ANYONE attending Tuesday’s mascletà may well have wondered what had prompted some spectators in the crowd to burst into song while falleras on the City Hall balcony start dancing. Even city councillor for fiestas, Carlos Galiana was bopping along.
Fallas is certainly a time for music, celebration and dancing, but this year the festival appears to have found itself an anthem. It all began when a group of young falleros from the Mercado Colón area decided to have a bit of fun with a song performed in January’s Benidorm Fest, the new competition to choose Spain’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Although it didn’t win, the catchy Ay, Mamá! by Rigoberta Bandini came a very respectable second place in Benidorm and could be heard in parties and clubs in the weeks afterwards.
The members of the Falla Conde Salvatierra – Cirilo Amorós liked the song so much they decided to adapt the lyrics and thus, Ay Fallas! was born. Their parody version of the song talks about dusting off the traditional dress and accessories after two years of pandemic, as well as how their pasacalles cause havoc in the streets of the city centre during the week of festivities.
Ay Fallas! quickly went viral on the internet and caught the attention of national media. The performers, who wore their fallera petticoats in the video, are well-practised at singing, dancing and dressing up, but never imagined their video would be so popular.
Fortunately, Rigoberta has also seen the funny side and has ‘liked’ the fallas version of her song from the outset.
The Valencia Report 