Over the years, the official song of La Vuelta has become one of the race’s hallmarks. This tradition, now over four decades old, has seen all types of styles, songs and artists accompany the peloton. But, this year, the organisation has taken it one step further. ‘Otro intento más’ will be the race’s first foray into rap territory. The official video of this song, performed by Arkano, has been presented today at the Terraza de Poniente of the Hotel Exe Moncloa, in Madrid.
“It’s an honour that La Vuelta and the Province of Alicante have allowed me to put lyrics to such an important sporting event. I’m especially thrilled this year as the race takes off from my homeland (Alicante). Also, thanks to this project I’ve had the opportunity to work with Pablo Cebrián (who I’ve been following for a while) for the first time, which has made it a double victory for me. The song is about searching for the best version of ourselves by taking control of our life narrative, and about how we need to dare to go for “otro intento más” (another try), explained Arkano.
The video that accompanies the song features some of the Province of Alicante’s most iconic locations, including the Port of Alicante, Arkano’s home town. Other noteworthy locations are Las Salinas de Torrevieja, where La Vuelta 19’s official departure will take place on the 24th of August, as well as Benidorm, Calpe and Ibi, the stars of the first three stages.
“To be the star, not just of the cycling competition but also of its official video, is a unique opportunity for us from a touristic, economic and media point of view”, said César Sanchez, president of the Alicante Provincial Council, who added that “linking us to a race of these characteristics, which requires the unity of all our municipalities in order to be successful, allows us to project our image as a strong, dynamic and competitive territory internationally”.
LA VUELTA SONGS
Ever since Sheila and B.Devotion inaugurated this sporting and musical tradition back in 1977 with ‘Singing in the rain’, La Vuelta’s official song has featured artists of such calibre as Gloria Estefan, A-Ha or Earth, Wind & Fire. Javier Guillén, General Director of La Vuelta has emphasised the value of this tradition: “The official songs of La Vuelta form part of the story that surrounds each and every edition. They are the soundtrack to the event and, as such, must be in accordance with the values we wish to transmit. In this case, they are innovation, non-conformity and freshness, as evoked by Arkano’s song. We also want to showcase the headquarters of our official departure – Alicante – through the important visibility conveyed in this video, filmed in the host territory’s most emblematic locations”.
The official video of La Vuelta 19 will be broadcast over 400 times on the different RTVE stations over the next four months. The song will also accompany the daily TV broadcast of all 21 stages on the public station. “La Vuelta is an emblematic part of RTVE's heritage. Each year it allows us to travel, discover new places and showcase our rich geography. 'Otro intento más' is the best La Vuelta song I've heard in recent years and I can think of no better soundtrack to accompany our institution's grand deployment in this event, which we consider our own", concluded Fernando López Puig, Director of Content, Programming and Stations at RTVE.
