Mayra Gómez Kemp
Encyclopedia
Mayra Gómez Kemp (born 14 February 1948 in Cuba
) spent most of her teens in Miami, Florida
where she learned to speak fluent English. There, while on University, she had her debut on screen, on the B-Series movie The Death Curse of Tartu (1966), as Mayra Cristine. A few years later, in the 1970s, she moved to Spain
and resumed her career in show business.
When appearing in the Spanish version of the musical comedy The Rocky Horror Show
as Magenta, Mayra met her costar and future husband, Argentina-born actor Alberto Berco. In 1976, when the successful TVE contest Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez
(1972) returned to the small screen to be broadcast in colour for the first time, Mayra auditioned as one of the hostesses of the program. Although she wasn't selected as a hostess, she was offered a steady job as a comic actress in the show and Mayra quickly became a household name.
One year later, after leaving the show, Mayra teamed up with two of the show's former hostesses, María Durán and Beatriz Escudero to form a pop vocal trio named Acuario ("Aquarius", since that was the zodiac sign of all three women). With Mayra as lead vocalist, they enjoyed a brief but intense popularity thanks to their vocal skills and their charmingly sexy image, scoring a summer hit
with Rema, Rema, Marinero ("Row, Row, Sailor"). Mayra left the group soon afterwards to continue her career as TV presenter in programs such as 625 Líneas (her debut as presenter and first TP Award out of four as best presenter) and Ding Dong. Mayra also recorded an album called Una Dama ("One Lady"), which included her cover of Julio Ramos's anti-abortion pop hit No Te Dejan Nacer ("They Won't Let You Be Born").
Mayra made her second movie after 12 years in 1978 in a film called Donde Hay Patrón... starring Manolo Escobar
. Later becoming a Spanish
citizen, Mayra turned her activity to the radio as one of the original announcers on the new station Antena 3
(now defunct). Her peak of popularity came when she was called to substitute for Kiko Ledgard, the famous presenter of Un, Dos, Tres..., who had suffered a near-fatal accident. Mayra won the audience over and remained with the program.
After a lengthy stay of six years on Un, Dos, Tres... (more than any other presenter in the history of this show), Mayra took a break from the media to look after her husband, who was suffering from depression, focussing only on her work on the radio. She returned to television after his full recovery.
Since the cancellation of Un Dos Tres, Mayra went on to host the chat show Tres mas Una on regional station Canal Sur TV. She later hosted the successful gameshow Luna de Miel which aired on many of the FORTA regional networks.
With the launch of commercial television in Spain in 1989, Mayra returned to TV and hosted Spain's first attempt at The Wheel of Fortune on Antena 3TV. On the same channel she fronted the talkshow Simplemente Mayra and also presented the cookery based gameshow Tomates y Pimientos.
For the latter part of the 90s and into the new century, Mayra has failed to secure her own TV show in the very competitive Spanish TV market. She has though been called a few times to carry out the role of a "contertuliana" (collaborator) on many of Spain's TV magazine shows, which have celebrity gossip and Tabloid journalism as the main ingredient. In this respect, she has made contributions to Menta y Chocolate and A3Bandas (Antena 3TV) and Salsa Rosa, Dolce Vita, A Tu Lado and TNT (Tele5).
In October 2009 she revealed that in January 2009 she was diagnosed with a cancer of the tongue which required an operation. It was feared that she might lose all ability to speak but with therapy she is recovering her speech and on 2009-10-31 appeared in Telecinco
in a program in her tribute.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
) spent most of her teens in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
where she learned to speak fluent English. There, while on University, she had her debut on screen, on the B-Series movie The Death Curse of Tartu (1966), as Mayra Cristine. A few years later, in the 1970s, she moved to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and resumed her career in show business.
When appearing in the Spanish version of the musical comedy The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
as Magenta, Mayra met her costar and future husband, Argentina-born actor Alberto Berco. In 1976, when the successful TVE contest Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez
Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez
Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez , often shortened as Un, dos, tres, and named Un, dos, tres... a leer esta vez in the last season, was a Spanish game show created by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador. The show, which ran from 1972 to 2004 spanning ten seasons, became the most famous game show in the...
