"When they found out they'd won, they exploded with joy"

Son de Sol consists of the three sisters Lola, Esperanza and Sole, aged between 24 and 30. As dancers and singers, they have toured through Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Belgium and the Netherlands. They studied at the University and the Conservatory of Seville and are currently running their own Spanish dance school in Ecija. They have featured in two films and have won different dance and music awards in Spain and abroad.

These Andalusian `witches´ were trained to an extremely high level at the conservatoire of music and dance in Sevilla. They also manage their own dance school which has seen them win numerous prizes at national level. The sisters could be triplets, so similar are their tastes and hobbies: they like going to the beach, having drinks with friends, buying nice shoes and not worrying about the time when it comes to putting their make-up on! They performed fabulously on the TV show that chose Spain's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2005. When they found out they'd won, they exploded with joy. Their biggest dream, besides winning the Eurovision Song Contest this year, is to one day win a Grammy.

We are three sisters from Écija, raised in a family of pure flamenco singers and dancers dating back to four or five generations. We were brought up in the world of art and we came into contact with artists since we were kids. Lola and Esperanza have got a degree in dance each and Sole, the youngest, a degree in journalism. We have always been working in the world of music, though we got our first record contract only six years ago. We have released two albums and Brujería will be the third....
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It is now a big responsability for us, but it is also very gratifying. We are looking forward to representing Spain. We are also very proud to be from Andalusia, because we have always believed that it is the world's most beautiful land with a major culture and art...
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The similarities that we see between Las Ketchup and us, are that both groups are two trios of Andalusian sisters and that we share the same producer, Queco.
But we can't see any other resemblance, neither in our singing, nor in our dancing, music style, staging, dressing and the rest of it. Their style is completely different from ours...

"The Spanish feminist organisation Red de Organizaciones Feministas, which fights against violence based on sexuality, questions the lyrics of Brujería and claims that the words fieras (predators), obsesionadas (obsessed), dominadas (dominated) and sometidas (slavery alike) are not responding to the great variety of youth and women in the Spanish society today. According to the feminist organisation the lyrics of Brujería are praising the dominant and subordinate behaviour towards women, which is also being expressed in the chorus of the song: "You control me with one look and your ropes aren't necessary to bind me. I'm a wild creature that will escape from jail because of love when they open the door of my jail." Red de Organizaciones Feministas points out that TVE asked its journalists in 2002 to avoid all kinds of sterotypes and increase the female representation in the media by not pushing them into the role of the victim. Now three years later, a song abusing this statement will be heard all over Europe." 28th April 2005.

The Singer

Daancers who sing! The Spanish networks have given little away in the English language about this trio, but from the looks of the Spanish final they are moderately talented performers who will add something to the contest... and that's me being generous. The whole act will be to draw you into their flamenco skirt ruffling, and can me a ignoramus if you will, but after a minute or so the sight of textiles being hurled around with abandon starts to become tedious.

Apparently they have been closely compared to a three piece called Las Ketchup, but I wouldn't know about such things as they've never appeared in Eurovision.

The Past

"La La La"...no I'm not talking over the abysmal "Gwendolyne" by Julio Inglesias, I am instead referring to the only time this stalwart Euro nation has won outright. Massiel bagged it in 1968 (beating Sir Cliff), when the rest of the adult population were indulging in free love and experimenting with mind expanding drugs. They should have watched the Eurovision instead, it's almost the same thing. They came joint first a year later, when it was hosted in Spain, and everyone was so stoned they let 4 countries share it. We've long since seen the end of such good natured camaraderie. Recently Spain have been sending popstrels to the party, and have solid top ten form as a result.
Oh, and for me the nonsensical anthem of Eurovision has to be Rosa. Everybody..."Europe's Living a Celebration, , todos juntos, vamos a cantar, Europe's Living a Celebration, Ni Ni Na Ne Na Ne Na Ne Na...".

The Song
Ironically the Spanish have come up with an extremely fun and deluded song this year. They've stopped sending their Pop Idol winner to the contest, and have come up with a song an dance act that closer reflects the spirit of the contest. It's the biggest outsider they've produced for quite a while, and conversely I think it'll do well. It's an annoyingly catchy and lite bit of Mediterranean mumbo jumbo, the fast food equivalent of the KFC Twister.
Adding to the charm is an appearance on the video of the "you ain't seen me, right!" fella from the Fast Show standing in the middle of a crowd of seated kids. They'll never win again, which is a shame because I for one applaud the witches.

