Bambones Director Primi Urges Calm Amid Murga Jury Controversy

Primi, director of the murga group Bambones, has spoken about the recent controversy at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival. His group came in second place in the Performance category, just behind Trapaseros, in the murga competition.

Speaking to Radio Club Tenerife, Primi expressed his gratitude after Bambones won the Criticón Award for their song "Cuestión de suerte" (A Matter of Luck). The lyrics of this song focused on the state of healthcare in the Canary Islands. Primi said, "The Criticón is always a special award for us; it's our 14th. It always brings us particular joy. It's not just for the lyricists, but for the whole group, because the song needs to be performed and sung well."

Primi also shared his feelings from the murga final. "We have several videos that give you goosebumps," he explained. "When you're on stage, you feel the energy, but you're also a bit overwhelmed. Seeing it from the outside later is very powerful. It motivates you to continue, to see that all the effort is worthwhile."

He also clearly stated that "everyone" involved in the murga world needs to help "reduce the animosity and tension." This tension has grown following the controversial final results and concerns about how the jury was chosen.

"When you don't win, it can look like you're just complaining," Primi noted. "But we always say that you don't need to be an expert on murgas. Maybe for 'rondallas' (another type of musical group) you do, but murgas come from the people, from the streets; they're about feelings. It's not about being an expert, but at least, the judges should follow murgas, have seen them perform, or watch the competitions."

He emphasized that judges don't need to be "fanatics" of murgas. However, he pointed out that last year's jury, which also saw Trapaseros come first and Bambones second, was different. "José Antonio 'el Flaco' was there, I think Ivo was there, Guillermo... these are people you know follow murgas, which isn't usually the case," he explained. "When you have judges that neither journalists know nor do they know anything about murgas, you can't predict how they'll score. It's like asking me to judge a rhythmic gymnastics competition, for example."

Addressing the social media controversy that followed Trapaseros' win, Primi reiterated his message. "Let's see if we can all work together to reduce the level of animosity a bit," he urged. "I know it's difficult, but we're talking about murgas. You can have a debate without resorting to insults."