Massiel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Massiel
Massiel in 2018
Background information
Birth name	María de los Ángeles Felisa Santamaría Espinosa
Born	(1947-08-02) 2 August 1947 (age 77) Madrid, Spain
Genres	Pop protest song
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1966–1996 2006–2007

María de los Ángeles Felisa Santamaría Espinosa (born August 2, 1947), known as Massiel, is a famous Spanish pop singer. She made history by winning the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 with her song "La, la, la". She was the very first singer from Spain to win this big music competition!

Massiel started her music career in 1966. She stopped singing professionally in 1996, but then released more music in 1997 and 2007.

Massiel's Life Story

Massiel was born in Madrid, Spain. Her father, Emilio Santamaria Martín, was an artistic manager. This meant he worked with singers and music groups. Because of this, Massiel grew up around music and performers. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be a singer, actress, and songwriter. Her mother was Concepción Espinosa Peñas.

Early Music Career

Massiel released her first songs in 1966. Some of these early recordings included "Di que no" and "Aleluya". In 1967, her song "Rosas en el mar" became very popular in Spain and Latin America. This song was written by her friend, Luis Eduardo Aute. That same year, she also acted in a movie called Vestida de novia.

Massiel in 1968

Winning Eurovision

A big moment for Massiel came on April 6, 1968. She performed "La, la, la" at the Eurovision Song Contest in London. She was a last-minute replacement for another singer, Joan Manuel Serrat. He wanted to sing the song in Catalan, a different language spoken in Spain, but the rules required it to be in Spanish.

Massiel had to quickly learn the song, record it in several languages (Spanish, English, French, and German), and travel to promote it. Despite the rush, she won the competition! She beat the favorite, "Congratulations" by Cliff Richard, by just one point. This made her the first Spanish performer to ever win Eurovision.

Acting and Later Music

After Eurovision, Massiel continued her career. In 1969, she starred in the film Cantando a la Vida. She played the main character, María, and sang all the songs in the movie. Later, she also performed in plays like Antonio y Cleopatra in 1980.

Between 1966 and 1998, Massiel recorded many songs for different record companies. She released about fifty records, including singles and albums. In 1997, she released a Spanish album called Baladas y canciones de Bertolt Brecht.

In 1981, Massiel made a big comeback with a new sound. Her album Tiempos Dificiles was very popular in Spain. Songs like "El Amor" and "Hello America" were big hits. In 1983, her album Corazon de hierro was a huge success, not just in Spain but also in Latin America. The song "Brindaremos por él" was a massive hit around the world.

Speaking Out in Chile

In the 1980s, Massiel was invited to perform at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. She was very popular there. After her performance, she received a special award called La Gaviota de Plata (The Silver Seagull). In her thank-you speech, she bravely sent greetings from a well-known composer and poet, Patricio Manns. He was living in exile at the time. The audience cheered loudly for her message.

Recent Appearances

Massiel re-recorded her Eurovision winning song "La, la, la" in 1997 with a new, modern sound. In 2005, she appeared on a TV special celebrating 50 years of the Eurovision Song Contest. She sang "La, la, la" again for the audience. In 2007, she was a judge on a show called Mission Eurovision, which chose Spain's song for the contest. She even sang one of the songs from the competition on the show.

In 2012, Massiel starred in a Spanish play called Follies. She played the role of Carlotta Campion, a former film star.

Discography