The curtain of the Gran Teatro Falla opens this Friday, February 9, to celebrate the final of the Cádiz 2024 Carnival Contest in which 15 groups try, under four different modalities, to take first place. The tables of this 'red brick' tempo will withstand the weight of the different presentations, passables, cuplés, tangos, choruses and medleys of the carnival members for at least nine hours. Authors as revered as Martínez Ares, Miguel Ángel García Argüez 'El Chapa' or José Luis García Cossío 'El Selu' will make the most of their art to give their best and obtain, as has been the case since this contest started, the applause of the public , from the stalls to the chicken coop.
It will be at 8:00 p.m. when the final begins in the heart of Cádiz and will last until well into the early hours of the morning, as usual, when the jury announces its verdict. But the end of this festival in Falla is nothing more than the start of the carnival in the street. On the same Saturday, the 'Sheriff', who competes with the chirigota of 'El Grinch de Cai', will be in charge of giving the starting signal with his proclamation and, from there, enjoying the illegal activities on the streets of the Tacita de Plata and the rest of the cultural programming.
In this final, 4 choirs (El Gremio, El Paraíso, Los Illuminados and Los Luciérnagas), 4 troupes (El Joyero, La Sheep Negra, Los Colgaos and Los Sacrificios) will participate, with 45' of time for each group and without rest between performances. ), 4 chirigotas (The Grinch of Cai, The Invisible Street, I'm not even going to feel the hunger and I've told you 1,748,564 times that I'm not exaggerating) and 3 quartets (In my caseta fits everyone, Los cocos de Cadi and Punk and circus, the fight continues) who have already demonstrated their art and audacity since the 3x4 began to be heard in the Theater. The order of appearance (choir-chirigota-comparsa-quartet) has been determined by draw and will be as follows:
El Gremio: Miguel Ángel García Argüez 'El Chapa' group, very critical of the precariousness of the hospitality sector and Cádiz's economic dependence on tourism.
Paradise: Choir of Luis Rivero and Juan Manuel Moreno Gandul that brings together its members under the Cádiz sea to sing about the deficiencies of public health and to emphasize education, that which begins at home and does not fall solely on the teachers.
The illuminated: With the type of lighthouse keepers, the group of David Fernández and José Manuel Pedrosa vindicate local issues in this festival, something that they regret is being lost.
The fireflies: The choir of the laureate Julio Pardo, who died last year, is continued by his son, Julio Pardo Carrillo, whose group refers to the people of Cádiz who live abroad and illuminate the light of joy of La Tacita to the whole world.
The Jeweler: The return of David Carapapa, who sharpens his pen and, with a classic air, laments the Andalusian 'brain drain' due to lack of opportunities in this land, the aging of the population, as well as his battle in defense of Palestine.
The black sheep: Martinez Ares returns to the fray, and does it in style. With harsh criticism of the central government and 'pointing' his guitar at the office of the mayor of Cádiz, he also raised the audience with his emotional lyrics against vicarious violence as well as his pasodoble against bullfighting.
Los colgaos: Comparsa that, under the leadership of Chapa, Raúl Cabrera and Javi Bohórquez, decides to get on a boat and take Cádiz to another place, fed up with speculators stealing their land
The sacrifices: Jonathan Pérez's troupe makes a harsh criticism of the labor situation in the shipyards, asking them to break a silence that ends in a work accident, as well as attacking the 'persecution' that the Treasury carries out on the world Of the carnival.
The Grinch of Cai: The components of the anger of 'The Sheriff' (carnival crier) are 'grinchs', people who continue to hate things and have a bad temper and who criticize Ayuso (president of the Community of Madrid) so much. , for his intention to take over flamenco, as well as Juanma Moreno (head of the Junta de Andalucía), for his unfulfilled promises.
The invisible street girl: by José Molina and Jesús Selma 'El Melli', a troupe that has focused on bullying, the loneliness of the elderly or the moment experienced in hospitals when a patient overcomes cancer.
I won't even feel hungry: José Luis García Cossío 'El Selu' puts his touch of humor on the problems derived from the economic situation and criticizes the massification of tourism, all with flamenco as a common thread. The emeritus king, Juan Carlos I, and his love life also take center stage.
I have told you 1,748,564 times that I am not exaggerating: Comparsa is the product of the union of the Villegas Family with members of the extinct group 'El Love' and that emphasizes Cádiz and its people.
There is room for everyone in my booth: The quartet of Iván Romero, Javi Aguilera and Ramón López simulate a bachelor party where they take the opportunity to criticize housing prices.
Cadi's coconuts: Group of Javi Aguilera, Ángel Piulestán and Francisco José Fernández Toté that criticizes the political class and mentions the Rubiales case and that of Daniel Sancho.
Punk and circus, the fight continues: Group of Miguel Ángel Moreno and Ángel Gago who go from controversy to controversy due to their lyrics against Joaquín, former Real Betis player, or due to the commotion generated by going against the Rocío party.
This last phase of COAC 2024 will be broadcast on both television and public radio, as well as on different platforms. With this, the “censorship” of Canal Sur Radio, to which many of the groups made reference after the decision of the board of directors of the public entity not to broadcast on the radio, beyond Cádiz, the first stages of the contest, is overcome, a position which was highly criticized both inside and outside the Silver Cup.
The carnival fans then alluded to the intention of the president of the Andalusian Government, Juanma Moreno, to prevent criticism of his policies from exceeding provincial limitations, especially the letters aimed at highlighting the population's disagreement with his health policy. . The origin of this drastic decision would have been criticism of the Chief Executive for having raised his salary.
“The carnivals of Cádiz, in any town, were ringing and suddenly, for no reason, we were silenced, denying the song to Andalusian homes. Our carnival bothers them and they don't even want to let the criticism be heard," he sang loudly the chirigota from 'Los del Canal Sur', which got the ovation of the entire Theater, every time they pointed out that Moreno would surely not silence “The proclamation of Holy Week in Seville will be heard. As happens in School and Health, they censor us little by little,” they pointed out.
The final, in addition to being broadcast by Canal Sur Radio and Canal Sur TV and on their digital platforms, can be followed on Onda Cádiz.
