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“Where do I begin to tell the story of my musical journey at Sandals” – Evanda Ena Julien

Evanda Ena Julien
Evanda Ena Julien

“In November 2019, I began the journey of my life at Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa & Beach Resort, the only female DJ/AV tech assistant currently employed in this field.”

Ena, as she likes to be called, started out as a young keen fresh female DJ in the music industry. She discovered that Sandals was actually looking for a female DJ, and there she was. Having successfully completed a secondary school programme and later working in customer service, she felt that finally, the tide was turning in her direction. Getting involved with the DJ music scene was exactly what she needed, and she says, “I got discovered”.

With a twinkle in her eye, Ena says, “It started as a fun thing. Every Sunday, I would cook and we would just start a party. Then I learned how to use the music software, and people thought I could actually do this, and maybe go into radio. Of course, I dismissed the idea, but my cousin who is a producer, agreed that I should go into this business. So here I am now, happy as a lark, at Sandals.”

Ena says that the greatest thing for her is that she has met a lot of local artists who have taken her seriously, despite her gender.

Of her Sandals experience, she says, “Sandals has helped me a lot in terms of gaining exposure to music from different cultures. It has broadened my knowledge of music and I have gotten a lot of experience in terms of when to play what. The biggest thing is that my manager, we call him “Captain Neil”, has also been tutoring me. I feel that I am still a little shy and not confident enough on the mic. I also still need some more practicing and training before I get there. I have not tried the producing side yet, but I see that in my future.”

Ena has dreams about becoming a touring DJ. While she does not want to go international just yet, she is building her repertoire, and networking with people already in the field. She practices daily and listens to a lot of music, building up her knowledge of music. With her dreams and the Sandals brand, who knows where Ena might end up. She is presently in Saint Lucia, at the gateway to where dreams at Sandals can easily become a reality.

She reads the crowd, she says and communicates with guests to see what they want. Eventually, she says that she wants to do all – stay employed, further her education, and do her music. Describing herself as a loner, she says categorically that Sandals has helped her to become more driven about her future. It has prepared her early in the game and she is grateful for that.

“I have made many sacrifices in my life, for many reasons.  My focus has been on work and being a better version of myself. I have been procrastinating about doing some of the courses but I fully intend to make use of that opportunity through the Sandals Corporate University to do more educational stuff.

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