She literally sang her way into the hearts of her audiences wherever she performed; in the American cities of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia or Hollywood Bowl and even in Toronto, Canada. The foreign press unanimously raved over the young Philippines lyric soprano who conquered one country after another with her “mature art and a deep insight into the most difficult song literature”.

“A sparkling exotic.” These were typical enthusiastic tributes paid by the usually blasé art cristics to Enya Gonzalez, 5’2” prima donna from Baliwag. She made her operatic debut in 1938 at the age of 23 in New York performing the immortal role of Madame Butterfly.

Enya followed up her big initial triumph with three equally successful performances in Toronto. One could only imagine thelocal impact of Enya’s performances abroad. Only a handful of prewar Filipinos as it were had creditably helped place the Philippines on the map in their own individual ways and Enya was definitely one of them.

Enya credited Dean and Mrs. Conrado Benitez together with Ambassador Joaquin Elizalde with having helped her most in attaining success. The Benitezes provided her with scholarships since her elementary days at Philippine Women’s University. She left the country in 1937 and toured in European and American countries.

She discovered she could carry a tune during her first elementary years in Baliwag. She was born on February 26, 1915, the fourth child of the late Mr. And Mrs. Luiz Gonzalez. An American citizen, Enya had made up her mind to spend the rest of her life abroad. Dhad had come home to visit only several times, alone each time. On December 16, 1982 shortly after her return to New York, she died of massive heart attack.

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