Malena Gracia Explained

Malena Gracia
Birth Name:Almudena Gracia Manzano
Birth Date:14 September 1969
Birth Place:Madrid, Spain
Years Active:1987–present

Almudena Gracia Manzano (born 14 September 1969), known artistically as Malena Gracia,[1] is a Spanish actress,[2] singer, dancer, vedette,[3] and pin-up model.[4] She is best known for having obtained a triple platinum certification for her song "Loca", with more than 300,000 copies sold.[5] She has also appeared on television series with high ratings.

Career

Malena Gracia has worked in film, television, music, theater, and advertising. She has been a model and appeared in several magazines and Spanish TV programs. She was discovered by director and producer Valeriu Lazarov. She was a student at the Daniel Cicaret dance school. She studied solfège, singing, and acting with Luis Arnedillo and the professor of the Madrid Royal Conservatory, Inés Rivadeneira. Later she continued her classes with José Sepúlveda, at Ángela Carrasco's school, specializing in musicals. She shared a singing teacher with Shaila Dúrcal.[6] Her early years in the world of dance and entertainment were not easy; her family was of humble origins and for seven years she was a victim of mistreatment of one of her ex-partners.[7] [8]

During the 1990s, Gracia worked on various television shows and began a musical career, as a singer of copla and Spanish songs, studying with maestro Julián Bazán. In 1992 she released her first Spanish song album Vete con él. Her style would later change to pop, although she always aspired to be a lyric singer.

Her television popularity grew on shows like De lo bueno el mejor and in sketches on the popular Antena 3 program Arévalo & cia,[9] a Spanish adaptation of The Benny Hill Show.[10] She participated in the first chapters of Hostal Royal Manzanares with Lina Morgan, a series that obtained audience levels of 46% and 8,500,000 spectators for its premiere.[11] She also gained notoriety in the tabloid press.[12] She presented Pase lo que pase on Telemadrid with Catalan comedian . She also participated in several Christmas specials on Telecinco with Lina Morgan.

At the end of the 90s, she formed the group Sex Bomb with Yola Berrocal and, which she would leave shortly afterward due to her incompatibility with Berrocal and Monroy.[13]

In 1998 was chosen Playboy's European covergirl. She has posed nude or seminude for the magazines Playboy, Man, and Interviú (she appeared on seven occasions, one of them posing with Yola Berrocal).[14]

Gracia had a romantic relationship with lawyer Emilio Rodríguez Menéndez, who was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison for fraud against the Public Treasury. After their breakup she suffered strong harassment and media persecution by the lawyer. In the year 2000, Malena Gracia filed a defamation lawsuit against his magazine Dígame, through which she obtained a judicial order to seize the magazine. The singer requested help from the detective agency, which cooperated with the police to arrest him in 2005 in Argentina for having escaped to Paraguay to avoid the condemnation of the Spanish justice system.[15] According to Gracia, the lawyer blackmailed her knowing that in the past she had briefly engaged in prostitution.[8] [16]

Two years after the separation of Sex Bomb, Malena joined the popular reality series ,[17] [18] where she was third finalist, and thanks to this she was able to get funding to start her musical career, with various summer and dance songs.[19]

2003 saw the market launch of her successful song "Loca" on the Vale Music label. It achieved high levels of popularity on the radio and at events in Spain. Due to its high sales volume, it reached triple platinum status, becoming the quintessential song of that summer,[20] [21] was played for more than a decade in Spain, and was published in several compilations.[22] [23]

In 2005 she premiered the play Las corsarias in Barcelona together with and . Its run only lasted three days, and it was later discovered to have been financed by the Gürtel plot, with €481,000 supplied by Francisco Correa Sánchez and his partner "El Bigotes".[24]

Malena Gracia has tried to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest on several occasions. She was presented to the Spanish preselection of 2008 with the song "Un poquito más", but was passed over in favor of Rodolfo Chikilicuatre.[25] [26] [27] In 2009 she tried with "Quiero volar".[28] In 2010 she once again presented her candidacy for the Spanish Eurovision preselection with her song "La Vida".[28] [29] [30] [31]

She has had numerous appearances on television as a contributor to the program with Jorge Javier Vázquez, and .[32]

Among other reality TV appearances, she was the fourth finalist on the 2010 season of Supervivientes. This edition featured both famous and unknown contestants, with Gracia being the last famous one to be voted off.

