Chanel, representative of Spain in Eurovision: "After so much sadness, we need to enjoy and 'twerk' to the ground"

Havana, 1991. Born in Cuba, but raised in Olesa de Montserrat (Barcelona),

will sing for Spain in the next edition of the

after her victory at the Benidorm Fest, where she beat Tanxugueiras and Rigoberta with 'SloMo' Bandini.

Let's see, one is born 'ready' for life in general.

But it is true that I never thought that something this big could have happened.

My only focus was rehearsing and preparing.

Maybe I was 'ready' because I haven't had an emotional education since I was very little that has helped me face this with weapons.

From a very young age.

I remember that as a child she was always creating choreographies, it's something that has come naturally to me, just like eating.

I was always doing 'shows' for my family, and I have trained since I was very young.

When I saw the series 'A step forward' I realized that you could live from what I liked.

Not only because of what they told in their fiction, but because of the artists who were working on the series itself.

There it was like: hey, that can be reality, it can be a professional future.

I think so, because in the end I took this as a bolus.

At the Benidorm Fest I told myself: everything that is happening around me is very big but I am going to take it as a performance, in which you have to rehearse and focus.

So it has been good for me because it is a world in which I have already swum a lot and I know many things.

What I am not used to is the sudden and brutal exposure that has happened to me in this case.

Although I have always had many well-known friends and I know how situations of this type are handled.

Also, keeping my head focused on what I'm going for, which is my work, which is art, instead of all the noise.

When I heard the song I said: this is very strong, this is for me.

I swear.

Everything came to me like: "There's a song that hits you a lot, listen to it and, if you like it, I'll put you in touch with one of the authors, Leroy Sánchez and you do the test. I saw myself singing it, I saw myself doing a 'core' super cool, it seemed like it was written for me. I'm crazy about it, it's something that I would dance to, that I would consume.

I have a lot of super eurofan friends, who I didn't know, and they came out and told me: "Aunt, this is what we've been asking for a long time."

And it was like: damn, that's cool.

Because it's not only the song itself, but it was also clear to me that the staging was going to be very powerful because I, being a dancer, could defend it.

It made me feel more secure.

That is to say: I already liked it in itself and that made me happier, it was like a plus.

I had blind faith in what Carmen Farala was going to do.

And not only that, but for many years I have physically accepted myself: my body is changing, in fact it already changes on some days of the month with menstruation.

So, I already have a lot of psychological work to accept my body.

It is true that I have physically prepared myself to have a background and be able to sing and dance at the same time.

So it wasn't 'scratched' with the suit.

The only thing that worried me was if I was going to be comfortable to dance.

And in the end yes: it suited me like a glove.

Well, look: running on a treadmill and singing the song at the same time.

30 minutes each day, every day.

The first day I got to a quarter of the song.

The second halfway.

And so on until I was able to make it whole.

I set the bar very high because it was going to be a 'heavy' choreography.

There is no other.

Obviously, she didn't think this was going to happen, not at all.

It has surprised me a lot, but if the waters get cloudy you have to navigate them.

There has been a lot of commotion.

In the end, social media is a very cowardly thing: The vast majority of those who make hurtful comments are behind a screen and no one knows who they really are.

No opinion is objective.

But you have to think, you have to have two fingers in front to know that a locker room does not define me as a woman.

I could have perfectly put on a beautiful tracksuit, get on stage, dance and 'do it' exactly the same and feel just as divine as with a semi-transparent jumpsuit shaking my ass.

I would have felt the same as a woman.

The same as if she had sung it only with a microphone stand.

That is universal or should be.

So it's a bit frustrating to read some comments.

They label me something, when they don't know me and I'm not that.

But I have felt the vital strength to be able to speak and proclaim: Gentlemen, be careful what you say.

I'm not a politician, I'm an artist, and I've gotten on stage to do a 'show'.

It is true that when we are in the arena it is easier to be a speaker of certain messages.

But from there to lynching and doing the opposite... I've received death threats on Instagram.

Very 'heavy' things.

The first days I wondered: Have I done something wrong?

Therefore, so much, so much and so much against me.

If the only thing I've done has been running on a treadmill singing, rehearsing and never losing hope...

I love that the LGTBI+ community is so supportive and has in some way appropriated these kinds of events.

It seems wonderful to me.

Because it makes art move even more.

Out of prejudice and out of nonsense.

It's music and it's something beautiful

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday I receive a lot of notifications from rock labels at discos or karaoke dancing or singing 'SloMo'.

It's so cool

I wasn't there at the time of the composition, but a friend came to see me in the first rehearsals and told me: "It's because the song is you. English is spoken, the 'water' that comes out of you, the Latin stuff... ."

Oh, I would love to.

I am all that mixture.

I am Cuba, I am Catalonia, I am Spain... There have been many comments from public people who said: "It's not even Spanish."

Well yes I am.

And I defend it with great pride: This is me and I firmly believe that it represents Spain.

Because Spain is diversity.

At first I stopped with the world and said: ok, if this is what it's about, then we have to do it, we have to be responsible as a society.

But it is true that later the thing in the musicals was very difficult.

It was very frustrating to see how the planes were full and the trains too, and the seats were empty.

But now it's resurrection time, like the Phoenix Bird.

Let's keep making art, let's keep doing things and keep enjoying.

'SloMo' is a hymn to fun.

A song that you listen to and make you want to dance.

I don't want to sound cold or superficial, but after so much sadness it is necessary to see the beautiful part of life: partying, enjoying, sweating and 'twerking' to the ground.

Conforms to The Trust Project criteria

Know more

• Chanel Terrero

• Instagram

• Eurovision

• music

• Final Interview

Benidorm FestChanel, the surprise of the first Benidorm Fest semifinal: "I left rhythmic gymnastics because they bullied me because of my race"

Benidorm FestCon Rigoberta Bandini for Benidorm: "My song is all the women of Spain, united by a message of hope"

EurovisionThe trip from Havana to Catalonia of the Chanel girl

See links of interest

• Last News

• Work calendar 2022

• Home THE WORLD today

• Master data new narratives

• Sporting CP - Manchester City

• Paris Saint-Germain - Real Madrid