Hey Folks, first time I met Maria was in London at ITB music agent office where she was assisting a big music agent, I was there doing chair massages for the company, this must have been at least 12 years ago!! I liked Maria from the start. Since moving to Barcelona I see Maria every summer in Ibiza where I give her regular massages – she’s a wonderful woman and mum and now one of the biggest music agents around, taking care of some of the biggest electronic house music acts there are.  Here is my interview with her & the photo here is my view from when I give Maria her massages!

1)Tell me a little bit about who you are & where are you from?
I am Maria May.  A hard working Mum of two amazing kids, born and bred in London.

2)What’s your passion? What makes you tick?

I believe in karma.

3) Tell us a little bit about what your job, and what you love & dislike about it?

I am an Agent in the music industry.  I predominately specialise in Electronic Artists and anything ‘left of centre’. I have worked in music for over 20 years.  It was the best job in the world in my twenties.  The arrival of my kids brought many challenges with the work/life balance.   I love breaking new talent from the very beginning and seeing music I really believe in becoming recognised by the masses.  I’ve kind of got over the Agent cliche image depicited in movies.  I like to do things well and keep my promises.

The long hours, extensive travel, high pressure and lack of women who are able to really succeed gets me down sometimes.

4)What would be your advice to someone starting out to work as a music agent?

Take care of yourself. Work extremely hard. Harder than you have even worked. Dream big.
Be yourself.  Be careful with the social side of our job.    Succeed on your own merits not by association and don’t be too hard on yourself.   Be kind to people all the way up.  People remember good manners and the ability to listen and those of us who pride ourselves on honesty and integrity and always doing the right thing no matter what the outcome.  TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS.

5) You have been going to Ibiza for many years, for how long? Why? What do you love about it?

Since i was around 14 years old…  so a lifetime.   I don’t really know why. But somehow, I have always been called back here.  The energy I feel when I step off the plane – gets me everytime I land there. First it was being able to dance outdoors,  then it was the music, then it was the beaches, restaurants and the downtime.

Now a big part is my job, my good friends who live here, every year we get to stay in the most beautiful super old finca and my absolute love of sailing round the island…  Plus my children now adore it here in the Summer, in fact they know more beaches than me now !

6) What would be your idyllic Ibiza day –  recommendations!

Wake up at Can Vincente,  Nunu arrives for a massage on the balcony with the cascading bougainvillia…Breakfast at El Chiringuito, go out on a boat for the day. Dinner at Destino in San Josep.
But equally I have to mention my favourite organic cafe  Passion in Marina Botafoch. I would eat there every meal if I could. For those of us who eat well and very healthily – this is the place..

7) I know you’ve been enjoying a healthier life style lately, exercising more etc and having worked for many years in the music industry where ones lifestyle maybe wasn’t so healthy in the past, what changed? what has inspirered you to become more healthy?

What changed? There becomes a point where old patterns of behaviour just become plain boring and need to be changed. Plus I turned 40 and need to be fitter and healthier to have the stamina to achieve what I do every single day, I have two very lively children and I have really started to vehemently hate hang-overs !

8)You have massages with me every summer in Ibiza – why? How does it make you feel?

Why ?  Bottom line is my work is very stressful and by the time I arrive I am a solid ball of stress and body niggles which need fixing. A massage every few days while I am in Ibiza makes me relax and heals my body and mind…I can’t come to Ibiza now without massages being part of my routine. Thank you Nunu!

9) What’s your most powerful moment in your life so far? What did you learn from it?

I’ve been lucky I have had a lot of epiphany’s!.  Giving birth to my two children are top of the list for me and recently how grateful I am to have had the life I have had and how much I cherish my friends.

10) What does ‘good life’ mean to you? What makes you happy?

A fridge full of healthy food ! Being able to spend lots of time in Ibiza and skiing in the Wintertime with my children and friends.. Literature & Sunsets.

Thank you Maria! I can’t wait to see you next summer in Ibiza!

Nunu xxx