Valerie Ponzio
Since being catapulted into the spotlight by her showstopping turn on The Voice, Valerie Ponzio has made it her mission to shatter every precedent set for Latin artists in the world of country music. Hailing from El Paso, Texas, Valerie has become a pioneer for a new wave of inclusivity in Nashville. As part of the inaugural class of CMT and mtheory’s Equal Access program, she set her sights high and has both the voice and songwriting chops to stay her course. Her song “Little Obsessed” was described by The Washington Post as a song “everyone should know”, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine called her “the most well-rounded singer…that I think I've ever heard”, and Rolling Stone has enthusiastically praised her as “Channeling Dolly Parton and Janis Joplin.” Dedicated to blending Latin sounds with country music’s traditions, backed up by indomitable vocals, Ponzio is that rarest of things: something brand new in Music City.
Nashville is a town that has never been short on challenges. “Sometimes you have to knead the dough real hard here. People who know what they’re talking about will give you a sharp critique and… that’s tough to process,” she says resolutely, “luckily I’m a person who needs that. Because that’s the challenge. To be able to represent myself and my culture as best as I possibly can.” Despite some initial resistance, Valerie’s need to embody her culture in her music has become a defining aspect of her presence. “We’re coming out of this era where, if you were in country, you had to hide it if you were Mexican American,” she outlines matter-of-factly, “When I flipped that script for myself I felt the change immediately.”
Valerie’s unapologetic embrace of her cultural roots, as evidenced in releases like "Órale", “My America”, and her soon to be debuted “Just a Bordertown”, is what brought her into the fold with CMT and mtheory’s Equal Access program. With their backing, Valerie’s latest single will be exhibited on billboards in Times Square. “I spent a lot of years being patient and growing,” explains the El Paso native, “and now to feel like we’re creating this whole ecosystem for artists of color in country is incredibly vindicating.”
Her upcoming release, “Just a Bordertown”, pays homage to her childhood home of El Paso, Texas, which is located a short distance for the Mexican-American border. “People dismiss it as a Bordertown, but to me that means you live in a place where different cultures meet and grow together,” explains Ponzio. Living where she did, Valerie’s musical diet growing up was broad. Early inluences included country, Americana, 90s pop, Latin music, and more, much of it brought to her by her family. “My mom, my sister, and my brother all gave me a little bit of their musical taste,” she recounts, “and, of course, my dad has always been just the most supportive man.”
Her family was also eventually the reason she made the hard pivot into full-on country music, though for a more bittersweet reason. “My brother taught me the guitar… really helped shape my musical trajectory,” Valerie recalls, “When he died, I don’t quite know why, but country music became one of my biggest comforts.” This shift in Valerie’s musical psyche would come to define her career path moving forward. “That’s why I jumped at the chance to work with Blake Shelton when it came,” she explains, “I knew that connection would set me up for success in the country scene.” It proved to be a decision that paid off, and shortly after her tenure on the show, Ponzio made the permanent move to Nashville.
Since then, Valerie has found herself traversing a variety of cultural borders, making appearances at everything from AOL BUILD in New York, to NASCAR events at Texas Motor Speedway, to Noches Con Platanito on Estrella TV, not to mention opening up on tour for artists including Brett Young and Ashley McBryde. Her message and voice draw in new and old country fans alike. “Country music people are so ready to support you, it can be overwhelming sometimes,” she confesses, “I just want everyone who shows up to feel good about themselves and what they’re listening to.” She and her growing fanbase seem to be on the same page. With unique crossover appeal, 42,000 fans on social media (and climbing), and over 4 million views on videos of her performances, Valerie has made a comfortable home in country music.
