“We all know the song, but few know its story, very bizarre and with many characters,” said this Sunday Alejandro Marzoa, director of the two-part documentary series Macarena by Producciones del Barrio, in which Movistar Plus+ will premiere in the first quarter 2024. The first episode was shown at the South International Series Festival in Cádiz. The production analyzes what may be the biggest Spanish musical hit of all time. “The interesting thing was what happened, how the song came about and how far it went,” says the director.
Macarena is the story of how two friends from the Sevillian town of Dos Hermanas, Antonio Romero and Rafael Ruiz (both 75 years old), made the whole world dance. . Marking the song’s 30th anniversary (it was released in 1993 and peaked internationally between 1994 and 1996), the series travels to the most obscure side of the song, which managed to stay at number one on the Billboard chart for 14 weeks. “It is one of the few elements of Spanish culture that can be found all over the world,” says Jorge Ortiz de Landazuri, executive producer of Movistar Plus+.
The series begins with Antonio Romero’s composition and its inspiration from a Venezuelan dancer – the song was originally called Magdalena, although the dancer’s name was Diana Patricia. It follows how the record company managed to place it at Andalusian parties by sending out cassettes recording the song over and over on a loop. From there he made his way to the rest of Spain, but that wasn’t enough. It continues with the versions that helped popularize it, from two signed by Fangoria to the one by Bayside Boys that reached the United States and features a female voice in English. It also addresses accusations of plagiarism, such as those raised in connection with an earlier song by Desmadre 75, the authors of Saca el güisqui, cheli. Curiosities are also told, such as a record company manager’s wish to include “violins and flutes” in the song, which did not happen.
Antonio Romero and Rafael Ruiz, Los del Río, together with Alejandro Marzoa (in the middle), director of the documentary series “Macarena”, on Sunday in Cadiz. Roman Rios (EFE)
Even the residents of the Río were not immune to the plagiarism accusations. “There were a lot of people who wanted to get into the car, but the car was already moving. And for some, the wheels pushed them forward,” recalls Antonio Romero of these controversies. “There were a lot of people who wanted to get into the bullfighters’ car, as we say in Seville. Everyone who does something is inspired by something, and when you emphasize there is always something that resembles something. But Macarena has profiles that look like nothing,” says Antonio. “The problem is the shock it caused. When you do a remix, you pay the costs involved and that’s it. But then it goes higher and higher… There were things, but they lost, they had already received money,” Rafael continues.
The second episode focuses on the song’s success and validity, as well as theories about the origins of the popular choreography that accompanied it in its international conquest. It also introduces a peculiar character who called himself Los del Mar and is responsible for the song reaching countries such as Canada and France. “It’s a story full of drama, characters and conflict,” concludes Marzoa.
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“It is incredibly simple, it is modest, but it captivates the neurons.” Antonio Romero describes the song he composed in 1992: “It has the freshness of natural music. When the music is natural and the artists work hard to sing, it reaches the audience. Macarena is permeated by the live performances of Los del Río, which are all music and audience,” explains Antonio in a conversation with EL PAÍS this Sunday in Cádiz. Although they have been singing about “Give joy to your body, Macarena” for 30 years, none of them have tired of his most symbolic song. “I have four children. Do you think I can get tired of any of them? We have 400 songs, and it’s impossible to get bored with them, just as it’s impossible to get bored with any child. At concerts we sing it at least twice,” says Rafael Ruiz at the press conference. “Encourage humanity. “You have to do things so that people have a good time and are happy,” Antonio concludes.
La Esperanza Macarena, in procession in Miami
When you talk to Los del Río, anecdotes and curiosities flow like an uncontrolled stream. “We have the Big Apple of New York, the key to the county of Florida… Almost no one knows it, but in Miami there is an Esperanza Macarena, in Miami there is a Holy Week, a procession that takes place thanks to our music” . “That is a source of pride for us, to see an Esperanza Macarena walking in a procession through Miami, but without hoods, because of the Ku Klux Klan, but do you know the joy and pride of having that procession in Miami?” he says Antonio. “You were from EL PAÍS, right?” asks Antonio. “We have to thank EL PAÍS and Cadena SER and Jesús Polanco [expresidente del grupo Prisa y fundador de EL PAÍS], who was a great godfather to us and always had great affection for us. We started at SER Sevilla, it all started from there,” the singer notes several times.
Antonio and Rafael, Los del Río, at a certain point in the documentary “Macarena”.
Contrary to what might have happened, Macarena did not end the careers of its authors. They had reached the top and could certainly have retired and lived on their income. But Los del Río did not die of success. Nor were they obsessed with building another bomb of this magnitude. “I always say that we have to let others work. Building another Macarena is harder than sweeping up a ladder,” jokes Antonio. “When we were making Seville Has a Special Color, they asked us, ‘Now what?’, and we said, ‘Well, let’s work more.’ Then Macarena came along and they asked us again, ‘And now?’ Well, let’s work harder,” Rafael continues.
The rights created by Macarena (they in turn shared half each, even though Antonio was the composer) would have allowed them to retire, but at 75 they continue to work. “But do you know what happens when you retire? That you’re slowly getting sick. “You don’t have to retire,” says Rafael. Antonio continues: “And what people enjoy. Recently in Torrejón de Ardoz we had a meeting in the square, a meeting with 14 or 15,000 people. And you say: Why should I get up when we arrive at the places where they welcome us with so much affection? And on top of that, they pay us.”
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