Enya was born Eithne Ní Bhraonáin in 1961 in County Donegal, Ireland, the fourth of nine children. Her name, derived from Nordic legend, was also that of a goddess fated never to marry — for marriage would bring tragic consequences.

In 1986, her music was featured in the BBC documentary The Celts, introducing her haunting voice to the world.

Enya’s ethereal voice, sung in Latin, Irish Gaelic, and English, carries like a prayer. Her melodies feel like a whispered blessing — delicate, distant, and deeply moving. She inspires dreams and inner visions, lifting the imagination to sky-blue heights.

“Lift your heart, walk through the storms,” she sang. “Come through the storms.”

An international success with millions of records sold, Enya remains an enigma. Songs like Orinoco Flow and Caribbean Blue linger in the heart and mind, offering hope, comfort, and peace.

Protective of her privacy and devoted to her art, she said that music has followed her since childhood. Her voice helped shape the dreamlike landscape of the Lord of the Rings films — a perfect match for its themes of magic, light, and dark.

“There are a lot of artists who are bigger than their music,” she reflected. “But for me, it’s the other way about.”

“Success depends on how the public understands my work.”