Mexico in the OTI Festival 1972
| Mexico in the OTI Festival 1972 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTI Festival 1972 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | Telesistema Mexicano (TSM) | |||
| Country | Mexico | |||
| Selection process | National OTI Festival | |||
| Selection date | 24 September 1972 | |||
| Competing entry | ||||
| Song | "Yo no voy a la guerra" | |||
| Artist | Alberto Ángel "El Cuervo" | |||
| Songwriter | Roberto Cantoral | |||
| Placement | ||||
| Final result | Disqualified | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
| ||||
Mexico was set to be represented at the OTI Festival 1972 with the song "Yo no voy a la guerra", written by Roberto Cantoral, and performed by Alberto Ángel "El Cuervo". The Mexican participating broadcaster, Telesistema Mexicano (TSM), had selected its entry through a national selection with several phases. The song, was disqualified by the Organización de Televisión Iberoamericana (OTI) Program Commission because its lyrics didn't comply with the rules of the competition for going against "the idiosyncratic sensitivity or way of life of the Ibero-American peoples". They requested TSM to send another song, which TSM ultimately did not do.
National stage
Telesistema Mexicano (TSM) held a national selection with four televised qualifying rounds and a final to select its entry for the 1st edition of the OTI Festival. This first edition of the National OTI Festival featured 31 songs, of which sixteen reached the final.
The shows were presented by Raúl Velasco, and were broadcast on Canal 2 within the show Siempre en Domingo. The musical director was Chucho Ferrrer, who conducted the orchestra when required.
| Song | Artist | Songwriter(s) | Conductor |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Amiga tristeza" | Sola | Héctor Meneses | |
| "Canto" | José María Napoleón | José María Napoleón | |
| "Con amor" | Raúl Marti |
|
|
| "Dime quién es" | Ethel | Roberto Cantoral | |
| "El viento" | Óscar Chávez | Chamín Correa | |
| "Es" | Patrizio | Chamín Correa | |
| "Fue" | Alejandra | José María Napoleón | |
| "Huellas de sangre" | Carlos Gerardo | Carlos Gerardo | |
| "Lejos de mi vida" | Edy Martín | Óscar García R. | |
| "Mami" | Carlos María | Carlos Lico | |
| "Me tienes que querer" | Mariano Vega | Mariano Vega | |
| "Mi mundo eres tú" | Aidee del Río | Felipe Gil | |
| "Mi poblado" | Teodoro | Carlos Trejo Zambrano | |
| "Ojos gitanos" | Juan Luis | Juan Luis | |
| "Olvidar tu ayer en mi hoy" | Grupo Alfa Zeta | Arnulfo M. Vega | |
| "Para todo el mundo" | Alejandra | Daniel Hernández | |
| "¿Por qué será?" | Carlos Gerardo | Carlos Gerardo | |
| "Pregúntale a las estrellas" | Carlos Blanco | Carlos Blanco | |
| "Qué frías noches" | Raúl Marti | Eduardo Piña | |
| "Quiero sufrirle a la vida" | Martha Ventura | Felipe Gil | |
| "Retrato de dos amantes" | Sergio Esquivel | Sergio Esquivel | |
| "Santísima muerte" | Óscar Chávez | Óscar Chávez | |
| "Será mañana" | Juan Gabriel | Juan Gabriel | |
| "Sin ilusión" | Teodoro |
|
|
| "Una historia y un final" | Freddy Pérez Valencia |
|
|
| "Uno, dos, tres (y me das un beso)" | Juan Gabriel | Juan Gabriel | |
| "Una rosa en la esquina" | Raúl Marti |
|
|
| "Vida" | Alfredo Cuevas |
|
|
| "Vienes" | Ethel | Andrés Córdova | |
| "Voy a ser de ti" | Sola | Felipe Gil | |
| "Yo no voy a la guerra" | Alberto Ángel "El Cuervo" | Roberto Cantoral |
Qualifying rounds
The four qualifying rounds were held on Sundays 27 August, and 3, 10, and 17 September 1972. The sixteen highest-scoring entries among the 31 competing advanced to the final.
