Welcome to Behind El Chisme — a special issue of our newsletter where we go deeper into people's lives and projects we find interesting.
It’s chisme, but not the kind you expect.
While recording in her closet at her home, Stephanie Fuentes, known as SNENiE, felt safer than anywhere else to create music. No one could have foreseen the circumstances that forced her there.
Born and raised in Santo Domingo, SNENiE’s Mom always encouraged her to sing and express herself through music. In between laughs over Zoom, she admits her Mom does not have a great ear, but her efforts, without a doubt, paid off. A recent engineering design graduate, something she adds she is sure will utilize somehow, SNENiE did not see herself making music — at least not full time. Florecer, her 2018 single that catapulted her into the local alternative pop scene, was a personal project. Something she did to mostly share with her friends, with little expectations.
“It wasn’t until that year that I felt the maturity and the recognition that I had something to say.”
Florecer, believe it or not, was also the first song she ever wrote, and after the warm reception, it was a matter of time before she set out to write and produce an album. She did so with Solo Fernandez’s vocalist, Gian Rojas, who is also a good friend. Speaking about the process of working with someone close to her she adds: “It made the process súper ápero. We worked very closely, and I don’t know if the result would have been as good or have the quality it has with someone else. I don’t think people would have connected with it as much as they did because I think you can feel it.”
The origin story of her EP Aunque no lo parezca is a familiar place for many of us. The single with the same name was a vehicle for processing a relationship that had ended and was followed by one that felt like an epic failure. SNENiE admits she doesn’t like to share that part of her life so openly or dar pena en la calle, but with music she just “couldn’t stop writing about it.” Arguably, she might be doing exactly what she hates, but in a graceful way.
When she finally finished the EP, SNENiE was beyond ready to release it. She had effectively poured herself into the process and was prepared to let it go — not just the songs but the stories as well. “You can kind of cure the things that make you feel uncomfortable by writing about them” she says.
After an intense push and pull with possible investors and contracts, she convinced her managers to release the album faster than planned. From 12 am to 12 pm on her release day, she could not even open Instagram. She thought, “what have I done? What if people hate it? What if they come after me?” The result was nothing but the opposite. “Many people wrote to tell me that my music helped them get through quarantine. The experience restored my love for humans, to be honest. I was not expecting such a positive response.”
But for many, the first time they heard of SNENiE was in the popular show Dominicans Got Talent. This show is a big break for many people—an opportunity to get recognized for doing something they love. For SNENiE, the experience was a bit different.
The nature of talent and reality shows remunerates ‘human interest’ backstories.’ You know, the kind of stories that make you immediately curious or even sad. The experience becomes different when you come to the stage with a formed identity or deep understanding of what you do and who you are.
SNENiE shares, “I’ve never really said this out loud. Dominican’s Got talent was a unique experience I don’t think I’ll get to live again. But since I had a formed identity outside of the show, I felt that it lowered my self-esteem. I wasn’t really what people wanted to see [in the show].”
This admission does not come across as vanity or selfishness; it’s rather radical honesty. These shows and the subsequent success some experience would make anyone believe it is just about the best thing that can happen to you. However, ask around, and some might admit it fills people with self-doubt and intense dread.
Since then, Remezcla has recognized SNENiE as an artist helping refresh the Dominican alternative scene. When talking about her favorite artists, beloved figures like Alex Ferreira and Giorgio Siladi come up. They are the artists she thinks can explore new rhythms and genres and still represent the Dominican Republic. To this she adds, “I don’t trap myself in one genre. That to me is boring.”
But while we shuffle in our chairs and dive deeper into the conversation, the topic of being approved or considered ‘Dominican’ comes up. At Mixta, a version of this conversation still dominates our group chats and meetings. What would categorize her music as Dominican? Some might say she is not, and others might argue why not? Is it Dominican because it sounds a certain way? Can’t our music encompass more than one genre or style? “Everyone that is making or creating something here is asking themselves the same question. Will it be appreciated or considered Dominican?” she adds.
Looking ahead, she wants to write new music, as well as build connections with artists abroad. She is happy to continue to experiment and hopefully die making Bachata or tropical music — her way, of course. These more traditional genres are ones she regards with reverence and respect. There is a technical aspect she feels too young and inexperienced to explore just yet.
And this is precisely why I enjoyed spending over an hour with SNENiE. Here we have a young woman and artist that by many definitions, has experienced great success very early in her career but recognizes the value and importance of craft. In a world where people rise and fall faster than a 15 seconds Instagram Story or Tik Tok video, to want to hold a steady pace for creating, growing, and expanding is refreshing. And I can’t wait to see what that sounds like.
