” Maria was the first non-native English speaking DJ to join TotalRock’s swelling ranks. Hailing from Spain, she gives an extra dimension to the station’s international flavor. But her diverse yet cohesive musical taste and exotic voice are undoubtedly a major asset as TotalRock continues to expand. The irony is that when studying journalism at university in Spain, Maria was not exactly keen to get involved with the radio side of the media. Thankfully, she’s now changed her mind as she brings a unique feel to her ‘Sex to 9’ slot every Friday.”
-Malcolm Dome
In so many years of friendship Maria has never ceased to surprise me, this time she’s done it by asking me to write about her. The first things I would like to point out about her both on a personal and professional level is her tenacity, perseverance and determination to achieve her goals and meet her responsibilities. She’s always gone straight for everything she’s wanted with honesty and without stepping on anyone’s toes.
Since her childhood she’s known she wanted to do interesting and different things with her life. That belief has taken her in the different directions and to live the numerous experiences that have contributed to make her the excellent and interesting woman that she is:
Studies of journalism in university (where we met), her stay in Dublin where she began her study of English and where her interest in rock music grew, after which she returned to Spain to pursue her degree in Tourism Business Management, followed by the big jump to London. At 23 Maria arrived ready for almost anything, overwhelmed by the great effort required she overcame the fight to survive by never giving in to fear or obstacles…
Today she’s known to most as one of the fantastic DJs that can be heard every week on TotalRock. It’s not strange that she’s turned a simple radio show into much more, an interesting, always different and surprising show where one never knows what’s coming next but with the consistency that characterizes her.
Her insinuating and sexy voice is in itself attractive but Maria has the ability to be both sexy and tender, insinuating yet accessible, she never gives the impression of being too far away from us. On the other hand the “Latin Passion” that her accent adds to English gives it an intonation and musicality that makes listening to her an absolute pleasure. She can capture the interest of listeners that, like me, are not particularly rock fans like no one can. Thanks to her I’ve discovered real marvels of rock music… Maria achieves this with her genuine passion for music, something that started for her very early in life (music school in her childhood)
Maria has plenty of surprises up her sleeve still, she’s not just a great rock DJ, her multiple and diverse interests and talents can surface at any moment. Her love for theater (she was an amateur actress for a while) her singing ability (yes she can sing too!) her love for photography (you can see the results on this website) as well as many other hobbies that you will discover.
Those who know her well know how humble and accessible she is. Her broad vision, her absolute understanding, her lack of prejudice, her integrity, her sense of humor, her total dedication to everything she believes in and everyone she loves… those values are uncommon nowadays which is why we are so fortunate to have her in our lives.
I hope these words have helped you know Maria, “Sexyvoice” as I call her, better.
-Pepe Altarejos