In April 2012, she appealed on television regarding the possible abduction of her sister at birth. She was born prematurely on 30 August 1960, and for that reason she was taken to the Hospital Clínico San Carlos to gain weight in an incubator. The family went to see her on several occasions, but on the twelfth day they were told that she had died, without allowing the parents to see the body, which was consistent with procedures carried out in the kidnapping of children in Francoist Spain.[33]

In March 2015 she presented her new album Miénteme on the Telecinco network, becoming a trending topic on Twitter.[34]

In February 2016 she was romantically linked in the press with the well-known humorist,[35] a friend of the artist for over 20 years. Arévalo lost his wife in December 2015,[36] and the story was later denied by both, which caused discomfort in the comedian for confusing a deep friendship.[37] [38] [39] [40]

In 2016, she was part of the cast of a theatrical adaptation of the 1962 film Atraco a las tres, directed by José María Forqué, premiered on 5 March at the Federico García Lorca Theater in Getafe.[41] The play toured several venues, including the Carlos III Royal Theater of Aranjuez.[42] In May 2016, she announced in the press that she was experiencing financial difficulties due to the death of her mother on Christmas 2015.[43] [44]

Acting roles

Films

YearTitleDirectorRoleNotes
1987Paul NaschyGirlMinor role
1990Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!Pedro AlmodóvarNurseMinor role
2007 Josetxo San MateoMalenaSupporting role
2008219Miguel del BarrioConfidantShort film
2009La Poniponchi, una chica cuasi perfectaIvan G. AndersonMonjaSupporting role
2012Gente de fiestaJavier de la TorreClaudiaTelevision film
2015El AnilloDavid de la TorreLeonorShort film
2016Relaxing Cup of CoffeJosé SemprúnGirl in the swimming poolMinor role
2017 Fernando SimarroCameoMinor role
Luces Alfredo ContrerasEstelaSupporting role

Dramatic TV series

YearTitleRoleNotes
1996Hostal Royal Manzanares Nelly1 episode
1997–1999Arévalo y cia Various characters13 episodes
2000Marga1 episode
2006 Model1 episode
2007Malena1 episode
2010Sexo en ChuecaFamosa1 episode
2016Paquita Salas Malena Gracia1 episode
2017Indetectables Tatiana2 episodes

Other TV series

Presenter

Collaborations

Specials

Contests and reality shows

Theater

Musicals

Other events

Discography

Albums

YearTitle
1992Vete con el
2000Atrévete
  • "Suena el teléfono"
  • "Medley 60s & 70s"
  • "Baby (Que derroche)"
  • "Una noche más"
  • "Pa'arriba pa'abajo"
  • "La vida en rosa"
  • "Medley rumba española"
  • "Yo soy malena"
  • "New york, new york"
  • "No llores por mi argentina"
2003Loca
  • Label: Vale Music
  • Format: CD
  • Tracks: 10
  • 3× platinum: 300,000 copies sold
2004Bombón latino
2011Soy la mejor
  • Label: P Music and Digimusic
  • Format: CD
  • Tracks: 10

Singles

Year Title
2003
  • "Loca"
2004
  • "Bombón latino"
  • "Yo soy el fuego"
2005
  • "Infinitamente gay"
2006
  • "Chica mala"
  • "30 Días"
2007
  • "Vivo sola"
  • "Peligrosa"
2008
  • "Un poquito más"
  • "Porteras de discoteca" (with)
  • "Me levantó la mano"
  • "Miénteme otra vez"
2009
  • "Remixes 2009"
  • "Besa mi boca"
  • "Quiero volar"
2010
  • "La vida"
  • "El embrujo"
2011
  • "Soy la mejor"
  • "Sálvame" (with Johny Demoni)
2013
  • "Move it"
  • "Miénteme" (with Johny Demoni)
2014
  • "Sólo una noche más" (feat. Nuno B.I & Ashala)
2015
  • "Love is in the air"
  • "Estoy bailando"
  • "Despertar"
  • "Raffaella mix"
2016
  • "Al son del jazz"
  • "Todos me miran"
  • "Quiero ser artista"
  • "Otra vez"
  • "Loca" (dance versión)
  • "No te detengas" (feat. Lexter)
  • "Vete con él" (2016 version)
2017
  • "Quiero más"
  • "A quién le importa"
2018
  • "Mira como bailo" (with Reina Saba)
  • "Próximamente nuevos temas"

