Photo: Frederico Martins
Words: Cláudia Pinto
The blue eyes have spoken even before the first word is uttered. You can feel their serenity and the brightness of the future. The smile is already there. When we encounter Catarina Maia communicating in any of the formats in which she has gained prominence, whether that be on radio, television or in the digital universe… we know that the background music will be “Never met a girl like you before” by Edward Collins. We know that the future will undoubtedly be what she decides.
At just 24, Catarina Maia has a promising future and is already carving out a path across a number of domains. She is on radio, TV, in fashion campaigns and editorials and in the digital world, where she has thousands of followers. She navigates through these worlds in which the common denominator is communication, something she believes is innate. “I have always been very communicative. I’ve always loved talking and listening. That is precisely what fascinates me about communication: the conversation and the possibility of being able to get something out of a person that no one else can, being able to reach sensitive points and beautifully convey them. It’s difficult to interview someone and get out what you want.”
Her story is a sequence of events and crossroads. Fashion, much like communication, has been an ever-present. “I’ve always loved fashion. My grandmother was a dressmaker, and I remember from a young age spending hours watching her at the sewing machine making dresses. My godmother was also a seamstress. The people closest to me made me consume a lot of fashion. From there it was a small step until I started reading fashion magazines.”
Through Vogue, one of the magazines she bought regularly, she started following the career of Sara Sampaio. She put a photo from one of these magazines on her bedroom wall and then on Twitter, with a message of love for the Portuguese model. It wasn’t long before Sara Sampaio reacted and realised there was talent in Catarina’s photos.
A few days later she got a call from Mi Romano, the head of Central Models, and was signed up. “I’ve been with Central ever since. I spent a few years, in a way, waiting, maturing and finishing my studies, then seeing what would happen.”
She chose to study for a degree in communication, then moved lock, stock and barrel to Lisbon. “I think communication emerged naturally in my life because I loved it in my day-to-day life and wanted to make it a profession,” she admits. “At university, I studied journalism because I really wanted to be a TV anchor. I chose Lisbon because I felt there would be more opportunities there.”
In Lisbon, she entered and won the Pantene Hair competition. “I felt that the media started to get to know me more and that made me grow a lot. Then there was this digital boom, and I started working in content creation.”
The small screen
“I soon realised journalism was not quite what I wanted, and that entertainment made more sense to me. One day, I was invited to Mega Hits radio to talk about my work, and on that same day I was asked to join the team. I am still there today.”
The move to television came soon after, through a casting for The Voice, where we can currently see her. “On The Voice we make dreams come true, and that is very beautiful to see. We see people seizing the opportunities of their lives. And having the role of being by their side at that moment is very rewarding.”
Television brought new challenges and “added a greater concern for communication. But it also gave me a sense of purpose. On the radio, we have responsibility, but it’s a more relaxed format. On television, we have to think a lot about what we are saying. There is this perception that we are being seen by thousands of people, and we never know who is watching us.” On the other hand: “On the radio, we talk a lot with artists, people who already have a place, and we are just a platform that these people can use to continue and to grow in the market. On The Voice, we are creating something. For example, people who won last year are now launching their careers, and it’s very gratifying to know that I contributed, even if only in a small way.”
Choosing one medium as your favourite? It’s impossible. “They’re very different things. Radio brings more relaxation — not least because I work a lot on youth radio — and the challenge is to captivate through words. There is no image to distract, no concern about posture, clothes or hair… What captivates is my content.” While “on television, there is a huge focus on the image — without neglecting the content, of course — but the image is very important. But that also fascinates me, because I love fashion.”
Having a voice with responsibility
With a growing audience, Catarina uses social media and the influence this gives her to speak out on some current issues. “I think it’s a bit selfish to have a platform and deliberately choose not to talk about a subject or not speak on behalf of those who cannot.”
“In my case, I try to open minds on a specific cause: anything related to people with disabilities, a cause that has meant a lot to me from a very early age. I already had this role personally, and once I started gaining some weight on Instagram, it was obvious that I would start conveying this message to my followers. And if I can use this universe to change just one or two minds, then I have already made a difference.”
The growing pressure of image, especially for those who are constantly in the spotlight, is another central issue in Catarina’s messages. “We are always under pressure to look good and keep up our appearances, but it’s important to separate looking good for others from looking good for ourselves. It’s important to endeavour to deliver good work, and we need to find the balance between content and feeling good. All of this involves those who appear on TV and who then appear on a digital platform where they show themselves in real life.”
The future
One of her dreams is to have her own TV show. But there are many more wishes in her baggage. “I would love to reach a point in my career where I can choose what to do.” But above all, “I want to feel that I am doing my part and to feel good about it, always being true to my values.”
And if we tend to look back to see who we were, what would today’s Catarina say to herself 10 years from now? “I don’t know, but maybe just to take it easy. Maybe that’s the advice that present-day Catarina needs, but I think it will also be useful for future Catarina.”
The legacy
“We are going to be something even before we exist because we already have a history before we are born.”
In an issue dedicated to legacy, we asked Catarina what significance this word has in her life. “For me, legacy is representing our roots, what our parents instilled in us and what our interactions have given us. Legacy is what we are. In a way, we are the legacy of the people who made us: we are the result of the joint efforts of many people, starting with our great-grandparents, grandparents and our parents… and even extending beyond our family to our friends and the people with whom we have interacted, who we identify with as individuals.”
“I feel that legacy is a responsibility. I want to represent well the effort the people who shaped me put into the future I will have. I think it’s a responsibility to make proud all those who took their time and desires to make me grow and make me get somewhere.” However, “legacy can also be something that comes from the front. I definitely want to leave the world a better place, so they can say: ‘this is the legacy this person left me’.”
