From the typical Spanish yee-ye girl to starring in most of the first week’s viral moments VIP big brother: Maria Isabel Barbara Llaudes Santiago, better known as Karina a nickname Torrebruno gave her because of her “beautiful face”began his musical career when he moved from Jaén to Madrid when he was 12 years old.

After many auditions and competitions, in 1961 the Andalusian was chosen to play the leading role in place advertising for the Wynn’s brand, which made it easier for him to record his first song, Yellow bikini. After that he took part in the competition Voice of Madrid like a new singer. His television career continued in Hi-Fi scalinga successful format awarded the Ondas Prize in 1962, for which artists performed hits of the time.

Karina also joined the version of the program in which, thanks to Isidoro M. Ferri – Director and with Arturo Fernandez, Maria Isbert, Cassin, Lali Soldevila, Manuel Sarzo, Pepe Rubio and Xan das Bolas as co-stars. It was a very fruitful time for Karina, who She was represented by Emilio Santamaria, Massiel’s father.

It was then that he signed his first contract with a record company. Hispavoxwho took advantage of the release of the EP Puff And tell him move them to Spain and Portugal. In September of the same 1963, he participated in the program Musical bursts.

Already in 1965 he performed at the Mallorcan festival with the song Perez told me, coming second. Right after he recorded the song wax dollSpanish version of the song France Gall just won Eurovision., Poupée de cire, poupée de son. A movement that ultimately proved prophetic.

Sequence of successes

But even before his participation in Eurovision, in 1966, he won with songs such as Concert for Lovers, Yerba Verde, Vivira or To Whom It Concerns. By hand Rafael Trabucelli As a producer he then began his most commercial stage with the great hits for which he is still known today, immortal songs such as Romeo and Juliet, Arrows of Love, Party, You’ll Be Back or Chest of Memories.

Additionally, he started his film career with projects such as Last Saturday the guys from Preu And The girl from the advertisement. In 1969, it entered the list of the most listened to songs for the first time. Basic 40but did not reach number one in the rankings until March of that year, thanks to Arrows of Love.

Passport to Dublin: 2nd place at Eurovision

This was in 1971 when he participated in Passport to Dublintelevision program that became Benidorm Festival then. Presented by Julio Iglesias and Massiel, it welcomed participants of the caliber of Los Mismos, Nino Bravo, Rocio Jurado, Junior, Jaime Mori and Concha Marques Piquer.

According to a coupon published in the magazine TV-Radiothe audience decided that Karina was the winner with in the new world. Already in Dublin, the artist was opposed by 17 participants. stayed in second position, 116 points.

Karina’s experience in Ireland was used in the film, which shows how a nanny from a musical group came to Eurovision. The following year she published the album Occasionally and in 1973 she married Tony Luz, Los Pekenikes guitarist and author Chest of Memories And in the new worldalthough the marriage did not last long.

Soon after this, the singer’s professional decline began, although she released several more albums. In 1978, Hispavox did not renew the contract and Karina, following in the footsteps of Rocio Durcal, tried her luck in Mexico with ranchers.. In 1980, she returned to Spain and married actor Carlos Diez, with whom she had her first daughter, Azahara, from whom she divorced in 1987.

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In 1989, she had a daughter, Rocio, with her third partner, artist and hairdresser Juan Miguel Martinez, but they separated again and returned to her native Jaén. In the early nineties, Karina underwent surgery for thyroid cancer from which she suffered and because of which she did not appear on stage for about two years.

He returned at the end of 1993 with the play Sweet 60, which temporarily revived his career. In 2000, she remarried Miguel Leon in a Celtic ceremony, although Karina was again unlucky in love and separated after a year of dating.

2003: Champion “I live by singing”

In 2003 he won the Telecinco competition. I live by singing a nostalgic musical program dedicated to old glories such as Tony Ronald, Mickey, Jeanette, Lorenzo Santamaria, Elsa Baeza, Juan Bau, Helena Bianco or Braulio. Due to his success with the program, he recorded a collection of his 40 greatest hits, which was published two years later. In 2015 he published his biography. It’s interlude time.

During the pandemic, he tried social media and gained thousands of followers in a short time and became popular among young people. However, he failed to qualify for Benidorm Festival with its own theme Neither galactic nor sidereal.

“I would really like to go and perform. I think I don’t need to prove anything, I’ve already gone to Eurovision. I’ve been on wheels for many years, and there comes a time when you doubt it.” I don’t doubt myself, but rather my capabilities.because one is almost at the end of the road, but it won’t be because I didn’t try,” he said about this with sadness in Ten minutesAnna Igartiburu program on Telemadrid, February 2023.

“Putin, don’t press the button”

This is a very repetitive discourse of the artist, who also in her interviews in formats similar to the now extinct, Deluxe Saturday or Mediafest Night Fever was talking about “bad luck” that he had both professionally and romantically, as well as the insecurities he experienced. One of the most viral moments in his recent speeches was an appeal to Vladimir Putin himself with a request to stop the invasion of Ukraine:

In the same spirit now in VIP big brotherwhere she is part of a group of 18 contestants, formed an unexpected alliance with communicator Laura Bozzo, who in the program itself discovered that she knew some Andalusian songs.

In addition, he recounted some of the darkest moments of his life. In fact, it could be seen at the first debate this Sunday realitypresented by Ion Aramendi, as Karina talked about what “hard” what it was like for her to be such a young artist.

“Artistic decline, which is very severe, indifference was what I felt. It’s very difficult for me to give up, I want to die fighting before I give up,” he said. He also talked about how his two daughters have different fathers and that the father of his life was the love of his life’s eldest daughter, although the story ended not very good because he decided to break up.