EPs

YearTitle
1999
  • Malena
2008
  • Miénteme otra vez
2010
  • La vida
2013
  • Move it
2015
  • Miénteme
  • Despertar
2016
  • Otra vez
2018
  • Mira como bailo (with Reina Saba)

Additional

Notes and References

  1. News: Una 'sexbomb' en la comarca . A 'SexBomb' in the Region . . Spanish . 29 December 2009 . 18 June 2018.
  2. News: Pablo Carbonell y Anabel Alonso, de vacaciones en un 'Atasco en la nacional' . Pablo Carbonell and Anabel Alonso, on Vacation in 'Atasco en la nacional' . . EFE . Madrid . Spanish . 16 July 2007 . 18 June 2018.
  3. Book: Montijano Ruiz, Juan José . Teatro y música en los inicios del siglo XXI . Theater and Music at the Beginnings of the 21st Century . El teatro frívolo español en el siglo XXI: De las variedades a los espectáculos 'frívolo-didácticos' . Frivolous Spanish Theatre in the 21st Century: On the Variety and 'Frivolous-Teaching' Shows . José . Romera Castillo . Editorial Verbum . 9788490743126 . 221 . Spanish . 1 March 2016 . 23 June 2018 . Google Books.
  4. News: Malena Gracia, desnudo integral en 'Interviú' . Malena Gracia, Uncut Nude in 'Interviú . . Spanish . 5 November 2007 . 23 June 2018.
  5. Web site: Malena Gracia, ex chica Playboy, presenta su disco en 'La Gala' . Malena Gracia, Ex-Playboy Girl, Presents Her Album on 'La Gala' . Radio Televisión Canaria . Spanish . 23 October 2009 . 23 June 2018.
  6. Web site: Ana Morgade se vuelve 'Loca' imitando a Malena Gracia . Ana Morgade Becomes 'Crazy' Imitating Malena Gracia . . Spanish . 21 March 2018 . 23 June 2018.
  7. Web site: Malena Gracia, atacada por confesar dos abortos en 'La Caja Deluxe': '¡Tú hijo te importaba una mierda, sólo pensabas en tí' . Malena Gracia, Attacked for Confessing Two Abortions on 'La Caja Deluxe': 'Your Son Did Not Give a Shit, You Only Thought about Yourself' . Sergio . Espí . Periodista Digital . Spanish . 31 October 2011 . 23 June 2018.
  8. Web site: Malena Gracia, arruinada . Malena Gracia, Ruined . Intereconomia.com . Spanish . 26 May 2016 . 23 June 2018.
  9. Web site: Arévalo y cia (Serie de TV) . Filmaffinity . Spanish . 23 June 2018.
  10. Book: Medianoche, Mike . No me toques los 90 . Hands Off the 90s . Roca editorial . 9788416306763 . 61 . Spanish . 15 October 2015 . 23 June 2018.
  11. Book: García Orts, Jesús . Lina Morgan: de Angelines a Excelentísima Señora . Editorial Club Universitario . 9788416312467 . Spanish . 27 July 2015 . 23 June 2018 . Google Books.
  12. Book: López Millán, Hilario . Crónica Rosa de España: De la Collares a Rociito . . 9788408037880 . 181 . Spanish . 1 January 2001 . 23 June 2018 . Google Books.
  13. News: Conozca a los concursantes oficiales de 'Supervivientes' . Meet the Official Contestants of 'Supervivientes' . . Spanish . 19 April 2011 . 23 June 2018.
  14. Malena Gracia . Carlos . Barrio . . Spanish . 1 July 2011 . 23 June 2018.
  15. Book: Marco, Francisco . El método . La Esfera de los Libros . 9788499709703 . Spanish . 7 January 2014 . 23 June 2018 . Google Books.
  16. Web site: La revista Dígame es secuestrada judicialmente por publicar un reportaje que demuestra que Malena Gracia ejercía de prostituta . The Magazine Dígame is Judicially Seized for Publishing a Story that Shows Malena Gracia Worked as Prostitute . La Hemeroteca del Buitre . Spanish . 13 November 2000 . 23 June 2018.
