A young woman waits, anxious, in a Madrid cafeteria near the city center. She drinks hot chocolate while her daughter taps at the door with delighted, skiplike fingers. She reaches for a napkin to avoid staining a phone she fiddled with. They have been watching videos for a quarter hour, a little lift to the nerves that never fully settle. Sometimes they laugh; other moments settle into murmurs. The mother smooths the girl’s bangs, steadying the moment, and then kisses her forehead. A sudden, quiet, heartfelt round of applause follows. The girl seems to recognize the opening note of a melody starting to play. Across the screen, Maisa Chickens For 43 years has sung the song that a Christmas meeting can illuminate: “Come back home, come back…”. Yet the scene feels bittersweet. “We all have a father, a friend, an uncle or a grandmother we’d welcome with open arms right now.” The moment feels magical in every gathering. “I feel privileged to accompany so many people,” she reflects. And in those words, there is a sense of maturity that comes with time.
Maisa, now 67, hasn’t lost the vitality that first drew her to the world of advertising. Restless, endearing, and endlessly creative, she quickly proves why so many trust her with their projects. “I’m still the same enthusiastic person,” she notes with a grin. “I haven’t lost hope.” In front of a well-tended fir tree crowning the living room, she reveals one of today’s new records, the ballad that helped her become the focal point of this interview. She treats it like a treasure, and it’s easy to see why: “It opened up a wonderful world for me. I’m still amazed that something so beautiful persists. It’s nice to know that so many people have woven these melodies into their memories.” El Almendro, a nougat brand since 1980, is still remembered—though the brand only paused for a moment in 2020 to comply with Health guidelines during the pandemic. Aside from that brief break, the friendly holiday theme has become a symbol of the season.
Maisa animatedly asks, “Would you like me to tell you the story?” The question feels almost playful, because even when the voice is recognized, recognition does not always come with ample credit. Throughout her career, she has worked with leading artists across eras. “I was born into a nurturing environment for music. My mother played instruments, my father sang for fun. It felt natural for all five children to follow the same path. Over time, some wondered aloud whether to turn this into a profession. My dream was to sing. I remember standing on my grandmother’s steps in Ronda, singing. At fourteen, my interest shifted to guitar, and a particular style began to take shape.” The sentence lingers as if this moment could be a hinge to everything that followed. David Crosby, Carole King, Bob Dylan, and Paul Simon graced stages at colleges, shaping what came next. The family’s momentum seemed unstoppable, with siblings charting their own courses and some steering toward different creative ventures.
“When I started recording English versions, I knew cake wasn’t on the table, so I chose to sing commercials instead.” The first opportunity came through composers Julio Seijas and Luis Gómez-Escolar, who invited her to join the chorus and sing for Sesame Street. There, by chance, she met singer-songwriter Cecilia. “That opened my eyes to a fast, ever-changing industry where retention, agility, and speed matter most. I passed the acid test and began getting calls. Some days, there were as many as three registrations.” Her path led to Álvaro Nieto, one of the era’s prolific writers, and to jingles for brands like Hay de Pravia, the scent of your home, Pescanova, Domecq, and many more. The El Almendro campaign required a distinctive vocal timbre, so Maisa translated and brought the campaign to life.
Massiel to Rocío Jurado
To land the definitive version, Maisa had to record several takes, refining nuance until the agency felt satisfied. “We were nervous, unsure it would be enough. We crossed our fingers, and days later they shared the news. We had to wait a few months before the release.” She recalls a moment on the couch with her daughter when the doorbell rang, and the girl turned around with a look that meant she had heard the rehearsals. The feeling was singular. From that time, her voice introduced Christmas across twelve straight seasons, much like how Mariah Carey does today. Other names followed, but the public loyalty to the original version remains strong. “They told me yes, though I suspect the affection from listeners helps,” Maisa admits, the grandmother of six reflecting on how enduring the love feels.
Back then, advertising moved substantial sums, and television commitments mattered deeply. “It paid well, and it saddens me that writers and performers aren’t always credited,” she notes. Yet the work allowed a balance of career and family. Maisa had plenty of offers—Coca-Cola, Galerías Preciados, Fanta, El Corte Inglés, Schweppes, and campaigns for all major parties in 1982. She moved from the ad world to the small screen, first as an extra for Mari Trini, then quickly taking on choruses alongside Miguel Bosé, Rocío Jurado, Luis Miguel, Massiel, José Manuel Soto, and many others. Her experience spanned live performances and studio work, shaping a remarkable arc across decades.
Her journey to The Voice and beyond
That path led to appearances on cutting-edge programs, including Hermida’s show, Tele Marathon, solidarity nights, and appearances with Pedro Ruiz. A strong connection with Ana Belén yielded a memorable musical, Beautiful Helena, staged in Mérida’s Roman Theater and later touring with artists like Miguel Ríos, Víctor Manuel, and Joan Manuel Serrat. Her colleagues describe her as extraordinary, a person who kept in touch with family and fans alike. “I was very lucky,” she says. The Eurovision chapter came with a Cadillac club in 1986, a notable moment for a group led by José María Guzmán and Eduardo Ramírez, where their entry placed Costa Rica in the OTI Festival’s spotlights. The experience included trips to see fjords in Norway and cable car rides, a balancing act that felt almost dreamlike. The following year, she represented Spain in the OTI Festival, repeating a national triumph that resonated with audiences.
At the turn of the century, Maisa began to explore interior design, finding a new universe of possibilities in décor. Her home became a living canvas of the taste and skill she continues to bring to work and life. She keeps contributing to music by lending background vocals to two Morgan albums and, in 2019, joining the Senior Voice project after her grandchildren encouraged her to audition. The experience, though nerve-wracking, drew a flood of affection from fans. And so the story circles back to that Madrid bar scene: the mother and daughter left without the show delivering its promised moment. Their bond remains, a reminder that sometimes companionship matters more than a single appearance. The day ends, but the two have each other, and that can be enough for now.