A fun program currently running on Canal Sur (Andalucia) is an X-Factor style program, but for Coplas. A Copla, for those of you who don’t know, is a style of sung poetry put to music, usually flamenco style – very popular down south. I’m enjoying it!
A load of young hopefuls are whittled down by a panel comprising of a moustached gitano who models himself on Simon Cowell (called Pive Amador, a name I hope is a non de artiste), an elderly homosexual whose name I forget and the niece of Isabel Pantoja (Isabel Pantoja is the ex mayor of Marbellas girlfriend, a famous singer in her youth now known for helping Julian Munoz hide oodles of euros).
To cut a long story short, the final is next weekend and the final winner will be choosed by the public via sms or phone call. Two of the three finalists are from Cadiz, and the third is from Almeria (hurrah!). However, while watching “Andalucia Directo” on TV this afternoon, they were interviewing the close friends and families of the three finalists. Two of them were busy putting out posters and urging friends to call and vote. Fair enough. The third, Laura Gallego, from the town of Algar in Cadiz, is being supported by the town hall, which has thrown open the doors to allow anyone to vote for her using the town hall phones. An excited funcionario was saying that yesterday they had to open late because so many people wanted to use the phones.
So, if you live in Algar, Cadiz, and pay taxes to the local town hall, and want to know what they spend their money on…. it’s all going to a TV company called EuroTV. And the overtime incurred keeping the doors open. And probably a bit to Telefonica. And yes, it’s this week biggest waste of money.
Official webpage of Se Llama Copla