The casting for the fifth season of Jotalent, the musical talent of Aragón TV that has contributed to renewing and bringing the jota closer to new audiences, is held throughout the weekend with a very clear objective: to find voices that, in addition to singing well, are capable of moving.
«We started looking for voice and emotion. We want them to be able to transmit to others that emotion they feel when they sing and interpret the lyrics. There are people with a very refined technique who have more difficulties, while others, without such a developed technique, manage to make you feel. That is what we want the audience at home to be able to enjoy,» explains the casting director, Mafer Jiménez.
Although he recalls that vocal technique is one of the fundamental criteria because «Jotalent is a musical talent», he assures that the team is also looking for contestants capable of «going beyond the screen, transmitting and moving». Jiménez also highlights the team’s satisfaction with the trajectory of the program: «The whole team started in the first edition and seeing that the program continues to grow is wonderful. This program is our child and we want to continue growing with him.»
And this evolution is also reflected in the profile of those who attend the casting. Those responsible for the selection are finding applicants of very different ages and with very different musical trajectories. There are joteros who want to get out of their comfort zone and try their hand at performing pop, rock or different modalities of folklore, while other participants come from modern music with the desire to learn, deepen and discover the jota.
Jotalent’s projection also continues to grow beyond Aragon. Candidates from the three Aragonese provinces, but also from the Valencian Community, Catalonia, La Rioja, Navarre and the Basque Country, have taken part in the selection tests. The program has also aroused international interest, with applications from applicants from Colombia, Argentina and Italy, confirming that the format has already crossed borders.
The first of the three days of casting has also had very special support for the new participants. Several former contestants from different editions have wanted to return to share their experience and offer some advice before facing the jury.
The winner of the third edition, Mari Carmen Rived, encouraged them to be themselves, but also to listen and take advantage of all the advice they receive during the process, convinced that «they always come in handy». For her, Jotalent is summed up in one word: «love». In the same vein, Sara Serena has invited the applicants to enjoy an experience that she considers «very nice» and an opportunity to make the leap to the world of television hand in hand with the affection of the Aragonese public.
Luis Miguel reminded them how the program changed their own trajectory and encouraged them to come out of the experience stronger, «prioritizing camaraderie over individualism.» Iván Calahorra, who arrived with no experience in the jota, has asked them to put aside their nerves and take advantage of an «incredible» opportunity to learn, recalling that the program even allowed him to dare to sing a jota «with dignity».
Lorena Mata reminded them that the audience enjoys when the contestants enjoy themselves on stage, while the veteran Carlos Muela has simply encouraged them to «enjoy every day and take advantage of an experience that does not come back». After these three days of selection tests, it will be after the summer when Aragón TV viewers will be able to meet the sixteen contestants who will be part of the fifth season of Jotalent.
