Director: Tailiah Breon
Cast: Jearnest Corchado, Bre-Z, Isaias Alexander Miranda, Eric Diaz, Matt Borlenghi
Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story is a 2025 American biographical TV movie directed by Tailiah Breon, tracing the rise of Lisa Velez — the Puerto Rican teenager from New York who became the voice behind one of the biggest Latin freestyle hits of the 1980s.
What is Can You Feel The Beat The Lisa Lisa Story about?
Growing up in the tough streets of New York City, young Lisa Velez harbors an enormous voice and an even bigger dream. At fifteen, she catches the attention of producers who recognize something extraordinary in her raw talent. But the path from street-corner singer to pop phenomenon is anything but smooth: the industry pushes back hard against a teenage Latina who refuses to be sidelined. Sexism and racial bias are constant companions as she fights for creative respect. Then a devastating health battle — breast cancer — forces her to confront whether the dream is worth the cost. Through every setback, Lisa draws on family, faith, and an unshakeable belief in her own voice, ultimately shaping a legacy that paved the way for generations of Latina artists in mainstream pop.
Cast & crew
Jearnest Corchado leads the film as the young Lisa Velez, carrying the emotional weight of a career-defining role. Bre-Z brings notable energy to the ensemble, joined by Isaias Alexander Miranda, Eric Diaz, Matt Borlenghi, Donny Carrington, Alijah Kai, and Maurice P. Kerry. Director Tailiah Breon guides the story with a focus on character over spectacle.
Context & significance
For Persian-speaking viewers and the Iranian diaspora, this film resonates as a story of outsider grit — the experience of navigating a mainstream industry while carrying a hyphenated identity is deeply familiar. Lisa Lisa's freestyle sound emerged from New York's Latin neighborhoods in the mid-1980s, a genre where rhythm and emotion mattered more than industry connections. The film is available with full Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles on K-Time, making it accessible to the whole family regardless of English fluency. Biographical music films in this tradition — where one person's determination rewrites what the culture thinks is possible — have always found an appreciative audience among diaspora viewers who understand exactly what that fight feels like.
Where & how to watch
Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story is available on K-Time with Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles. Watch on the web, on your TV دستگاه, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, cancel anytime.