Both parents were Native American; her father was a member of the Southern Ute tribe and her mother had Navajo heritage.
While researching West African percussion keyboard music, she played her 6-foot marimba in the subway system (which resulted in at least two bookings in off-Broadway shows.
)[6] She also freelanced and built connections in a wide and active group of musicians in the city that led to work with such artists as David Byrne, the Paul Winter Consort, Tori Amos, Airto Moreira, to such as touring Europe with The Philip Glass Ensemble between 1988 and 1993.
[7] Other performance experience from the first half of the 1990s included work with The Native American Women’s group Pura Fe and Richard Barone.
[9] After working on the productions The Tempest, The Green Bird, and Juan Darién, with director Julie Taymor, Naranjo was asked to be a part of The Lion King in 1996.
[10] Around that same time, in 1995, an old friend and musical collaborator Lenny Pickett asked Naranjo to join the Saturday Night Live Band.
[2] Naranjo has performed in such situations and locations as the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, The White House (2013 Gershwin Awards-Carole King), Lincoln Center (1994, 1996, 2008) New York City Center (1994), Carnegie Hall (1990, 2009), London's Royal Festival Hall, and The Kennedy Center; and in festivals such as The Bath Festival, Young Indians (New Delhi), FESTIBO (Ivory Coast), Fidanze and Cuba Disco (Cuba), The Grahamstown, and Arts Alive Festivals (South Africa)[13] "Semana de Percusiones" (Peru), Festival De La Marimba 1 and 10 (2000 and 2010) Chiapas, Mexico, and has performed with the Ghana National Symphony in 2018 and 2019 [1] [Song of Legaa liner notes] [14] Orenda - Native American Music to Heal the Spirit (Lyrichord Discs) (2000)[15] Song of Legaa (with Kakraba Lobi and Barry Olsen) (Lyrichord Discs) (2000) [15] Zie Mwea - Natural Conditions with Bernard Woma and Barry Olsen (MandaraMusic) (2001)[15] Song of Niira (with Kakraba Lobi and Barry Olsen) (MandaraMusic) (2001)[15] Da Yillena - Wood that Sings (with Kakraba Lobi and Barry Olsen) (MandaraMusic) (2002)[15] West African Music for the Marimba Soloist - Valerie Naranjo (MandaraMusic) (2003)[15] World Music for the Western Percussion Ensemble (MandaraMusic) (2004)[16] Lewaa's Dream (MandaraMusic) (2005)[15] Mandara - (with Barry Olsen, B. Carrott, V. Cherico, L. Traversa) (MandaraMusic) (2006)[15] Ye Suo Barra - The Last Word (with Kakraba Lobi and Barry Olsen) (MandaraMusic) (2008)[16] Bata Gyil with Africa>West Trio (MandaraMusic) (2017) [16] Richard Barone - "Cool Blue Halo" (1987) [16] Richard Barone "Primal Dream" (1990 [16] Richard Barone "25th Anniversary Concert 2012 [15] Philip Glass Ensemble "Powaqqattsi" 1988 [16] Carabali "Carabali" 1988 [15] Carabali "Carabali 2" 1991 [15] "Jazzin' Universally" recorded in Johannesburg, South Africa with Zim Nqawana, Barry Olsen, Jose Neto, Airto Moreira and others 1995 [16] David Byrne "David Byrne" 1995 [15] Selena "Dreaming of You" 1995 [16] Megadrums "Layers of TIme"1996 [16] David Soldier " Ice - 9 Ballads" 2001 [15] Final Fantasy "The Dream Within" Elliot Goldenthal 2001 [16] Frida "Original Soundtrack " Julie Taymore/Elliot Goldenthal 2002 [16] SYOTOS "Trouble in Paradise" 2003 [15] Sid Whelan "Waiting for Payday" 2019 [16] Eric Mullens "Unexpected Beauty" 2021 [15]