Editing Enya (section)

===1982–1986: Early solo career===
[[File:Former Ryan and Enya home in Artane, site of original Aigle Studio, 2022 (landscape).jpg|thumb|right|The former home of the Ryans in suburban Artane, Enya's residence and site of the original Aigle Studio from 1982 to 1989]]
Enya stated, following her departure from Clannad, 'the fact is that I had become very friendly with Nicky and Roma. I trusted them [...] basically, I felt there was more there for me career-wise.'<ref name=":10" />

Nicky suggested to Enya that either she return to Gweedore 'with no particular definite future', or live with him and Roma in suburban [[Artane, Dublin|Artane]], [[Dublin]] 'and see what happens, musically', the latter of which Enya decided was best for her career.<ref name="hotpress1987">{{Cite journal|title=Enya: The Latest Score|first=Bill|last=Graham|year=1987|journal=Hot Press|url=http://www.enyabookofdays.com/articles/wm-1.htm|access-date=3 January 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045348/http://enyabookofdays.com/articles/wm-1.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> After their bank denied them a loan, Enya reportedly sold her [[saxophone]], which she had been learning to play at the time, and also gave piano lessons as a source of income. Nicky Ryan used what they could afford to build a recording facility in the Ryans' garden shed, formerly a [[Scout hut]], which they named "Aigle Studio", after the French word for eagle.<ref name="hotpress2016" /><ref name="verybestofenya-nicky" />

A visitor to the house in the early 1980s described access as having to 'walk through the house to get to the studio [...] the kids [Nicky and Roma's daughters] were young then so the place was strewn with toys but the set-up suited everyone. They'd have breakfast and Enya would head off to the studio.'<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005-04-07 |title=Enya: The making of a myth |url=http://www.enya.org/p_trans4/b068.htm |access-date=2024-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050407215842/http://www.enya.org/p_trans4/b068.htm |archive-date=7 April 2005 }}</ref>

Shortly after leaving Clannad and thus the family home in Gweedore, Enya lived with the Ryans from 1982, until 1989, when she was able to buy a penthouse apartment in [[Killiney]][https://evoke.ie/2020/10/23/life-style/penthouse-1-killiney-hill-park-apartments .]<ref name="Enya_own_words_89">{{Cite web|title=Enya: In Her Own Words (recorded 1989 interview) "Dreams Come True"|website=[[YouTube]]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VfZm-j17jA&list=PLwxTcrfBJvX9wXpd0731gV4qQRXusmsHZ}}</ref>

Enya and the Ryans rented out the original Aigle Studio out to other musicians to help recoup the costs.<ref name="londontimes2005">{{cite web|url=http://enyabookofdays.com/articles/amaran_16.htm|work=The London Times|title=The invisible star|first=Nigel|last=Williamson|date=10 December 2005|access-date=8 February 2017|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220632/http://enyabookofdays.com/articles/amaran_16.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Burbank, CA, USA: Reprise Records (WEA Records), "Watermark", liner notes, 1988</ref> The trio formed a musical and business partnership, with Nicky as Enya's producer and arranger and Roma as her lyricist.<ref name="musician1989" /> They called their company, of which each owns a third, Aigle Music.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://companycheck.co.uk/company/IE085184/AIGLE-MUSIC-COMPANY-LIMITED/companies-house-data|title=Aigle Music Company Limited|publisher=Company Check|access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref> In the following two years, Enya developed her technique and composition by listening to recordings of her reciting pieces of classical music and repeated this process until she started to improvise sections and develop her own arrangements.<ref name="geffenpress1989">{{Cite news|url=http://www.enyabookofdays.com/articles/wm-32.htm|title=Watermark press release issued by Geffen Records|publisher=Geffen Records (USA)|date=January 1989|access-date=22 March 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102850/http://enyabookofdays.com/articles/wm-32.htm|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>

Following her departure from Clannad in 1982, Enya (as Eithne Ní Bhraonáin) featured on tracks alongside a few artists, often on keyboards or backing vocals, with Nicky Ryan as producer. She played the [[Prophet-5]] synthesiser on the group Altan's ''[[Ceol Aduaidh]],'' led by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and the late [[Frankie Kennedy]].<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Ceol Aduaidh|year=1983|publisher=Gael-Linn Records|id=CEF 102}}</ref> That year, Enya had the original offer from [[Mike Oldfield]] to sing on a new song of his, likely to have been "[[Moonlight Shadow]]". Supposedly due to existing contract clashes, she had to decline, so Oldfield later approached Scottish singer [[Maggie Reilly]] who sang on the record for Oldfield.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Falanga|first=Fabiana|date=2018-08-09|title=Moonlight Shadow: the hidden meaning of a painful song|url=https://auralcrave.com/en/2018/08/09/mike-oldfields-moonlight-shadow-the-pain-under-the-surface/|access-date=2022-12-12|website=Auralcrave}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Moonlight shadow - Mike Oldfield ft. Maggie Really - 80sneverend|url=https://80sneverend.com/moonlight-shadow/|access-date=2023-11-10|website=80sneverend.com}}</ref> An Irish folk-type song named "Bailieboro and Me", penned by [[Charlie McGettigan]], features Enya singing backing vocals on a 1982 recording, primarily credited as Eithne Ní Bhraonáin playing the grand piano for the song.<ref>{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JmLVQAOFjE|title=ENYA ARCHIVE SPECIAL RARE 1982 Charlie McGettigan "Bailieboro And Me" ft Enya|access-date=2024-04-09|via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2004-01-28|title=Back to the future as Jargon hit the road again|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/lifestyle/back-to-the-future-as-jargon-hit-the-road-again/27533338.html|access-date=2023-11-10|website=Independent.ie}}</ref>