Gestures - 22 (&58) A misleading total from the trio of village entertainers, whose arm movements number a solid enough 22, a total which is completely overshadowed by their hem twirling escapades. I can only hope they don't wave their fabric around in such a reckless manner when standing near moving machinery.
"Wanna" Count - 0 (3 "wants" in the translation)

Overall

To me they basically appear like nice small town Andalusian girls come good...you know the type.
Top ten? I don't see why not. I'm hitching up my hem with a smile on my face and swinging until the cows come home.

In a Nutshell
"More Brown Sauce than Ketchup"

"The Shrink Says"

"Night Terrors", a disorder whereby individuals wake overcome by fear and an increased heart and respiratory rate. Unlike nightmares, night terrors do not occur in REM and there is no recollection of a bad dream.
Son de Sol, perhaps purposefully, have this effect on the individual. I personally have woken stiff upright in bed after hearing this, with no recollection of what had occurred that evening, save a pair of maracas and £50 missing from my wallet on the bedside table.

Brujeria

En cada esquina de mi casa
Y en cada cosa que me pasa
voy sintiendo tu presencia que me mira.

por eso todo lso rincones, registrando los cajones
revolviendo hasta encontrar el alma mia.
Y me sometes a tu ser y ya no se que hacer
es el amor que me domina.

No tengo ganas de salir, no tengo ganas de comer,
no tengo ganas de vivir otra aventura.
Por con tu cuerpo me caliento,
por tu huesos me alimento
y porque tu eres mi unica locura

Y ya no se que hacer
voy a empezar a creer que es una brujeria,
ya no hay remedio para el alma mia.
Solo deseo tu cuerpo caliente y tu mirada como un fuego ardiente.
que me penetra a todas horas, y me convierte en el objeto de tu... brujeria

ya no hay remedio para el alma mia,
tu me dominas con solo mirarme
y no hace falta cuerdas para atarme
soy una fiera que aunque la puerta le abras
no se escapa de la jaula por amor

( Gritos de tio)

No ha nacido ningun unguento
ni remedio de otro tiempo que me quite la pasion de la cabeza,
y tan fantastica lechuza medio ahorcada ?por la grupa?
y hechos para comer melones y cerezas.

Y ya no se que hacer
voy a empezar a creer que es una brujeria,
ya no hay remedio para el alma mia.
Solo deseo tu cuerpo caliente y tu mirada como un fuego ardiente.
que me penetra a todas horas, y me convierte en el objeto de tu... brujeria

ya no hay remedio para el alma mia,
tu me dominas con solo mirarme
y no hace falta cuerdas para atarme
soy una fiera que aunque la puerta le abras
no se escapa de la jaula por amor

( musica sin letra)


Dejale un poquillo de alegria, con un poco fantasia
y me desvia tu amor,
quisiera que me tu me envolvieras con tu tapa de polera, que se dice el adios.
Tu amor, Tu amor, Tu amooooorrrr

Brujeria,
ya no hay reme

Witchcraft

In every corner of my home
In every thing that happens to me
I feel his presence looking at me
I look in every corner
I search in every drawer
Messing up everything until I find my soul

And I surrender to him
And I don't know what to do
Love dominates me

I don't want to go out
I don't want to eat
I don't want to live another adventure
I get hot with your body
I feed myself with your kisses
Because you are my only madness

And I don't know what to do
I start to believe
That it is witchcraft

There's no cure for my soul
I only desire your warm fervor
And you look like a burning fire
That penetrates me all, all
And I become the target of your witchcraft

There's no cure for my soul
You dominate me with only one look
And you don't need ropes to tie me up
I'm a beast that doesn't escape for love
Although you open the grills

(Le le ley le)
(Le le le ley le)
(Le le le ley le)
(Ley)

There aren't antidotes nor ointments
Or cures from once upon a time
That can take this obsession out of my head
There's neither a fantastic owl
Nor wings of a muse
Even if they're cooked with melons and cherries

And I don't know what to do
I start to believe
That it is witchcraft

There's no cure for my soul
I only desire your warm fervor
And you look like a burning fire
That penetrates me all, all
And I become the target of your witchcraft

There's no cure for my soul
You dominate me with only one look
And you don't need ropes to tie me up
I'm a beast that doesn't escape for love
Although you open the grills

Prediction Semi Final They're one of the Big 4. They don't have to sing today
Final 17th