Backstage Intro - Meet Maria

[Yordan]

Our Community Stars can be featured in Backstage Intros. To find out more about the Star Program click here.

Hi folks! This month, we're happy to introduce you to one of our latest additions to the moderator team @Maria, whom you might have already seen around in the Community. Let's give her a warm welcome 🎉 🎉🎉

Welcome to the team, Maria! Tell us a bit about yourself.

Thanks! I’m from Sweden, but moved to Sofia, Bulgaria 5 years ago. I grew up by the sea and I love spending time by the water. I’m also a sports lover who feels sorry for her neighbors whenever there’s a football game on TV. As much as I enjoy lazy days, I’m always looking forward to my next workout.

That's awesome. Do you have a favorite football team/player?

I usually follow Swedish women's national team closely, I don't remember the last time I didn't watch a game of theirs. I'm really impressed with the comparatively new 1st goalie of the team, Zećira Mušović. Her reaction time is above and beyond.

You mentioned you're from Sweden 🇸🇪. What's an assumption about Swedes (or Scandinavians in general) that people always get wrong? (ex. "Wait, you're cold? But you're Swedish?!") What about one that is 100% true?

This used to be true - I was very rarely cold. When I first moved from Sweden to Bulgaria, my friends here were concerned that I wasn’t properly dressed for winter and politely offered me their spare clothes. The truth is I just didn’t find it that cold and I didn’t need more layers than I already had on. Nowadays, whenever I meet my Swedish friends, I’m usually the first one to complain that I’m cold 😁

How did you come across Spotify?

Living in Sweden meant I could sign up for a Spotify account quite early. I believe I signed up around 14 years ago 😎 At that time though, you couldn’t simply just sign up. I remember my friend had a Premium subscription and she sent an invite link to my email, and only from there could I finally register.

Wow, you were with Spotify almost from the beginning! We're all music fans here. Can you tell us more about your favorite tunes and artists? Do you have a particular story for how you discovered them?

I’m a huge Lady Gaga fan. It’s very much a “wake me up in the middle of the night and I’ll still be able to name the song immediately” type of situation 😀 I would say that Artpop and Joanne are my favorite albums, but you can never go wrong with a little Bad romance.

https://open.spotify.com/album/2eRJUtI7nXrQ5uYQ7tzTo9:small

https://open.spotify.com/album/2ZUwFxlWo0gwTsvZ6L4Meh:small

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I also have a soft spot for jazz - from Billie Holiday to the more modern vibes from Amy Winehouse.

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A fine selection. What are the last 3 songs you saved in your music library? What drew you in to them?

Whenever I discover a song I like, I add it to a playlist which fits the vibe (I have a lot of playlists). Here are the most recent ones:

• Lift you up by LÉON and Feel good by Charlotte Cardin, which I added to my yearly playlist.
• Saddest tale by Duke Ellington & Billie Holiday. This one found its perfect place in the smooth jazz list.

spotify:track:4jGPk5J6GFrX1AzowueGoo:small

spotify:track:6PcVlezWXunO2Bh78iEq0W:small

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Do you have any guilty pleasure songs that you just can't help but enjoy?

Oh yes, I enjoy everything diva. You bet I’ll crank up the volume whenever Whitney Houston or Celine Dion is playing.

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Do you like traveling? Which country has left the biggest impression on you? What made the experience so memorable?

I love traveling and I take every chance I get to go. This year I’ve traveled abroad 7 times and visited 4 new countries. On one of them, I managed to do a short swim in the harbor of Saranda, Albania. It had a gorgeous coastline view and it’s something that was quite unforgettable.

Looks like you're quite the adventurer! What is your motto in life?

"Eh well, it’s gonna be fine." 😄

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Thanks for sticking around! Stay tuned for the next Backstage Intro folks!

Meanwhile, if you're a Star and would like an introduction, feel free to reach out to one of the Mods to let us know. We'd love to find out a bit more about you 🙂