Name: Chinwe Enu
City, State of Residence: Takoma Park, MD
Age: 33
Profession: Classical/Opera singer
Website: www.facebook.com/ChinweEnuSoprano
In a few words, how would you describe yourself?
Cheerful, high energy, loves to laugh, silly, talkative, friendly, eclectic, and loud!
Your favorite hangout spots?
My apartment! Seriously, I so appreciate the moments when I can just sit at home and be still. Other than my apartment, I am a beach person, but I haven’t been to the beach in a long time. Maybe I can fix that this summer.
Favorite guilty pleasure?
Sleeping in. I don’t think I feel very guilty about it though. I can always use more sleep.
Favorite quote?
Oh wow. There are so many different quotes I like, since I like to read quotes and affirmations. However, the two I really love are: “Todas las dias es un regalo, por eso se llama el presente” and “…someday at 8:00 p.m. someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft.” -Karl Paulnack, Pianist and Director of Music at the Boston Conservatory
Who is your biggest influence and why?
The biggest influence in my life in general, is God. I practice letting God guide and lead me because I have found that this gives me the most peace and joy.
In my professional singing life, my voice teacher Carmen Balthrop is my biggest influence because she has the kind of singing career I would want. Her advice and suggestions not only about my voice but also about life in general, have always helped me.
Favorite gig?
I enjoy giving vocal recitals (or concerts). One of my favorite gigs was A New Song, a joint vocal recital I gave last year with close friend and fellow soprano, Adrienne Webster. We each performed several solo songs and operatic arias and we also sang three duets together. It was all so much because two of the duets were funny and people were cracking up. If you want to see some of the recital, check out A New Song on YouTube or on my Facebook page. I love it when I can combine my singing with being silly, funny and/or dramatic. It reminds me how blessed I am to have this gift of being a singing actress.
Do you have any regrets in life?
I practice not living in regret because I believe that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. But I will say that I wish I had continued taking piano lessons when I was younger. It would have made learning my music now so much easier!
Favorite lesbian celebrity?
Oh, that is tough. I think Wanda Sykes is awesome. And Patricia Racette, world-renowned lesbian soprano, is someone who I think is great, she inspires me. And of course, I also got to give props to the amazing Ellen DeGeneres.
Any fun facts or anything else you want our readers to know?
I don’t really like picking one favorite [of anything], which is why most of my answers above involve two or more favorite things. It must be the Gemini in me. But I will say that the one thing that I know is an absolute favorite is my favorite number, which is the number 2. I don’t know why, go figure!
