For Michelle Colon, better known by her stage name Malentina, music has always been more than just performance. It’s been a way of stepping fully into herself.
Her earliest memories of music stem from singing along to Disney movies as a child in Puerto Rico, where she would stage living room performances for anyone who would listen. At the time, she didn’t imagine it could be more than fun. “I wanted to be a musician for as long as I can remember,” she says, “but it always felt so far away.”
That changed after she moved to the U.S. and realized that pursuing music wasn’t just for pop stars on TV, it was something she could choose for herself. After finishing a degree in interior design that left her unfulfilled, she finally decided to listen to the voice that had always been there. “I gave myself a chance,” she says, “and I’ve been much happier ever since.”
Her first official performance took place in high school, when she and her friends quickly assembled a band to cover songs by No Doubt at the end-of-year carnival. Years later, in Lafayette, a non singing role in a play caught the attention of a local musician. They invited her to join them at the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market, marking the start of her path as a performer in Acadiana.
Performing as Malentina gave Colon a persona that allowed her to write and sing without holding back. “The version of me I wanted to be didn’t follow rules or care what anybody thought,” she explains. That freedom became the foundation of her songwriting, with lyrics that lean into honesty and empowerment. “Because of the way I grew up, I thought that my passion was something negative. Now I realize it’s what makes me, me.”
Her sound draws from her Puerto Rican roots while refusing to stay confined by expectations of what Latin music “should” be. Growing up, she absorbed reggaeton, salsa, and American pop and rock. Today, her music blends those influences into a contemporary take on Latin rhythms that, above all, make people want to dance.
Though she’s comfortable onstage, Colon says she thrives most in intimate settings. Smaller venues allow her to connect with every person in the room, something that fuels her extroverted energy. Collaboration is another essential piece of her process. She writes alone but loves inviting other musicians into the studio when it’s time to bring her songs to life.
Currently, she’s working on her first full-length album, an 11-song project set to release in August 2025 — the same month as her birthday. She describes it as a world she’s creating, one that flips traditional power structures by placing herself at the center with unapologetic confidence. “It’s about empowerment,” she says. “I think a lot of people would benefit from realizing their personality isn’t a weakness. It’s their strength.”
Lafayette has played a pivotal role in shaping her artistic voice. Seeing the pride locals take in Cajun and Creole traditions inspired her to dig into her own heritage, ultimately leading her to write the songs she performs now. “This is the place where I’ve learned the most about the music I’m singing today,” she says.
Her advice to younger artists is simple: trust yourself. “You’ve always known what it is,” she says. “It’s just hard to admit it because it feels far away. But give yourself a chance, because anything really is possible.”
With Malentina, Michelle Colon is creating music that’s fearless, contagious, and all her own.
