The ex of Tommy Mottola and Luis Miguel is reborn as a woman and as a star.

She visited Mexico and posed exclusively for Quién. She told us about her family experiences, her stormy past and her memories of her intense relationship with Luis Miguel.

The last time she came to Mexico, she wasn't alone; she was very well accompanied by her great love, Luis Miguel, from whom she keeps beautiful memories. Now, the country that Mariah knew thanks to the singer receives her with the same warmth and affection as always.

The controversial pop singer is very calm and relaxed. In her eyes, it's possible to notice a special glow, a reflection of the moment she is living: a new stage of her life. As part of her emotional rehab, now she dedicates a great part of her time working with charity foundations, like Fresh Air Fund, which helps poor children, taking them to vacations at campings where they can play and receive orientation about artistic careers. Because of that, she happily accepted to come last month to sing and help to collect money for the Telethon.

The Reconciliation with Mexico

It's been a long time since you came to Mexico. How is this trip going?
I really like this country. It's very difficult for me to go out and take a walk, but I'm enjoying it.

Did you have the opportunity to eat Mexican food? What is your favorite dish?
I love chicken fajitas, I could eat them everyday, but I need to take care of myself and follow a diet. I cannot eat many of them, but I really like it.

Do you have friends here?
Yes, I have some friends and know some people in Mexico. Everybody here is very nice and respectful, you can feel the warmth. I really like it. You have a beautiful culture.

When asked about Luis Miguel, Mariah doesn't show her feelings, like her engagement with the Mexican singer was something unimportant in her life. But that's not true. Everybody knows that by the end of their relationship, she was ill, and then when Mickey decided to put an end to it, she had a very deep nervous and emotional breakdown and had to spend many weeks in a rehab facility.

In our talk, Carey talks about Luismi with a fixed glance. She doesn't want to do too much theatricality. While she waits for the questions of this subject, she stays quiet and concentrated to answer calmly, to show that the pain she suffered is already gone.

What memories does Mexico bring to you?
Many memories, beautiful things, special moments. It's a very hot country and very charming. I have beautiful memories.

Somebody in special?
Of many people, of the people, of my fans.

And specifically of Luis Miguel?
I don't have anything bad to say about him. On the contrary; he is a person with a big heart, very talented, I admire him and respect him very much. It was a moment in my life that came and is already gone. I have good memories.

Mariah's life seems to come from a fairy tale, and that's why many call her "la Princesita" (The Little Princess) or "la Cenicienta" (Cinderella). She was raised in a tough environment, with poorness around her. Her parents, Alfred Roy and Patricia, divorced when she was three years old. Little Mariah was raised by her mother, with whom she stayed very close, and her siblings Morgan and Alison. Her sister became addicted to drugs since she was very young and soon was infected with AIDS. Many years ago, Mariah started supporting her, but things with Alison are very difficult and nowadays the sisters don't speak with each other.

Besides her emotional problems because of her love life, last year the singer had one of the saddest moments of her life, when her father, to whom she dedicated her last album, Charmbracelet, died because of cancer.

Your last album was dedicated to your father and you included a song to honor him, "Sunflowers For Alfred Roy." How was your relationship with him?
"Sunflowers" is a very special song, it's a gift to my father. For me it's very difficult to hear this song and to talk about him [her eyes become full of tears] because his death was a very difficult situation. We found out very late that he had cancer, we knew it only in the end. It was an impressive moment, a moment to forgive past things. I enjoyed to the maximum all the last moments I spent with him.

What remained today in you of that girl who dreamed about singing and being famous?
Even though the conditions of my life and my life style changed a lot, I believe I still have the qualities of that girl, who is still trying to find some kind of peace.

Is it difficult to find this peace?
Many times people misinterpret my life in many aspects. I am not the Cinderella that many people think I am, I am not a princess that came from a fairy tale. I had a very difficult childhood because of the fact that I am a multiracial woman in the Unites States, which is something very complicated. There was no money, many times we didn't have a place to sleep, we were very poor. Music is what saved me… my faith and my music.

Music and Mottola

Mariah Carey is one of the most successful singers in the world. In the last decade she sold more than 80 million copies, a thing that she never imagined before being discovered by Tommy Mottola when she was 17.

One day, Mariah went to a party with her demo tape in her pocket and gave it to Mister Mottola, at that time president of Columbia Records. Tommy listened to the cassette in his limousine when returning home and was so impressed with the voice and talent of the girl that came back to the party to get her, but she was already gone. Mottola moved heavens, seas and lands until he found the aspiring star and the rest is history: the manager fell in love with the 23 year old singer. Left his wife and married Mariah when he was 44 years old.

The marriage lasted for four years. But one day came the moment to leave her first love, and Mariah followed her way.

Many experiences would come in her life.

You lived a lot of things even though you are young - 32 years old. What was so hard for you in 2001, when you had your nervous crisis?
It was very hard, but I think that five or six years ago I had much more strong experiences, worse than the ones I had in 2001. I don't regret, I don't stay negative, I always try to get a bad situation and do something good with it.

This exists in Charmbracelet, transform negative things into positive things through your songs?
Yes. Many people don't know that I write almost all my songs. This album was an experience of healing. I wrote about everything I lived emotionally, I extracted everything, it's my story told about me.

The song "Clown" is about a woman that falls in love with a successful singer. It has very special lyrics. Is it dedicated to whom?
(Laughs) See, as a woman I've gone through many situations in my relationships. Often you are a friend of somebody and that person lies to people about you, makes people see things that are different in reality… The ones who act this way are lonely and sad; when they take off the mask, behind the drop curtain, they are different, they are not what they demonstrate to others.

Mariah is calm. She dreams about her charming prince, and when she is lonely in her bed, take care to not think too much. She doesn't lose a chapter of the television series The Sopranos and reads whenever she can. The most important lesson as a result of the physical exhaustion that happened two years ago was to have time for herself and rest everyday. That is her self-imposed obligation. Now she looks for surrounding herself with people that don't stress her, with her friends, and make the most of life.