The XI Premios Holoturia 2025 is gearing up for its gala celebration, scheduled for Saturday, April 5, at 1PM, hosted at the Peña Paco Alba in Cádiz. These awards, known for humorously highlighting the "best of the worst" from the recent Concurso Oficial de Agrupaciones Carnavalescas (COAC) held in the Gran Teatro Falla, are now in their eleventh edition. This year, the event promises to be both entertaining and engaging, inviting all nominees to attend "with the best smiles and a spirit of fun" to join in celebrating a decade of carnival creativity.
Among the standout features of this year’s ceremony is the Holoturia Homenaje, which will honor Luis María Rodríguez Rondán. He is recognized as one of the key figures of surrealism and wit in the carnival, and his contributions have often been overlooked in the Estudio de Falla. Luis María's latest chirigota, "Ni fú, ni fá," did not succeed in advancing past the preliminaries but made a unique impact by presenting a popurrí dedicated to the moving of a wardrobe, showcasing his ability to find humor in everyday situations.
This year's gala will also introduce the Premio al Muergo de Oro del Concurso de Romanceros 2025, managed by the Asociación de Romanceros ARO. This unique prize aims to celebrate the most amusingly inadequate contributions in the Romancero category, now firmly represented in the Holoturias.
The nominations reflect a mix of longstanding humor and fresh insights into carnival culture. For the Holoturia al Nombre, contenders include the chirigota "Comparsa Los calaíta (fuimos a por tabaco), una chirigota de toda la vida," along with "Los malfo-llados (una fucking chirigota)" and "El beso más famoso después de Jenni Hermoso." Each title hints at the playful absurdity that characterizes this carnival celebration.
In the Holoturia al Concepto category, nominees are "Las precavidas / Por si acaso… Las precavidas," "Este coro es la polla," and "El lado oscuro." These suggest a diversity of themes embracing the lively spirit of carnaval, where humor often transcends conventional boundaries.
Another fiercely contested category, Holoturia Parecía que sí, pero no, features chirigotas including authorship by Joselini and the Comparsa "La tribu." This category often serves as a light-hearted commentary on the more serious nature of the carnival performances, enabling both participants and audiences to approach the performances from a comedic perspective.
Furthermore, nominees for Holoturia Quise hacer un pasodoble y me salió un cuplé include pasodobles from "El corazón de Cádiz" as they pay tribute to contemporary political figures like the President of the Government and King Felipe VI. These performances cleverly intertwine local traditions with current events, making them relatable and relevant.
Similarly, the Holoturia Un calentón lo tiene cualquiera category features talents such as Octavio Linares, Nandi Migueles, Antoñito Domínguez, and the coro de Valdés, highlighting the joyous and capricious nature of the performances. Each nominee adds their flavor to the carnival tapestry, ensuring that the spirit of humor remains alive and vivid.
The newcomers to this year’s nominees include the category ¿Has leído mi comunicado? ¿Cuál? El que tengo aquí colgado with nominations for Rafael Pastrana Lorenzo, Marta Ortiz, Adrián López (Waxi), and Víctor Jurado. This cleverly titled category invites reflections on responsiveness and communication, always with a humorous twist.
The Holoturia Miguel Ángel Fuertes al Cameo innecesario sees nominees such as Mirian Peralta, Cristian Ventura, Gerard Jofra – son of the humorist Eugenio – and Antonio Reguera vying for recognition of their comedic talents. This category emphasizes the witty appearances and unexpected highlights that can occur during performances.
Lastly, the prestigious Princesa Holoturia award sees strong contenders this year, including the coro "Son y sal," the comparsa "Puente de plata," the cuarteto ONG (Organización No Gaditana) Cuartetos Sin Fronteras, and the chirigota "Los turistas se la dan de artistas (los urbanitas)." The competition is fierce as these groups showcase the cultural richness and diversity of this year’s carnival.
As part of the tradition, the gala concludes with an open mic session dedicated to distributing remaining statuettes to the most memorable performances dubbed as the most "holoturiables" of the COAC. Historically, this segment of the gala acknowledges the contributions of the late Paco Rosado, whose song from the comparsa "Los tulipanes negros" serves as the unofficial anthem for the Holoturias.
With humor and camaraderie at its core, the XI Premios Holoturia serves as a reminder of the importance of laughter during the carnival season. As organizers emphasize, “After eleven years, our commitment to the festival is stronger than ever.” The celebrations on April 5th promise to be filled with joy, irony, and the spirit of Cádiz, making it an event not to be missed.