  17. Book: Transgresoras . Transgressors . Alaska . Alaska (singer) . Ediciones Martínez Roca . 9788427029774 . 272 . Spanish . 1 January 2003 . 23 June 2018 . Google Books.
  18. Todos los 'realities' emitidos en España, ordenados de peor a mejor . All the 'Realities' Broadcast in Spain, Ordered from Worst to Best . Raquel . Piñeiro . Vanity Fair Spain . Spanish . 16 July 2015 . 23 June 2018.
  19. Web site: Las canciones del verano de los años 2000 (de 2000 a 2003) . The Summer Songs of the 2000s (from 2000 to 2003) . Selene . Moral . . Spanish . 11 June 2018 . 23 June 2018.
  20. News: La selva de la canción del verano . The Jungle of the Summer Song . Luis . Troquel . . Barcelona . Spanish . 10 August 2015 . 23 June 2018.
  21. Web site: Malena Gracia te invita a gozar con un videoclip que está a caballo entre el porno y la vergüenza ajena . Malena Gracia Invites You to Enjoy a Video that is Halfway Between Porn and the Shame of Others . David . Moreno . 20 minutos Blogs . Spanish . 20 June 2015 . 23 June 2018.
  22. Web site: Lab canción del verano . Summer Song Lab . . Spanish . 23 June 2018.
  23. Book: García de Cáceres, Luis . El síndrome del infante de España: el amor mercenario . The Syndrome of the Infant of Spain: Mercenary Love . Odisea Editorial . 9788495470447 . 143 . Spanish . 2004 . 23 June 2018 . Google Books.
  24. Book: Izquierdo, José María . Gürtel: Año V . Gürtel: Year 5 . El País Selección . Spanish . 11 March 2014 . 23 June 2018 . Google Books.
  25. News: Estrellas del 'indie' y del pop 'petardo' luchan por participar en Eurovisión . Stars of 'Indie' and 'Firecracker' Pop Fight to Participate in Eurovision . Héctor . Llanos . Esther L. . Calderón . . EFE . Madrid . Spanish . 10 February 2008 . 23 June 2018.
  26. News: Malena Gracia speaks out to oikotimes.com . Jaime . Solloso . Oiko Times . 24 January 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100212193456/http://oikotimes.com/v2/index.php?file=articles&id=2290 . 12 February 2010 . dead . 23 June 2018.
  27. Zero. 115. (title missing). 111. es. 2009. 23 June 2018. Google Books.
  28. Web site: Malena Gracia, dentro del grupo Maremagnum, presenta La vida a TVE . 9 January 2010 . Malena Gracia, within the Maremagnum Group, Presents La vida on TVE . Eurovision Spain . Spanish . 23 June 2018.
  29. Web site: Bizarre, Javier Mota, Malena Gracia y Álex Manga también quieren ir a Eurovisión . Bizarre, Javier Mota, Malena Gracia, and Álex Manga Also Want to Go to Eurovision . Popelera.net . Spanish . 12 January 2010 . 23 June 2018.
  30. News: Karmele Marchante arrasa en la primeras votaciones para Eurovisión 2010 . Karmele Marchante Sweeps the First Vote for Eurovision 2010 . Yolanda . Veiga . La Rioja . Spanish . 19 January 2010 . 23 June 2018.
  31. News: Karmele Marchante: 'Malena Gracia no es rival para mí' . Karmele Marchante: 'Malena Gracia is Not a Rival for Me' . Nuria . Hernández . . Spanish . 18 January 2010 . 23 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160624151955/http://www.que.es/television/en-pantalla/201001181826-karmele-marchante-malena-gracia-rival.html . 24 June 2016 . dead .
