Ena Luis

In her eyes and radiant smile, there are traces of South America, Maghreb, Asia and Africa. Ena Luis reminds us of travels, and our dreams of distant places. Born to a Vietnamese mother and a French Algerian father, she adopted her grandmother’s first name, Ena, and latinized her own middle name, Louise. From the family dining table to the experiences that she seeks out today, music has inhabited her soul from a young age and has playing an increasing role in her life, becoming a passion that cannot be denied. Growing up, she confessed her feelings to a black piano through expressive melodies, and found inspiration in a wide range of musical realms, from Yael Naim to Alicia Keys, and including Laura Marling, Tracy Chapman, and Natalie Cole.

At 15, she sang at UNESCO and was encouraged to pursue her musical talent. Since then, she has seized any opportunity to sing, from Paris to Montreal, passing through the West Indies, Belgium, and Italy. On her own, Ena Luis built the foundations of who she is today, but thrives on encounters that challenge her to grow. It was meeting author-composer-performer Sheyla Costa in February 2010 that offered her the attentive ear she needed and elevated music to its rightful place in her life. Ena Luis composed songs for Sheyla Costa’s “Queen of Freedom” project, and lends the bluesy warmth of her voice to tell the story of a young woman’s quest for freedom as she, from joys to deceptions, finds her own path.