Bandido

Infobox ESC entry
song = flagicon|Spain "Bandido"


caption =
year = 1990
country = Spain
artist = Antonia Salazar
Encarnación Salazar
as = Azúcar Moreno
language = Spanish
languages =
composer = Raúl Orellana, Jaime Stinus
lyricist = José Luis Abel
conductor = Eduardo Leyva
place = 5th
points = 96
lyrics = [http://www.diggiloo.net/?1990es from Diggiloo Thrush]
clip =
prev = Nacida para amar
prev_link = Nacida para amar
next = Bailar pegados
next_link = Bailar pegados

"Bandido" (English: "Bandit"), written by José Luis Abel and composed by Raúl Orellana and Jaime Stinus, was Spain's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990, performed by the sister duo Azúcar Moreno.

Internal selection

Televisión Española (TVE), the national broadcaster of Spain, used an internal selection process to choose Azúcar Moreno, who were becoming popular by combining traditional Spanish flamenco roots with urban contemporary musical styles. The song chosen to go with them to Zagreb, Yugoslavia, "Bandido", was produced by Raúl Orellana, one of the most respected dance music producers in Spain.

Eurovision 1990

At Zagreb, the song was performed first on the night, preceding Greece's Christos Callow and Wave with "Horis Skopo". At the end of judging that evening, "Bandido" took the fifth place slot with 96 points. Germany was the only country to award Spain with the 12 points that evening, the highest amount possible from a country.

The song is about a "bandit", who stole the girls' love only to leave them with nothing except pain and sadness. The sisters beg the bandit to come back, to fulfill their longing for "dark passion", hoping that his love will be as fiery as a volcano. In the chorus, the sisters repeat that the bandit, with his eyes and lies, stole "the blood and life of [their hearts] ." [http://www.diggiloo.net/?1990es Bandido lyrics from Diggiloo Thrush] ]

Technical difficulties

One notable aspect of the performance was due to a technical glitch, in that one of the backing tracks started in a later position than expected. The two singers started their choreographed dance before the song, realized the tape was in the wrong position, and abruptly walked offstage in a huff, leaving viewers to wonder what had happened.cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/eurovision/2003/fun/highlights.shtml |title=Eurovision Song Contest 2003, Highlights|publisher="BBC"|date=2003-05-24|accessdate=2008-09-19] After the two left the stage, BBC commentator Terry Wogan remarked, "Let's hope it doesn't go on like this or we're in for a very long night, ladies and gentlemen." After two minutes, during which the arena became silent, the sisters returned and the song was then performed in its entirety without a hitch. In 2003, BBC chose "Bandido," and all the events and difficulties surrounding the performance, as one of the most memorable moments in Eurovision history.

Chart success

After the contest, "Bandido," as a single and album, propelled Azúcar Moreno to superstardom not only in Spain, but also in Europe and Latin America, where they continued to have success for the next decade.cite web| url=http://music.yahoo.com/ar-254918-bio--Azcar-Moreno | title=Azúcar Moreno - Biography|accessdate=2008-09-19|publisher="Yahoo"|author=Bonacich, Drago]

References