Peru-born singer Brenda Mau scored second place on Spain’s TV reality-show singing contest “Operación Triunfo.”
During her appearance on the show’s finale, Mau, 20, sang Dinah Washington’s “Teach me Tonight.” She was praised by the jury for her performance, and lost out only to Mario Alvarez, who won a Sony record deal.
“I have been singing since I was eleven,” said Mau. “In Peru, years ago, I won first place on TV’s “The Walk to Fame,” and here, in Spain, I showed up for this show’s auditions and well, nothing more than thinking about singing and singing. The truth is, I never imagined all this would happen.”
“I am very proud of my family, and of myself,” added Mau. “I feel Peruvian although I have lived in Spain and all my memories are here. There is a strong Peruvian community here, and I have never stopped eating Peruvian food and singing criolla songs. I have never lost touch with Peru.”
Mau, who has lived in Spain since 1997, is daughter of Peruvian salsa singer Laura Mau, who reached the height of her career in the 1980s.
