Meet Ena Valiente

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ena Valiente. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ena below.

Ena, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

I listen more than I speak. People put weight on your words.So I make sure that i’m speaking with value.I’m speaking with optimism, encouragement and also but most importantly knowledge.. I only speak on what I know.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Learning to read a room full of strangers of all ages and diverse cultures is not easy, but if I can touch you in your soul, that’s the goal. I love playing open format. I love being able to play a variety of music in one room and give everyone a little taste of something they want.. I’ve been in this business for almost twenty years and i’ve had to pivot a few times. Within doing that, i’ve learned more of what I want, and who I want to be in my petition. From a family oriented vibe to a large stage and a huge crowd. I can commend them all. I let the music speak for me. I’ve played so many different occasions and events.
The next thing I’m working on is putting myself in bigger cities.
Create something new in a different space, make it my own and travel the world with it.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three qualities would be first Being from miami and growing up with diverse cultures all around me, hearing different music helped me with this skill for sure. From classical, Funk, R&B,
Salsa to Hiphop even freestyle music. 2 Knowing that elders in the room don’t want to hear the same thing as the young people in the room.So finding a balance was key. 3. And doing what I do best being myself and not trying to do what anyone else does by creating my own lane and staying in it.
My advice to anyone who wants to learn how to play is. First thing, get your own equipment. And secondly, whoever you learn from, make sure that when you go home, you practice, practice, practice day in and Day Out. All free time is practice time.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When i’m feeling overwhelmed, there’s two things that come to mind.And they both include solitude. The first thing I do is go for a walk in nature.It’s very therapeutic. The second thing I do is sit in nature but find some music that will put me in a nostalgic state.Something to remind me of my “why” why i’m fighting to stay in it. And why I won’t quit. Remind me of how far i’ve come, and how much more I want to accomplish.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: djenapop
• Facebook: Ena Valiente (djenapop)
• Other: Tiktok @1djenapop

Image Credits

Photo credits to Jesse Lee Walker and Katrena Wize.