Karina
Who is Karina?
María Isabel Llaudés Santiago, known by the stage name Karina, was born on December 4, 1943. In the early 1960s she began appearing on the Spanish television music program “Escala en Hi-Fi,” where she caught the attention of Emilio Santamaría, father of fellow singer Massiel, who became her manager and secured her first record deal with Hispavox. She recorded her first album in 1964, which was a notable success in Venezuela, and broke through to a wider audience in 1965 with her version of France Gall’s “Poupée de cire, poupée de son.”
Career
In 1966 she won the gold medal for best “yé-yé” singer after a string of hits, including her entry at the II Festival de Mallorca with “Me lo dice Pérez,” written by Argentine composer Alberto Cortez, which earned her second place. By the end of that decade she had starred in three films whose soundtracks became widely popular, and her career expanded into other European countries.
In 1970 she won the television contest “Pasaporte a Dublín” — which also featured artists such as Nino Bravo, Los Mismos and Rocío Jurado — and was chosen to represent Spain at the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin. With the song “En un mundo nuevo,” written by Rafael Trabucchelli and Tony Luz, she finished second with 116 points, a result she always remained especially proud of.
Notable discography
Following her Eurovision experience she starred in a film sharing the song’s title and kept releasing music throughout the 1970s, though her later successes shifted mainly to the Mexican market. In the 1990s she took part in a tour of artists from the era, and in 2003 she won Telecinco’s talent show “Vivo Cantando” by popular vote, competing against former stars of Spanish song.
Personal life
Karina has been married four times, has two daughters, and has overcome cancer. She is regarded as one of the most popular singers in Spain during the 1960s and 70s.