(1972) returned to the small screen to be broadcast in colour for the first time, Mayra auditioned as one of the hostesses of the program. Although she wasn't selected as a hostess, she was offered a steady job as a comic actress in the show and Mayra quickly became a household name.
One year later, after leaving the show, Mayra teamed up with two of the show's former hostesses, María Durán and Beatriz Escudero to form a pop vocal trio named Acuario ("Aquarius", since that was the zodiac sign of all three women). With Mayra as lead vocalist, they enjoyed a brief but intense popularity thanks to their vocal skills and their charmingly sexy image, scoring a summer hit
Summer hit
A summer hit is a term in entertainment industry which refers to a title released and peaked in its popularity during summer and often later quickly faded away..Rick Lyman, a culture reporter for The New York Times, wrote:...
with Rema, Rema, Marinero ("Row, Row, Sailor"). Mayra left the group soon afterwards to continue her career as TV presenter in programs such as 625 Líneas (her debut as presenter and first TP Award out of four as best presenter) and Ding Dong. Mayra also recorded an album called Una Dama ("One Lady"), which included her cover of Julio Ramos's anti-abortion pop hit No Te Dejan Nacer ("They Won't Let You Be Born").
Mayra made her second movie after 12 years in 1978 in a film called Donde Hay Patrón... starring Manolo Escobar
Manolo Escobar
Manuel "Manolo" García Escobar is a Spanish singer and actor. He may be best-known for his songs Y viva España, El porompompero and Mi carro....
. Later becoming a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
citizen, Mayra turned her activity to the radio as one of the original announcers on the new station Antena 3
Antena 3 (Spain)
Antena 3 is a Spanish terrestrial television channel owned by Antena 3 de Televisión. Some of the more popular programmes broadcast by Antena 3 include Aquí no hay quien viva, El Barco, Los Protegidos, Los Simpson and El Internado....
(now defunct). Her peak of popularity came when she was called to substitute for Kiko Ledgard, the famous presenter of Un, Dos, Tres..., who had suffered a near-fatal accident. Mayra won the audience over and remained with the program.
After a lengthy stay of six years on Un, Dos, Tres... (more than any other presenter in the history of this show), Mayra took a break from the media to look after her husband, who was suffering from depression, focussing only on her work on the radio. She returned to television after his full recovery.
Since the cancellation of Un Dos Tres, Mayra went on to host the chat show Tres mas Una on regional station Canal Sur TV. She later hosted the successful gameshow Luna de Miel which aired on many of the FORTA regional networks.
With the launch of commercial television in Spain in 1989, Mayra returned to TV and hosted Spain's first attempt at The Wheel of Fortune on Antena 3TV. On the same channel she fronted the talkshow Simplemente Mayra and also presented the cookery based gameshow Tomates y Pimientos.
For the latter part of the 90s and into the new century, Mayra has failed to secure her own TV show in the very competitive Spanish TV market. She has though been called a few times to carry out the role of a "contertuliana" (collaborator) on many of Spain's TV magazine shows, which have celebrity gossip and Tabloid journalism as the main ingredient. In this respect, she has made contributions to Menta y Chocolate and A3Bandas (Antena 3TV) and Salsa Rosa, Dolce Vita, A Tu Lado and TNT (Tele5).
In October 2009 she revealed that in January 2009 she was diagnosed with a cancer of the tongue which required an operation. It was feared that she might lose all ability to speak but with therapy she is recovering her speech and on 2009-10-31 appeared in Telecinco
Telecinco
Telecinco is a Spanish commercial television channel operated by Mediaset España. Launched in 1990 as Tele 5, it was the fifth of the national terrestrial television channels. In 1997, Tele 5 was rebranded as Telecinco, dropping the flower logo seen in other Mediaset channel...
in a program in her tribute.
External links
- 123Mayra.com (In Spanish/en español)