Xavier Herrero |
Madrid, Feb 4 (EFE).- The second edition of Benidorm Fest decides this Saturday the name of the Spanish representative in Eurovision 2023 in a final with 8 participants and two especially strong candidacies: the infernal fire of Agoney with “Quiero arder” and the high-flying nana by Blanca Paloma.
Both were the best valued artists of the two previous semifinals held this week to settle which 8 candidates for victory out of the initial 18 qualified for this program that, from the Palau d’Esports l’Illa in a Benidorm (Alicante) full of Euro fans , can be followed by La 1 of RTVE from 10 pm.
Mónica Naranjo, Inés Hernand and Rodrigo Vázquez will host the gala, which will feature guest artists such as Manuel Carrasco and Ana Mena, as revealed by the podcast “El Euroté”, and which will have the challenge of equaling or exceeding the audience records of its first edition, when the duel between Rigoberta Bandini, Tanxugueiras and Chanel was followed by more than 3 million people, with a 21% audience share.
As luck would have it, as then, the two strongest rivals in the competition act in a row in this order: 1) Karmento, 2) Megara, 3) Alice Wonder, 4) Fusa Nocta, 5) Agoney, 6) Blanca Paloma , 7) José Otero and 8) Vicco.
“I’ll have to fly so I don’t get burned,” Blanca Paloma, the best rated of the second semifinal with “EaEa”, joked, of course, just behind her main rival to reach Eurovision, Agoney, the one who obtained the most points in the first with “I want to burn.”
A moment of the performance of the artist Blanca Paloma in the second semifinal of the Benidorm Fest 2023. EFE/Morell
An even fight
Between serious and severe tones and its dark electronic texture, the canary will start a performance of great vocal display in which it will show off its characteristic and impossible treble, with a brilliant television production and iconic images such as that of an incarnate Mercy or its final on fire.
The woman from Elche left many mouths open with a lullaby based on flamenco that she herself has staged as a set designer and who, as the “first cante of work and love”, elevates the mother-child bond, in this case to her now-deceased “yaya” Carmen , which he defines as “Sevillian matriarch, seamstress, the soul of the party and after-dinner artist”.
It will be a very even fight, since both proposals obtained the best qualifications from the professional jury (whose score determines 50% of the final mark) and from the televoting (25%), as well as the second best from the demoscopic jury (25% remaining), made up of 350 people selected by age, gender and population as a representation of Spain.
There will also be an opportunity to enjoy a solid roster of artists and proposals that will round off the competition, starting with the contemporary folk and roots of Manchego by Karmento (“Quiero y duelo”), which mobilized the popular vote with its authenticity.
It will be followed by the electric power of Megara, the “proud only representatives of rock” at Benidorm Fest with a very showy and complete performance revolving around the world of video games (“Arcadia”) and the ethereal fragility of high emotional intensity by Alice from Madrid. Wonder (“I would like”).
The Valencian Fusa Nocta, with another proposal that starts from flamenco and combines it with trap and other urban currents such as the “voguing” of the LGTB + culture, will vindicate the blood ties and the chosen ones in “My family”.
After the duel between Agoney and Blanca Paloma was resolved, it will be the turn of the space ballad by another canary, José Otero, “Inviernos en Marte”, with a tribute to his parents and those loves that not even death extinguishes, and, finally, of the pop party with the song that has garnered the most views on Spotify, “Nochentera” by the Catalan Vicco.
Among all of them will emerge the winner of the second Benidorm Fest, who will take the bronze microphone that distinguishes him from the hands of his predecessor, Chanel, as well as the responsibility of representing Spain in the Eurovision 2023 final that will take place on the 13th of May in Liverpool (United Kingdom).
