Meet valentina vela | Singer Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with valentina vela and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi valentina, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I remember when I was 13 and there was a specific time in which going to school was not my favorite thing. It was tough, but I will never forget leaving school and on the way back home listening to Natalia Lafourcade’s album “Hasta la Raiz” and feeling so accompanied. It sounds weird but I really felt invincible with my headphones blasting that album. It felt like a warm hug. I didn’t feel alone. After I went through that phase I saw the power music had in my life and thought to myself that I wanted to be that warm hug for someone. Since I realized that I never looked back.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m not going to lie. Writing songs that I liked was a challenge for me. I used to see the artists I admired at the time and all of them always mentioned writing as something they had been doing since they were 10 years old. That was not my case at all. I wrote so many songs before I got to the first one I liked. That happened when I was 18 years old. It was frustrating because I had all these thoughts that I wanted to write about but I was blocked. That taught me to be persistent, to keep writing because I knew there was something for me there. I’m glad I didn’t give up. It hasn’t been easy, to be a music student and songwriter you need to learn to deal with frustration, rejection and keep your head high and keep walking. I believe all the experiences, good and bad, all teach us something, it is not about falling, it’s about standing up and keep going. The biggest lesson besides that one has been learning to be patient. Again, I’m not perfect and I’m still working on that but not rushing the process, trusting the path and what you’re doing is the most important thing for me.
If there is something I would like someone reading this to know about my story and my journey is that I like being transparent with what I write in my songs because at the end of the day, someone might be going through something and without knowing you’re helping them to heal or make them feel in company.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Start the day by taking my friends to the Miami Beach boardwalk so they can walk around the beach and take a look at the typical Art Deco scene. Rent a bike to cross through the Venetian islands and get a good look at Miami Beach from the bridge
Take them to Wynwood kitchen for some ropa vieja empanadas and some white wine, end the night looking at wynwood walls

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Definitely my parents. They are not musicians and they’ve been there for me every step of the way. They’ve always trusted my judgment, and always given me the freedom to discover things but never leaving my side. They’re my rock and I like to always say that this is a collective dream because they are a huge part of why I’m doing what I love most. Also my musical family, especially the teachers that have been there for me since I started my journey. Dario Gomez who taught me how to play the piano, Taffy Dönicke who taught me guitar, and Carolina Avilés who taught me how to sing and communicate. I appreciate them so much because they have watched me become the person I am today and also they never sugarcoated things for me. They were always honest with me, always respected me and that is something that I will forever carry with me.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_valentinavela/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valentinavelamusica

Image Credits
Maria Zarate Yuder Mezerene