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SAN ANTONIO, TX — Two-time Latin GRAMMY winner Elida Reyna shared more details on her upcoming Elida Fest, her Colores cosmetics brand, new music, and more in an exclusive interview with Tejano Nation before her JukeBox Tour performance at Smoke BBQ + SkyBar in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday night.
The “Duele” singer spoke on a wide and diverse range of topics including her views on social media, early hardships she faced in her career, and plans for her successful Tequilera makeup line.
Reyna, who relocated back to the Rio Grande Valley after a brief stint living in San Antonio, said she loved the Alamo City but her home and heart lie in the Valley.
This love for her hometown served as the impetus for the upcoming Elida Fest, which will take place July 30 at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show Fairgrounds in Mercedes, Texas. Reyna wouldn’t reveal the lineup, which is already confirmed (although she did give a hint), but she promised the announcement was forthcoming.
“The reason I want to do it is because I want to give back to my community, not just Mercedes, but the RGV, and really give back to the music industry,” Reyna said. “Our goal is to get $10,000 scholarship money so that we can give back to the young generation. And really what my goal is to do is to buy instruments for kids who want to continue and who want to pursue a career in the music industry.”
Reyna recalls her time as a young aspiring artist and now, with her success, wants to help the future generations to keep Tejano music thriving.
“That’s how I started,” she said. “I was very, very young when I was inspired to perform…Now, we want to be able to pay it forward.”
Looking back at the beginning of her career, Reyna struggled in finding mentors.
“In the beginning, nobody wanted to help me,” she said. “I basically had to start from scratch. Eventually, your talent and your drive is what’s going to get you where you need to go.”
Reyna mentioned up-and-coming artists need to “work hard” to make it in the industry and she clarified what she meant by those words.
“A lot of people misinterpret what working hard is,” she said. “I mean, good music, looking your best, sounding your best. You know there are a lot of people out there that are willing to help you. You don’t have to have a record label.”
Reyna discussed how the rise in social media has served as an advantage and a useful tool for burgeoning artists, but she advised to always keep a positive attitude.
“Put the positivity out there into the universe and it’ll come back to you,” Reyna said. “I’m a big believer in that because that’s what’s happened to me.”
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