  32. Book: Suárez, Omar . https://books.google.com/books?id=a8TWCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT26 . Sálvame, soy un reportero en apuros: Las peripecias del reportero de los famosos . Save Me, I'm a Reporter in Distress: The Vicissitudes of the Celebrity Reporter . Las Gracias de Malena . . Spanish . 9788403515819 . 19 May 2016 . 23 June 2018 . Google Books.
  33. Web site: Malena Gracia denuncia en Sálvame el posible robo de su hermana tras nacer . Malena Gracia Denounces on Sálvame the Possible Theft of her Sister After Birth . . Spanish . 18 April 2012 . 23 June 2018.
  34. Web site: Malena Gracia revoluciona las redes con su 'nueva' cara y su nuevo disco . Malena Gracia Revolutionizes the Networks with Her 'New' Face and Her New Album . Bolsamania . Spanish . 24 March 2015 . 23 June 2018.
  35. News: Malena Gracia y Arévalo, ¡pareja bomba! . Malena Gracia and Arévalo, Bombshell Couple! . Albert . Domènech . . Barcelona . Spanish . 17 February 2016 . 23 June 2018.
  36. News: El humorista Arévalo, destrozado tras el fallecimiento de su mujer . The Humorist Arévalo, Destroyed After the Passing of His Wife . Víctor . Abril . . Madrid . Spanish . 13 December 2015 . 23 June 2018.
  37. Web site: La verdad sobre el inverosímil 'romance sorpresa' entre Malena Gracia y Arévalo . The Truth About the Implausible 'Surprise Romance' Between Malena Gracia and Arévalo . ESDiario.com . Spanish . 10 March 2016 . 23 June 2018.
  38. News: Las primeras declaraciones de Arévalo tras conocerse su supuesta relación con Malena Gracia . The First Statements of Arévalo After Learning of His Supposed Relationship with Malena Gracia . Jesús Manuel . Ruiz . . Spanish . 17 February 2016 . 23 June 2018.
  39. Web site: El supuesto amor entre Arévalo y Malena Gracia triunfa en Twitter . The Supposed Love Between Arévalo and Malena Gracia Triumphs on Twitter . . Spanish . 17 February 2016 . 23 June 2018.
  40. News: Paco Arévalo y Malena Gracia están juntos . Paco Arévalo and Malena Gracia are Together . . Madrid . Spanish . 17 February 2016 . 23 June 2018.
  41. News: Atraco a las tres . Julián . Puerto Rodríguez . El Buzón . Spanish . 1 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160701170351/http://elbuzon.es/atraco-a-las-tres-23438 . 1 July 2016 . dead . 23 June 2018.
  42. Web site: Atraco a las 3 . Carlos III Royal Theater of Aranjuez . Spanish . 23 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160616220143/http://teatroaranjuez.es/historico/atraco-a-las-3/#1443212508982-423790a6-9d8b42e9-b5eaccaf-076a4c8f-2f480260-51a04ad0-1c854ca6-5b3cc5b5-7fece52b-e209 . 16 June 2016 . dead .
  43. Web site: El drama de Malena Gracia: 'No pude pagar una corona de flores cuando murió mi madre' . Malena Gracia's Drama: 'I Could Not Pay for a Wreath When My Mother Died' . Voz Populi . Spanish . 25 May 2016 . 23 June 2018.
  44. News: Malena Gracia atraviesa una dramática situación económica . Malena Gracia is Going Through a Dramatic Economic Situation . . Spanish . 26 May 2016 . 23 June 2018.
  45. News: Teatro Guía . . Spanish . 28 January 2000 . 18 June 2018.
  46. Web site: Atraco a las tres . TodoOcio . Spanish . 5 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160629092403/http://www.todoociomadrid.es/2016/03/05/atraco-a-las-tres/465 . 29 June 2016 . dead . 18 June 2018.

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