Widalyn Pateña is an up-and-coming musical artist making waves on social media. She has gained traction through her renditions of popular songs as a cover artist, and her consistent pace has earned her over 100,000 followers on TikTok.
Looking back, Pateña credits her love of music to her parents. She recalls them playing songs and asking her to dance, which led her to discover her love for singing and performing on stage. However, she says it was more about her childlike innocence than a serious pursuit at first.
“Of course, you’re not really self-conscious when you’re young, but whenever I get into music, I feel this joy that sparks my passion,” she says of her childhood.
Pateña comes from a family surrounded by music. She is the niece of the late pop singer Carmen Pateña, and music has been a connecting force during family gatherings. Unfortunately, she never had the chance to meet the famed vocalist in person, despite their online connection.
Nevertheless, she cites her aunt as an inspiration for pursuing music. “My father would tell me that our singing styles are similar,” she says, though she admits that her own style is different.
Still, she considers herself one of those following in her aunt’s footsteps by performing and pushing herself as an artist.
Pateña posted her first TikTok video in 2021. Despite initial reservations from her peers, she was determined to take a chance with her new content. Her first video garnered 50 likes, which motivated her to continue and explore further.
“I was posting almost every day, and I still do it now. Slowly, I started gaining engagement from people, telling me to keep going. At first, I didn’t know what to put out – what genre or style of singing to pursue,” she says, reflecting on her journey navigating the platform.
This uncertainty led her to experiment with everything from instrumental covers to dancing. She took the time to familiarize herself with her content and eventually found her niche through consistent online activity. Her covers of popular songs, regardless of era, helped her gain recognition.
As music has become part of her daily routine, Pateña hopes to make it her long-term career. She considers her TikTok activity as her work, taking her passion seriously and dedicating herself fully to honing her craft.
“I see it as my job; that’s what I want to instill in my mind. I put in all my effort, and I’m completely dedicated to it. I will upload every day and post every day,” she says with conviction.
While she continues performing covers, Pateña plans to release her own songs in the future.
She is open to performing at UPLB’s FebFair, as long as her niche continues to grow in the mainstream. She looks forward to sharing her compositions and voice with a wider audience.
With her musical ambitions firmly in place, Widalyn Pateña is gaining recognition beyond the online world. As she stays the course, she remains grateful for the opportunities ahead.
