Massiel
Who is Massiel?
María Félix de los Ángeles Santamaría Espinosa, known artistically as Massiel, was born in Madrid on August 2, 1947. She was the daughter of music promoter Emilio Santamaría, who managed the careers of artists such as Los Brincos, Karina and Miguel Ríos from a modest Madrid agency. She made her public debut in 1966 in Madrid with “Di que no,” regarded as one of the earliest protest songs in Spanish pop, and that same year performed at festivals such as the Rose Festival in Rimini and Viña del Mar in Chile.
Career
In 1967 she starred in her first films and scored a major hit across Spain and Latin America with “Rosas en el mar,” written by Luis Eduardo Aute. But it was in 1968 that she became world-famous, winning the Eurovision Song Contest at London’s Royal Albert Hall with “La, la, la,” composed by Dúo Dinámico. Her victory came as a surprise, as she beat the favourite, Britain’s Cliff Richard. The song was originally meant to be sung by Joan Manuel Serrat, who withdrew from the contest when he was not allowed to perform it in Catalan; Massiel stepped in with only nine days to prepare the song. Years later, in 2008, controversy resurfaced over alleged vote manipulation by the Franco regime, a claim the singer has always denied.
Notable discography
Besides “La, la, la” and “Rosas en el mar,” her catalogue includes songs such as “Rufo el pescador” and “Aleluya.” She recorded for the Novola, Explosión and Ariola labels between 1966 and 1975, while also building a career in film and theatre, triumphing in 1980 at the Roman Theatre of Mérida in Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra.”
Legacy
After her Eurovision win, Massiel became an internationally recognised artist, with a presence in film, theatre and television for decades. She remains, alongside Salomé, one of only two Spanish representatives ever to win the Eurovision Song Contest.