE(College of Music and Performing Arts in Oporto), she decides to leave the band. That same year, she became part of the cast in the musical play Cabeças no Ar, written by Carlos Tê and scored by Rui Veloso, Jorge Palma, Tim, and João Gil.
A pivotal influence in her musical development was her bass teacher, Vasco Moura, who significantly shaped her artistic growth. In 2006, Silveira moved to Paris, working as a backup vocalist for a Pink Floyd tribute band before returning to Portugal in 2009. That year, her participation in the third season of Ídolos marked a new chapter in her musical career.
Diana auditioned for the third season of Ídolos in Lisbon. She finished in second place, with the winner's spot going to Filipe Pinto.
After performing her rendition of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart," the video was featured on janisjoplin.net, a tribute website to Joplin. Diana was the first artist worldwide to have a video included on this site, aside from Joplin herself.
Additionally, following her performance of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," Diana was also featured on led-zeppelin.org, the largest fan site dedicated to the band, which highlighted her rendition.
According to the show’s judges, her version of "E Depois do Adeus" by Paulo de Carvalho was, as of 2010, the best performance in the history of Ídolos in Portugal.
| - | Song | Original Singer | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gala 1 | "Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)" | Skunk Anansie | Save by jury |
| Gala 2 | "Still Loving You" | Scorpions | Save |
| Gala 3 | "Try a Little Tenderness" | Otis Redding | Bottom 2 (Save) |
| Gala 4 | "Blame It on the Boogie" | Jackson 5 | Save |
| Gala 5 | "Conta-me Histórias" | Xutos & Pontapés, version of Clã | Save |
| Gala 6 | "Piece of My Heart" | Janis Joplin | Save |
| Gala 7 | "E Depois do Adeus" & "Live and Let Die" | Paulo de Carvalho & Paul McCartney and Wings, version of Guns N' Roses | Save |
| Gala 8 | "Dancing in the Street" & "Crazy" | Mick Jagger and David Bowie & Gnarls Barkley | Save |
| Gala 9 | "Ne me Quitte Pas" & "Proud Mary" & "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" | Jacques Brel & Tina Turner & Rolling Stones | Save |
| Gala 10 | "Hit the Road Jack" & "Momento" & "Whole Lotta Love" | Ray Charles & Pedro Abrunhosa & Led Zeppelin | Save |
| Gala 11 | "Lover, You Should've Come Over" & "Mercy" | Jeff Buckley & Duffy | Runner-up |
Post-Ídolos (2010–2018)
editFollowing her appearance on Ídolos in May 2010, Diana Silveira embarked on a promising musical career. A highlight during this period was her performance at Rock in Rio Lisboa, where she took the stage alongside the American metal band HAIL! and Portuguese band RAMP. This experience earned her recognition from fellow musicians and specialized media, including the heavy metal magazine Blabbermouth.
In the summer of 2010, Diana launched her Rock On Diana tour, performing across multiple locations in mainland Portugal and the islands with the band Les Misérables, which included Ivo Perpétuo (guitar), Vasco Moura (bass), and Hugo Palma (drums), along with special guest Tuniko Goulart. The tour’s opening concert on May 22, 2010, at Cinema São Jorge in Lisbon sold out.
Diana’s versatility was further demonstrated when comedian Rui Unas invited her to participate in the musical parody "Margem Sul State of Mind," inspired by the Alicia Keys and Jay-Z song. This video went viral in 2010, reaching millions of views on YouTube. During this period, Diana also began working in studio productions for advertising and film campaigns, including voicing the character Popota for Continente Modelo’s Christmas campaigns.
In 2010, she became the most-followed Portuguese artist on social media, with 172,000 "likes" on her Facebook page "Diana Piedade Ídolos." In January 2011, she chose to delete her social media page and adopt the name Diana Silveira in a bid to relaunch her career and distance herself from the pop image associated with Ídolos.
Since 2010, Diana has continued developing her career, contributing to several musical projects and collaborations.
In March 2011, she travelled to New York to participate in a tribute to Jeff Buckley, sharing the stage with Gary Lucas and other renowned artists. Back in Portugal, she launched the project 3:33, described as “Rock with Soul,” and in 2012 released the EP Eufêmea. Though the project dissolved in 2013, Diana continued working on original material and collaborations.
The award-winning Portuguese short film Tejo (2012), by Francisco Baptista and Henrique Pina, features her on the soundtrack.
Between 2013 and 2014, she joined the band A Tree of Signs, a psychedelic doom rock project that released the EP Saturn.
In 2016, Diana Silveira formed the band B.B. Kween, a blues/rock tribute band, with Ivo Perpétuo on guitar, Nuno Encarnação on bass, Marcos Vita on keyboard, and Cecílio Lucas on drums. Although currently on hiatus, the band members have expressed interest in resuming the project and creating new music.
2018–Present
editOver the years, Diana has collaborated with various Portuguese musicians, including Duarte Papel, Wax Flamingos, SOUQ, Aires Pereira (Moonspell), and Sam Alone, among others.
In August 2018, she launched the project Kraken, conceived by Manuel Portugal, known for his work with the bands Drill and Stone Cold Lips. The lineup included António Pedro (also of Drill) on bass, Diana Silveira on vocals, and Pedro Gonçalves (of Drill, Fuzz Dogz, Miss Lava) on drums. The band opted for digital releases only, presenting its debut work, Unnamed Sea, in February 2020. The second release, Shallow Waters, was made available on digital platforms on June 20, 2022.
In 2019, Diana moved to London to pursue a solo career. Her performance in a jam session at the prestigious Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival in Colne drew the attention of musicians and agencies, opening up significant opportunities. In January 2020, she was invited to perform her original songs with guitarist Nat Martin’s band, opening for renowned blues guitarist Kirk Fletcher. This experience led to an invitation from Kirk for Diana to join him on stage the following night at London’s iconic 100 Club, marking a milestone in her personal music career.
In February 2020, Diana participated in the Masterlink Sessions, organized by producer Stefan Redtenbacher with video support from Leo Mansell and music production and mixing by James Welch. The Masterlink Sessions are known for capturing live, studio-recorded performances with a distinct authenticity at Masterlink Studios near London. During these sessions, Diana co-wrote the song "Money Ain't No Truth" with Stefan, featuring musicians such as Mike Outram on guitar, Tony Remy on guitar (Incognito), Joe Glossop on Hammond organ (Tom Jones), Mike Sturgis (21 Guns, Asia) on drums, Karl Vanden Bossche (Sade, Incognito, Jamiroquai, Gorillaz) on percussion, Piers Green on saxophone, Paul Jordanous (Rag’n’Bone Man) on trumpet, and Stefan Redtenbacher (Steve Winwood, Sam Moore, Beverly Knight) as co-producer and bassist. The song was released on the American platform SoulTracks.com[1].
In 2023, after a period of recovery post-pandemic, Diana resumed her musical projects with renewed energy. In addition to recording new original material, currently in the mixing process, she collaborated on the debut album of Canadian singer-songwriter Ben McDuff from Quebec, produced by Joe Wazana. The release date is yet to be set, but Diana continues to expand her artistic versatility through collaborations and new projects. One of her recent collaborations is the duet "A Stroll Along the Shoreline" with the Portuguese doom band On the Loose.