Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to María Fajardo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
María, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
It’s strange to say, but I’ve always known. Since I was a little girl, I felt that music was calling me. I come from a family of musicians on my mother’s side—none of them did it professionally, but all of them studied music in some way: singing, piano, bass, drums, and a traditional Venezuelan instrument called the cuatro. They taught me to love music not as a career or a business, but as something sacred—something to appreciate and cherish.
Some of my fondest memories are of my grandfather sitting at the piano, playing for hours. I’d watch him, mesmerized, and one day I asked him how he knew what to play. He just said, “I play what I feel.” Then he taught me the difference between major and minor chords—not in a technical way, but emotionally. “When you’re happy, it should sound happy. When something feels heavy or sad, you go to the minor chords.” That stayed with me forever. He taught me to feel music, not just hear it.
As a teenager, while most of my friends were writing in diaries, I was filling notebooks with songs. I wrote every single day. And I always knew I wanted to sing. Not for fame or recognition. It’s never felt like a goal I’m chasing—it feels like something that lives in me. Music is the one thing that makes me feel whole. I don’t want anything from it—I just want to be close to it for the rest of my life.
That’s how I know it’s my purpose. It’s not a career choice, it’s a calling.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a 27-year-old singer, songwriter, and producer from Valencia, Venezuela, currently based in Ecuador, where I’ve been living for the past 10 years. Here, I’ve built my artistic path and also co-founded an audiovisual production company called Clyde’s House.
At Clyde’s House, we focus on helping artists develop professionally by creating the full visual and sonic universe for their music. We guide them through how to present themselves—whether it’s through social media strategy, live performance development, or overall artistic direction. We also have a space for live shows, especially tailored for emerging artists who often don’t have many places to perform. It’s a space that’s not just about work, but also about connection. I care deeply about the human behind the artist, because I believe that’s where all the magic begins.
Personally, I’m currently preparing to release a new song called “Ojalá” later this month. It’s a bolero-pop track that feels incredibly special to me—it reminds me of my roots, of the music my mom used to play loudly while cooking or cleaning around the house. It’s full of heart and nostalgia. I feel like the song will be truly successful if it brings my mom back to those moments—dancing around, singing, living with the music turned all the way up.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, the three most impactful qualities in my journey are ones I carry with me every day—ones that my brother, who passed away from brain cancer, instilled in me. I treasure them deeply.
The first is resilience. No matter how difficult life gets, there’s always a way to shift perspective, to learn something from the pain, and to grow from it. My brother taught me this even in his most fragile state—he made it his mission to make sure I truly understood it. When he passed, all I could think was: I have to be resilient. I have to take this pain and walk through it, heal at my own pace, and learn whatever I’m meant to learn from this. Without that mindset, I don’t think I could have processed my grief the way I have.
The second is intuition. I’ve always believed that, deep down, we know what’s right for us. No one knows your path like you do. When you’re grounded and clear about what you want, you have to trust the decisions you make. That inner voice is your compass. You won’t always have certainty—but you will have yourself, and that has to be enough sometimes.
And third, something I say with all my heart: echar pa’ lante. That phrase is deeply Venezuelan. It means having the strength, drive, and courage to keep moving forward, no matter the obstacles. That spirit is what kept my mom and me going when we moved to Ecuador. We had nothing—at one point, we slept on a towel on the floor. I even sang on buses just to make a bit of money. It wasn’t much, but it was what I could do at the time, and it helped us get by. Echar pa’ lante means effort, hunger, vision, and refusing to give up. That’s what Venezuela gave me—and it’s carried me through everything.
If I had to give any advice to someone just starting their journey, it would be this: be resilient, trust your intuition, and always, always keep moving—echando pa’ lante.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Honestly, the biggest area of growth for me over the past year has been learning to truly believe in myself—to believe that I am enough. For a long time, I didn’t feel that way. I often held myself back from opportunities or hesitated to pursue things because I felt I wasn’t talented enough, smart enough, skilled enough, good enough.
But at some point, I had to stop and say: enough. Because the truth is, it’s not about being the best singer, or the most talented, or the smartest person in the room. It’s about feeling capable. That’s what really matters. In this life, almost everything can be learned, improved, developed—but if you don’t give yourself the chance to believe you’re capable, growth becomes almost impossible.
This past year, I’ve focused deeply on building that belief within myself. And honestly, I feel like a lot of doors have opened—not because they weren’t open before, but because I finally saw them. I think I had this double reality: on the outside, I often looked strong and confident, but on the inside, I was still struggling with how I saw myself.
I’ve worked hard on that internal view. Because it doesn’t matter if everyone thinks you’re strong—if you don’t feel it yourself, it won’t take you far. I’m learning to see myself for who I really am: someone capable, someone growing, someone doing her best. And I’m proud of that.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themariafajardo
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Themariafajardo
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@themariafajardo23
Image Credits
José Barroso
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