Enya's first solo endeavours began around 1982-83, when she began to compose two piano instrumentals, "An Ghaoth Ón Ghrian" (Irish for "The Solar Wind") and "Miss Clare Remembers". Both were recorded at [[Windmill Lane Studios]] in Dublin and released on ''Touch Travel'' (1984), a limited-release cassette compilation of music from various artists on the UK ''Touch'' label. She is credited as Eithne Ní Bhraonáin in the liner notes.<ref>{{Cite AV media notes|title=Touch Travel|publisher=Touch|year=1984|id=T4}}</ref>

After several months of preparation, Enya's first live solo performance took place at the [[National Stadium (Ireland)|National Stadium]] in Dublin on 23 September 1983, and was televised for [[RTÉ]]'s music show ''Festival Folk''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stillslibrary.rte.ie/indexplus/image/2297/079.html|title=RTÉ Stills Library: Image ref no. 2297/079|date=5 July 2012|publisher=RTÉ Archives|access-date=8 August 2016}}</ref> Niall Morris, a musician who worked with her during this time, recalled she 'was so nervous she could barely get on stage, and she cowered behind the piano until the gig was over.'<ref name="morris2007">{{Cite news|title=Deconstructing Enya|first=Niall|last=Morris|newspaper=The Sunday Independent|date=14 January 2007}}</ref> Morris assisted Enya in the production of a demo tape, adding additional keyboards to her compositions.<ref name="morris2007" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grahamecurtis.com/irishconnectionsmag/archives/v3i3/tenors.htm|title=The Celtic Tenors|first=Colette|last=Sheriden|work=Irish Connections|access-date=10 February 2017|archive-date=7 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107134708/http://www.grahamecurtis.com/irishconnectionsmag/archives/v3i3/tenors.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Roma thought the music would suit accompanying visuals and sent it to various film producers. Among them was [[David Puttnam]], after Roma had read an interview where he stated a particular interest in strong melodies.<ref name="SW88">{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002323/19881016/075/0016|title=Clannad clan froze me out|first=Eddie|last=Rowley|date=16 October 1988|newspaper=Sunday World|page=16|url-access=subscription|access-date=2 July 2023}}</ref> Puttnam liked the tape and offered Enya to compose [[The Frog Prince (album)|the soundtrack]] to the upcoming romantic comedy film, ''[[The Frog Prince (1984 film)|The Frog Prince]]'' (1984), directed by [[Brian Gilbert (director)|Brian Gilbert]].<ref name="hotpress1987" /> Enya scored nine pieces for the soundtrack. However, Enya's instrumental pieces for the film were rearranged and orchestrated by Richard Myhill. The film editor [[Jim Clark (film editor)|Jim Clark]] said the rearrangements were necessary as Enya found it difficult to compose to picture.{{sfn|Clark|2012|p=190}} Enya's two songs with vocals were not in the film, but on the soundtrack album, those being "The Frog Prince" and "Dreams", but the melodies are present throughout the film soundtrack. The words to "Dreams" were penned by Charlie McGettigan.<ref name="frogprince" />

Released in 1985, the album is the first commercial release that credits her as "Enya".<ref name="frogprince">{{Cite AV media notes|title=The Frog Prince: The Original Movie Soundtrack|publisher=Island Visual Arts|year=1985|id=ISTA 10}}</ref> The spelling as "Enya" for her began in 1983.<ref>{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pEWSFS1FTg|title=Coincidence|access-date=2024-04-09|via=YouTube}}</ref> Nicky Ryan suggested this phonetic spelling of her name,<ref name="hotpress2016" /> with the likeliness that Eithne would be mispronounced by non-Irish speakers. Enya looked back at her composition work on the film as a good career move, but a disappointing one as 'we weren't part of it at the end.'<ref name="tracks1989">{{Cite journal|title=The Country Girl|journal=Tracks|first=Max|last=Bell|date=January 1989|url=http://www.enyabookofdays.com/articles/wm-16.htm|access-date=3 January 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102611/http://www.enyabookofdays.com/articles/wm-16.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="hotpress1987" /> Also in 1985, she sang on three tracks on the album ''[[Ordinary Man (Christy Moore album)|Ordinary Man]]'' (1985) by [[Christy Moore]].<ref>{{Cite AV media notes|title=Ordinary Man|year=1985|publisher=WEA|id=IR 0763}}</ref>

Enya's earliest interviews in English as a solo artist began in 1986. Whatever direction her music would take, she believed in being a 'true Celt at heart' and stated that 'any music I write, whether it be a pop song or a classical piece, would be Celtic music.'<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kzc5ECzxME |title=🍀 Enya  Pat Shortt's Music From D'Telly RTÉ  1986  🍀 |date=2019-01-18 |last=Enya #Enya |access-date=2025-02-28 |via=YouTube}}</ref>