Stefni Valencia’s latest single, “Es Así”, is a “Unity Rock Anthem”. She’s a San Fernando Valley native Rock Star with Mariachi roots.
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Natalie Durkin (TribeLA Magazine): Give yourself and your work a tagline and tell us why.
Stefni Valencia: “Rockera sin miedo”. This is my tagline because I am fearless, and I am ready to rock the world.
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ND: What got you started in music? What is the reason you are here today?
SV: Music just spoke to me. I come from a family of musicians but, to be honest, they wanted me to stay away from it, so they tried to make me hate it. I could not help it, I fell in love with music. It was a way I could express myself and heal myself at the same time.
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ND: How do you hope to influence your audience?
SV: I hope to influence my audience by reminding them to remain true to who they are. I want to inspire them to be fearless, empowered, and strong.
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ND: What do you do when your creativity is blocked?
SV: When my creativity is blocked I go for a drive to clear my head. Some of my best work has come from me driving in my car. I record everything while I am in the car so I guess I should really thank voice memos. At times when I am really blocked I will either meditate or I get back to basics and sing songs that reflect what mood I am in.
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ND: What fires you up and gives you energy?
SV: I am a very energetic person and, if you ask anyone, also very fiery. Getting a good night’s rest is hard. What fires me up is performing with my band in front of an audience – there are no words to describe that feeling, but afterwards I get the best sleep.
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ND: Can you tell us a little known fact?
SV: A couple of little known facts about me is that for most of my life I had a goose as a pet, and I love wearing overalls.
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ND: Where is your favorite place in Los Angeles and why?
SV: I love L.A.! It has so much to offer and I feel like it is always surprising me. My favorite place in Los Angeles is the San Fernando Valley. My family is there and some of my favorite restaurants, too. Those places just bring the best memories to mind.
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ND: How do you make music? Briefly chronicle your creative process.
SV: Writing depends on so many things: where I am at, who I am with, etc. I usually just start humming random melodies in the car or if I feel I have a good line I will start singing the line over and over until I feel I have something. If I am writing with my producer or my band, we just start jamming and I start ad libbing. I love collaborating with other people – it just feels fluid and you feed each other inspiration until you have a finished product.
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ND: What is coming up?
SV: I just released my single “Es Así” “, which I like to call a unity rock anthem, so the next single to look out for is “Sueña”. It’s a tribute to all the dreamers and people that are told “you can’t”, or “it’s impossible” and for all of those that are afraid of saying what their dreams and wishes are.
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ND: Describe your style – musically and otherwise.
SV: My style is really a mix of my musical background. I started with Mariachi, so I feel my power and passion comes from my Mariachi background and the rock style stems from my rebellious and fiery nature. My sound is a mix of Linda Ronstadt, Pat Benatar and a Latin No Doubt.
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ND: What is the best advice you’ve received and the best advice you can impart onto us?
SV: The best advice I have received is to take it one day at a time. Live for today and plan for tomorrow.
I know it is something so simple but I feel life can be very overwhelming and can really get you down. If you live for today, really live in the moment and not the past or tomorrow, life slows down. Many times we are so focused on what is so far ahead of us we miss what is right in front of us. Time moves so quickly and it does not stop for anyone. So now, I do not think past tomorrow, and I find that I can actually breathe a lot easier. Just like I was given that advice, I’d like to remind you all to simply take it one day at a time.
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ND: Any closing words?
SV: Do not be afraid to dream. Chase it, be resilient but do not step on other people’s dreams on your way. ¡Todo amor y un salto de alegría!
more Stefni Valencia
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