Top favorites with Rigoberta Bandini in betting to win the Benidorm Fest 2022, Tanxugueiras has given us some time on their busy agenda to answer our questions. They were one of the great revelations of last year thanks to the victory of the Internal Election that spanish portal Eurovision-Spain organizes annually.

OGAE ROW Latino: Hello, Tanxugueiras. It is a real pleasure to be able to talk with you and achieve a closeness with the Latin public who have received your proposal for the Benidorm Fest very well.

What does the group name mean and why did you decide on that name?

Tanxugueiras: It is a name of a group of farms in the province of Ourense, council of Riós and place of Fumaces, a place where we have great friends. We were clear that the name had to sound earthy and we didn’t want to have to choose between Ribeira (Aida’s birthplace) and Teo (Sabela’s and Olaia’s birthplace).

OGAE ROW Latino: Can you tell us about Galician music based on folklore, how will we recognize a 100% Galician song?

Tanxugueiras: Galician folklore is very broad and has many rhythms. If we talk about the tambourine and traditional singing, we would be talking about some very tribal touches throwing Arabic, Iberian … and some very deep and strong songs.

Depending on the area of ​​Galicia, it is played and sung in a certain way. To recognize a song in traditional Galician we have to look at the language, its meter, and it always has a purchase and a chorus, which here are called ”copla y vueltas”.

Its most characteristic rhythms are the muiñeira, the jota, the rumba and the pasodoble.

OGAE ROW Latino: Why do you think that so far no other official Spanish languages ​​have been used for competitions like Eurovision and to be able to take more advantage of its cultural richness?

Tanxugueiras: We assume that the cultural richness of other territories of the peninsula was not considered fairly. Although a lot of traditional Andalusian music was exported, others have been relegated. It is time to put them in value. We live in a time of profound change, in which the peripheries begin to occupy central spaces.

OGAE ROW Latino: Do ​​you think that singing in a national language other than Spanish or even English gives you an advantage?

Tanxugueiras: We believe that it is a good musical proposal that goes beyond a language. In fact, Spanish is also present, like Catalan, Basque and Asturian. We are talking about a song that appeals to the linguistic diversity of a territory.

OGAE ROW Latino: Please answer with the first thing that comes to mind … what do you prefer ?:
– Empanada or Galician broth?

Tanxugueiras: Galician broth

– Tetilla cheese or San Simón cheese?

Tanxugueiras: Tetilla

– Filloas or Tarta Santiago?

Tanxugueiras: Filloas

– Octopus or fish?

Tanxugueiras: Octopus

and finally…
– Figa or Terra?

Tanxugueiras: This is very difficult! It’s like asking who you prefer at home 😊

OGAE ROW Latino: If you could do a collaboration with an artist, who would be?

Tanxugueiras: We would like to collaborate with artists of many styles. But we would certainly love to be able to do one with Nathy Peluso.

OGAE ROW Latino: Other representatives of Spain in past editions of Eurovision have released versions of their songs in other languages, have you considered it?

Tanxugueiras: It is something that we do not rule out, but right now we are very focused on the work that we have around the corner. At the moment we want to enjoy this path that is getting us to Benidorm. Step by step, then it will be seen.

OGAE ROW Latino: What legacy would you like to leave in Spanish history at Benidorm Fest and possibly Eurovision?

Tanxugueiras: That the universal language is music, in Spain there is a lot of cultural and musical wealth and Galicia has a lot to teach in every way.

OGAE ROW Latino: How do you handle the competition? We have seen a particular closeness with Rayden, how would you take if he were the winner?

Tanxugueiras: We don’t like to call it competition. For us they are companions. This year there is a huge level and we are very proud to be one of the 14 participants.

And if the winner was Rayden we would be super happy for him. He deserves it: he is a great artist, a good friend and an amazing person.

OGAE ROW Latino: “Terra” starts as a favorite within specialized betting and polls, how do you take this favoritism?

Tanxugueiras: We are super grateful for so much love, life will not come to thank us for so much support! But we are aware of the land we step on and in life we ​​always go step by step.

OGAE ROW Latino: If you win, how do you imagine taking “Terra” to Eurovision, would there be big changes with respect to Benidorm Fest?

Tanxugueiras: At the moment we are focused on Benidorm. There is a lot of work ahead of us and we are excited to be able to participate in the contest.

OGAE ROW Latino: Eurovision is a festival followed by hundreds of people in Latin America, do you know this, what do you think, would you like to tour in our continent?

Tanxugueiras: Touring Latin America would be a dream come true. We have visited countries like India, Scotland, Belgium … And we would love to be able to visit Latin America. We know that Eurovision has a very large community and we are grateful for the opportunity to bring our music to all corners of the planet. Our goal, since we started as Tanxugueiras, was to bring Galician music to all the boxes. And that goal is still our dream.

OGAE ROW Latino: Again, thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to get to know you a little more and we wish you the best of success at Benidorm Fest. In case of winning, we hope to have a new conversation with you 😊 Happy and successful new year.

Interview: Alberto Delgado, Christopher Estrada, José Melgarejo and Christian Cruz

Contact: Christopher Estrada