Dianelys Hernandez
 Age: 21 "I meet the kindest people in Saint John. I am proud to be one of them." At the age of 11, Dianelys Hernandez performed in front of Cuban president Fidel Castro. Five years later, she defected to Canada when performing in Saint John. Dianelys Hernandez grew up in Havana surrounded by music. "For my family, singing was the way we could all come together. Every member in my family has a beautiful voice." After singing for Castro, Dianelys studied at the national Conservatory of Music in Havana and within two years was performing professionally at international festivals. Inspired by Cuban diva Celia Cruz, Dianelys says she has "dedicated her life to music" to the point where "I had to leave my family and my country to take my career to a higher level." Married with a young son, Dianelys teaches Latin dance part-time, plays piano and is also a songwriter. She loves Ray Charles, The Matrix, fried bananas and CSI Miami. She says she hates vegetables and that her friends would be surprised to find out she owns a System of a Down CD. Her biggest accomplishment? "Coming to Canada and learning to communicate in English."
Dianelys's fun facts: Which musical act would you most like to see in concert? Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder
What are you the most proud of? I'm very proud that I can sing in English. This is a very big deal for me. Which item could you not live without? The item I couldn't live without would be shoes. I think shoes make a woman look good. What's been the best day of your life? The best day of my life is when I had my son, Giovanni. If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be and why? The person I would like to meet is Ray Charles because he's a legend. What do you think has gotten you this far in the competition? I can say that I'm always focused on everything I do and this might have influenced the moment I'm experiencing so far in the competition. What will it take for you to become the Canadian Idol? It would take the Canadian people to watch the show and enjoy what I do. What has been the most challenging part of the competition so far? The toughest part of the competition would be containing my nerves. Whose career path would you like to follow and why? I would like to follow my own steps. I would like to learn from my own mistakes. What part of the Canadian Idol experience has surprised you the most? What surprised me the most was in the top 100. I had to learn a new song everyday that I had never heard before. It was very exhausting. What did you learn about yourself during the Top 100? What I learned about myself was that I get nervous like everybody else and how many things I can accomplish when I want something so bad. What was your reaction when you made the Top 32? I was freaking out when I made it to the Top 32, my heart wanted to explode, I was very happy, this is great. Who has been the greatest inspiration of your life? My greatest inspiration of my life has been my family, my mother and grandfather, my grandmother. Everybody sang and inspired me to became somebody that I can be proud of. Who has helped to make you the singer you are today? Every single experience musically has taught me something, even in the short time I've been in this show has made me grow as a singer. What song touches you the most? Why does it affect you so much? "The Long Way Home" by Dutch Robinson because it makes me think about my family back in my native contry. What do you do to keep your nerves in check during the competition? I take deep breaths and put all my nerves in my imaginary box. How has this competition changed you? This competition has put a bigger smile on my face.
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