Diego Navarro Composes Score for Spanish-Mexican Animation ‘Gungo y los juegos cavernícolas’
Composer Diego Navarro has created a symphonic score for the Spanish-Mexican co-production Gungo y los juegos cavernícolas, which premieres in Spanish theaters this Friday.
The animation industries in Spain and Mexico are deepening their partnership with the upcoming release of Gungo y los juegos cavernícolas. This co-production, a collaboration between Tenerife’s 3Doubles Producciones and the Mexican studio Huevocartoon, features a score by composer and conductor Diego Navarro.
Tasked with creating a musical identity for a prehistoric setting, Navarro faced a significant challenge: composing 85 minutes of symphonic music in just five weeks. To manage this, he employed a technique he calls "musical archaeology," blending ancient-sounding elements with a modern orchestral structure. The soundtrack, released by MovieScore Media, will be available digitally this Friday, coinciding with the film’s premiere in Spanish theaters.
Despite the distance, directors Gabriel and Rodolfo Riva-Palacio Alatriste worked closely with Navarro through a digital workflow. The resulting score aims to balance comedy with epic adventure. Navarro notes that family-oriented films often require more intensive composition than other genres, as the constant action demands a near-uninterrupted musical backdrop.
This project adds to the impressive portfolio of Navarro, who also directs the Fimucité festival in Tenerife. Known for his work on films like Capture the Flag and Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope, Navarro has spent two decades promoting film music and encouraging audiences to listen more critically to cinema scores. The release of Gungo y los juegos cavernícolas highlights how modern technology allows talent across the Atlantic to collaborate seamlessly on major international projects.