La fiesta terminó

"La fiesta terminó"
Single by Paloma San Basilio
from the album La fiesta terminó
LanguageSpanish
B-side"Sin ti"
Released1985
GenreBallad
Length3:30
LabelHispavox
Songwriter(s)Juan Carlos Calderón
Producer(s)Rafael Trabucchelli [es]
Paloma San Basilio singles chronology
"Perfidia"
(1984) 		"La fiesta terminó"
(1985) 		"Como el viento"
(1985)
Eurovision Song Contest 1985 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Language
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
Juan Carlos Calderón
Conductor
Juan Carlos Calderón
Finals performance
Final result
14th
Final points
36
Entry chronology
◄ "Lady, Lady" (1984)
"Valentino" (1986) ►

"La fiesta terminó" (Spanish pronunciation: [la ˈfjesta teɾmiˈno]; "The Party's Over") is a song recorded by Spanish singer Paloma San Basilio, written by Juan Carlos Calderón. It represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1985, held in Gothenburg.[1]

Background

Conception

The song was composed by Juan Carlos Calderón for Paloma San Basilio's album La fiesta terminó. Calderon was internationally best known for writing Mocedades' 1973 entry "Eres tú", a song that finished second in the contest and went on to become a worldwide hit.[2] He also has composed Sergio y Estíbaliz's 1975 entry "Tú volverás" and Nina's 1989 entry "Nacida para amar".

The song is a melancholy ballad about a finished relationship. San Basilio sings that "the party's over" and asks her former lover not to insist anymore: "What good is loving without love? Why put more wood on a fire that's already burnt out...?".[3]

Eurovision

On 5 March 1985, Televisión Española (TVE) announced that it had internally selected the song and the performer as its entrant for the 30th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.[4] On 1 April 1985, TVE released a promo video with San Basilio singing the song in a studio that was distributed to the other participant broadcasters.[5] For the song to participate in the contest, it was necessary to shorten it by thirty seconds to fit it into three minutes.

On 4 May 1985, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at Scandinavium in Gothenburg hosted by Sveriges Television (SVT), and broadcast live throughout the continent. Paloma San Basilio performed "La fiesta terminó" fifth on the night, following Denmark's "Sku' du spørg' fra no'en?" by Hot Eyes and preceding France's "Femme dans ses rêves aussi" by Roger Bens. Calderón himself conducted the event's live orchestra in the performance of the Spanish entry.[6]

At the close of voting, it had received 36 points, placing fourteenth in a field of nineteen.[7] It was succeeded as Spanish entry at the 1986 contest by "Valentino" by Cadillac.[8]

Legacy

Impersonations

  • In the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of Tu cara me suena aired on 11 December 2015 on Antena 3, Vicky Larraz impersonated Paloma San Basilio singing "La fiesta terminó" replicating her performance at Eurovision.[9]
  • In the seventeenth episode of the sixth season of Tu cara me suena aired on 9 February 2018 on Antena 3, Brays Efe impersonated Paloma San Basilio singing "La fiesta terminó" replicating her performance in the promo video.[10]

References

  1. ^ ""La fiesta terminó" at the official Eurovision Song Contest site". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Composer Juan Carlos Calderón has died". abc.es. 26 November 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  3. ^ ""La fiesta terminó" lyrics and detailed info". The Diggiloo Thrush. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Paloma San Basilio, representante española en Eurovisión". ABC (in Spanish) (Madrid ed.). 6 March 1985. p. 69. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Paloma San Basilio empieza la fiesta eurovisiva". ABC (in Spanish) (Madrid ed.). 2 April 1985. p. 85. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Eurovision Song Contest 1985". Eurovision Song Contest. 4 May 1985. SVT / EBU.
  7. ^ "Official Eurovision Song Contest 1985 scoreboard". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  8. ^ ""Valentino" at the official Eurovision Song Contest site". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Vicky Larraz imita a Paloma San Basilio y canta 'La fiesta terminó'". Antena 3 (in Spanish). 11 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Un impresionante Brays Efe se mete en la piel de Paloma San Basilio en 'La fiesta terminó'". Antena 3 (in Spanish). 8 February 2018.