Mai Meneses | |
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Mai Meneses (2013)
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Background information | |
Birth name | Maria Isabel González-Meneses García-Valdecasas |
Born |
Madrid, Spain Spain |
January 4, 1978
Genres | Pop, |
Occupation(s) | Singer & songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, piano |
Years active | 2002 – present |
Labels | Universal Music Spain |
Website | Nena Daconte |
María Isabel González-Meneses García-Valdecasas (born January 4, 1978), known mononymously as Mai Meneses, is a Spanish singer and songwriter and leader of the Spanish pop band Nena Daconte.
Born in Madrid, Mai is the junior of six siblings. Due to her parent's itinerant work, she grew up in Zaragoza and Jaen, and later settled in Madrid to attend college, where she received in 2000 a JD degree (law) from Universidad San Pablo CEU (Madrid).
She first rose to fame as a contestant of the second season of Operación Triunfo (Spanish TV singing contest). After her participation, she released her first single, titled Vuelve.
In 2005, Mai Meneses formed the band Nena Daconte in Barcelona along with musician Kim Fanlo. Mai. In 2010, Fanlo left the formation and Mai Meneses continues as the lead singer and songwriter of Nena Daconte.
In 2006, Mai, acting as the lead singer and songwriter of Nena Daconte, released its debut album titled He Perdido Los Zapatos (I Have Lost My Shoes) under their own label, Daconte Music. The following year, she signed a record deal with Universal Music Spain and the album was re-released with a new bonus track (a remix of the song Idiota).
Idiota (Idiot) was the first single of the record. Later editions of the album included a new version of Idiota produced by Carlos Jean and mastered in New York City. Idiota reached number 25 of the Spanish billboard charts.
The second single was En que estrella estará (In What Star Will It Be). The song was selected to be the official theme for the Vuelta Ciclista a España (Spanish Cycling Tour) of 2006. En que estrella estará reached the number 1 position on the Spanish billboard charts for 5 weeks.
Nena Daconte´s debut album went Gold in Spain. Later on that same year, Nena Daconte was nominated for an MTV Europe Music Awards. He Perdido Los Zapatos became the 3rd best selling album in Spain in 2006 and En que estrella estará also became, that same year, the most downloaded song in Spain.