| R/O | Song | Artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| First qualifying round – 27 August 1972[1] | |||
| 1 | "Con amor" | Raúl Marti | Qualified |
| 2 | "Yo no voy a la guerra" | Alberto Ángel "El Cuervo" | Qualified |
| 3 | "Será mañana" | Juan Gabriel | Qualified |
| 4 | "Vienes" | Ethel | N/a |
| 5 | "Santísima muerte" | Óscar Chávez | N/a |
| 6 | "Mi mundo eres tú" | Aidee del Río | N/a |
| 7 | "Pregúntale a las estrellas" | Carlos Blanco | N/a |
| 8 | "Una historia y un final" | Freddy Pérez Valencia | N/a |
| Second qualifying round – 3 September 1972[2] | |||
| 1 | "Canto" | José María Napoleón | Qualified |
| 2 | "Olvidar tu ayer en mi hoy" | Grupo Alfa Zeta | N/a |
| 3 | "Es" | Patrizio | Qualified |
| 4 | "Quiero sufrirle a la vida" | Martha Ventura | N/a |
| 5 | "Vida" | Alfredo Cuevas | N/a |
| 6 | "Dime quién es" | Ethel | Qualified |
| 7 | "Uno, dos, tres (y me das un beso)" | Juan Gabriel | N/a |
| Third qualifying round – 10 September 1972[3] | |||
| 1 | "Para todo el mundo" | Alejandra | N/a |
| 2 | "Sin ilusión" | Teodoro | N/a |
| 3 | "Amiga tristeza" | Sola | Qualified |
| 4 | "Lejos de mi vida" | Edy Martín | N/a |
| 5 | "Qué frías noches" | Raúl Marti | Qualified |
| 6 | "Retrato de dos amantes" | Sergio Esquivel | N/a |
| 7 | "Huellas de sangre" | Carlos Gerardo | N/a |
| 8 | "El viento" | Óscar Chávez | Qualified |
| Fourth qualifying round – 17 September 1972[4] | |||
| 1 | "Me tienes que querer" | Mariano Vega | Qualified |
| 2 | "Mami" | Carlos María | Qualified |
| 3 | "¿Por qué será?" | Carlos Gerardo | Qualified |
| 4 | "Voy a ser de ti" | Sola | Qualified |
| 5 | "Fue" | Alejandra | Qualified |
| 6 | "Mi poblado" | Teodoro | Qualified |
| 7 | "Una rosa en la esquina" | Raúl Marti | Qualified |
| 8 | "Ojos gitanos" | Juan Luis | N/a |
Final
The final was held on Sunday 24 September 1972. The winner was "Yo no voy a la guerra", written by Roberto Cantoral, and performed by Alberto Ángel "El Cuervo". The festival ended with a reprise of the winning entry.
| R/O | Song | Artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Con amor" | Raúl Marti | 3 |
| 2 | "Voy a ser de ti" | Sola | 2 |
| 3 | "Yo no voy a la guerra" | Alberto Ángel "El Cuervo" | 1 |
| 4 | "Dime quién es" | Ethel | 4 |
| 5 | "Qué frías noches" | Raúl Marti | |
| 6 | "Una rosa en la esquina" | Raúl Marti | 6 |
| 7 | "Amiga tristeza" | Sola | 5 |
| 8 | "¿Por qué será?" | Carlos Gerardo | 7 |
| 9 | "Canto" | José María Napoleón | |
| 10 | "Fue" | Alejandra | |
| 11 | "Mi poblado" | Teodoro | |
| 12 | "Será mañana" | Juan Gabriel | |
| 13 | "Me tienes que querer" | Mariano Vega | |
| 14 | "El viento" | Óscar Chávez | |
| 15 | "Mami" | Carlos María | |
| 16 | "Es" | Patrizio |
At the OTI Festival
After TSM sent to the Organización de Televisión Iberoamericana (OTI) the documentation confirming "Yo no voy a la guerra" as its entry for the festival, the OTI Program Commission disqualified the song because its lyrics didn't comply with the rules of the competition for going against "the idiosyncratic sensitivity or way of life of the Ibero-American peoples". They requested TSM to send another song, which TSM ultimately did not do. Mexico had been drawn to perform between Colombia and Peru.[6]
Following the disqualification, Roberto Cantoral sued TSM for breach of contract, and claimed that the disqualification generated "a severe and unfair boycott" against him within record labels and radio stations.[7]
References
- ^ Primera eliminatoria del I Festival OTI Nacional Mexico 1972 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Telesistema Mexicano. 27 August 1972.
- ^ Segunda eliminatoria del I Festival OTI Nacional Mexico 1972 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Telesistema Mexicano. 3 September 1972.
- ^ Tercera eliminatoria del I Festival OTI Nacional Mexico 1972 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Telesistema Mexicano. 10 September 1972.
- ^ Cuarta eliminatoria del I Festival OTI Nacional Mexico 1972 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Telesistema Mexicano. 17 September 1972.
- ^ Final del I Festival OTI Nacional Mexico 1972 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Telesistema Mexicano. 24 September 1972.
- ^ "Comienzan los problemas en el Festival de la OTI". El Adelantado de Segovia (in Spanish). Segovia, Spain. 20 November 1972. p. 8 – via Virtual Library of Historical Newspapers.
- ^ Liza Luna (18 April 2025). "El Festival OTI, semillero de grandes voces y compositores". El Universal (in Spanish).