When ‘Gang of Galicians sang through the streets of Cádizit is even likely that a large part of the country did not even know very well what was going on in the Andalusian city at this time of year (or, at that time, when the Carnival). ran the year 1821 and the regional press considered that that year had been, perhaps, the “most joyful and fun” carnival. “There has not been the slightest disorder, since neither the public prison nor the bivouac has any prisoner entered, something that commonly happens on days of fun.”

That year’s carnival had been a series of “masked balls in the theater and private homes” and “groups of men and women.” [sic.]who, disguised in various ways, walked the streets singing country and patriotic songs“, as read in the newspaper ‘Miscelánea’. A few years later, in time of choirs, murgas and studentsa carnival competition similar to the COAC was already being held, although knowing the scores of those groups was not as simple as it is now.

Now, the Official Contest of Carnival Groups (COAC) is not only a celebration for the people of Cádiz, but it has become one of the favorite moments of entertainment for many other Spaniards, who try to get tickets (with little success, to be honest). ) and, in the absence of presence, they choose to follow the contest from their homes. And you can also see it from home. the score received by each of the groups, although for now, not the official one. The official COAC scores They are not known until each phase is finished, so the points that the choirs, quartets, chirigotas and troupes receive are those that come from the unofficial juries that have made their work a lot of fun for just over a month. . At laSexta.com, to make your work easier, we compile the points for each category awarded by the parallel judges of some of the main regional newspapers in Cádiz.

The chirigotas They are made up of a minimum of seven people and a maximum of twelve. The scores of the chirigotas are distributed depending on the composition of their repertoire, which must be composed of a presentation – linked to the costume worn by the members of the chirigota itself – two pasodobles and two cuplés, both with original music, a chorus sung at the end of each cuplé (and also original) and a medley, divided into quatrains. Unlike troupes and choirs, what scores most in chirigotas are usually the cuplés and the chorus. These are the scores of the chirigotas that have already participated in the COAC 2024 preliminaries:

For their part, the troupes —made up of at least 12 people and a maximum of 15—, they also sing accompanied by guitars, bass drums, snares, whistles and güiros. What it does resemble the chirigota is in its repertoire: the troupe is made up of presentation, pasodobles, cuplés, chorus and medleys. These are the scores of the troupes that have already performed in this first preliminary phase:

In it COAC 2024 There are a total of 15 choirs participating in the preliminary phase. The Cádiz Carnival choirs They are made up of a minimum of 12 people, but could have up to 45 members (ten of them, orchestra), accompanied by instruments such as the guitar, the bandurria or the lute. In 2023, the number of members of the choirs increased, and there could be choirs with up to 63 members.

While the comparsas and chirigotas are usually made up of people of the same sex, choirs, on the contrary, are usually mixed. The choirs’ repertoires are made up of presentation, tangos, cuplés, choruses and medleys. Here you can check the scores of the alternative juries to the COAC choirs in the preliminary phase:

Lastly there are the quartets the least numerous. This year, however, there are five, one more than in 2023. They do not necessarily have to be made up of four people, but they can never have less than three or more than five. he Cádiz Carnival quartets are usually accompanied by a few instruments (whistles, claves or güiros, sometimes a guitar) and their repertoire is made up of parody, cuplés and free songs. He strong point of the quartets is parody, with a most ironic and biting staging. This year, the first quartet to participate in the preliminary phase does so in the January 12 session.

*The scores from the second session of the COAC 2024 preliminary phase, from January 10, will not be added until January 11.