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From a young age, María Zardoya has had a special passion for music, which has guided her throughout her professional career. Following her dreams, the Puerto Rican native left her home in Atlanta, Georgia, to move to Los Angeles in search of her big opportunity to shine on the stage.
Always confident of her talent, María soon surrounded herself with like-minded people, including Josh Conway, with whom she shared interests and creative ways of expressing her art. They soon united their talent and created the group The Marias, with her becoming the vocalist and him joining as the drummer for the band; eventually, they met other members to create their sound in English and Spanish, full of alternative pop rhythms.
They first started with the goal of creating a soundtrack for a film, and although the proposal did not materialize, it was the beginning of a pleasant and productive path. Even though María's companions were not so familiar with Latin rhythms, she felt confident knowing that they were willing to experiment.
"Growing up in the states in Georgia but also embracing the culture at home and going back to Puerto Rico a few times a year—it's just this duality I've been living my entire life."
During their time together in the band, María and Josh began a romantic relationship, a good chemistry that was reflected in their debut album, Cinema (2021). The album received such good reviews that it led them to be nominated for the Grammys for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. In 2022 they went on a promotional tour and a year later the name of the group and María's voice would be known on a larger scale after her music collaboration with Bad Bunny for the song 'Otro Atardecer,' from the album 'Un Verano Sin Ti.'
The group's success made them one of the most wanted bands for collaborations, and that's how they sang with Cuco on the single 'Si Me Voy.' In addition to participating with Tainy and Young Miko on the song 'Mañana,' they ended the year collaborating with Eyedress on the songs 'Separate Ways' and 'A Room Up in the Sky.'
In February 2024, The Marias released a trailer for their latest album, Submarine, and the following month their first single titled 'Run Your Mouth.' This was a highly anticipated album for their fans, with a bittersweet sound as it referenced Maria and Josh's relationship after they called it quits.
"It's important to express myself, and to get out the feelings that are inside. That's why music is so important to me, and this band is so important to me."
The result was a total hit, a summer album filled with emotional and heartbreaking songs that expressed what María and Josh felt while celebrating their past love. Something difficult to achieve, but the singer explained that it was possible after the entire group went to therapy before releasing the album. A clear example that talent and emotional responsibility can go hand in hand to create art.