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Eurovision is here. Everything is ready in Malmö for the annual TV songfest which is one of the continent's most enduring inventions. The rehearsals are over. The semi-finals have come and gone. And the controversy has come but not gone, in relation to the presence of the Israeli entry. But the beat goes on too and among those who ensure that it does are the fab Spanish contestants, the duo Nebulossa. The title of their dancefloor smash Zorra translates as "bitch" or "slut"... but don't get the wrong idea. Sexist, it ain't. On the contrary, it's as lyrically empowering as it is musically mesmerising. And as for the group, their refreshing back story somehow gets to the essence of what Eurovision is about. So who are Nebulossa?

 

On Saturday 3rd February, Spain's skyscraper beach resort of Benidorm put on its finery to host the festival that has become the Spanish way of selecting its Eurovision entrant, the Benidorm Fest. Generally that has meant some controversy and, true to form, this year's win by Nebulossa filled hours and hours of talkshow debate and social media threads. Nebulossa consists of María Bas (55) and Mark Dasousa (47), both born in Ondara, a municipality in the province of Alicante. They have been married for twenty years and have two children, María (23) and Neo (11). The way they met is, for some people, as surprising as their victory at the Spanish festival. "Zorra" has become one of the best-known songs that Spain has taken to Eurovision, partly because of the lyrics, which offended both the ultra-conservatives and certain PC sensibilities, but mostly because, for those who get it, lyrics and tune get into your head like the perfect earworm.

 

The thing is, back in the day, the singer of the duo, María, worked as a babysitter to Mark, the other member, who is eight years younger. In the presentation video for the songfest, Mark Dasousa made the following confession: "She looked after me when I was a kid. So yeah, I got involved with the babysitter." And it was not so long ago - 2018 - when the mom and dad of two kids decided to embark on a musical adventure of destination unknown. They were aware that age could be a barrier. Their first single came out two years later, "La Colmena". A tune in a similar style to the one that will be pulsating this Saturday night in Sweden. "Poliédrica de mi", their first album, was released in May 2021, a collection that includes other signature tracks such as "Glam" and "Armada Roja". Their career as musicians made inroads based on their time and dedication. The publication of the first album allowed them to go on tour in Spain, playing festivals as well as fiesta mayor gigs in different towns.

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María Bas - Instagram

As for the private life of the Nebulossa couple, the singer explained in an interview with El Mundo that the relationship with her children is perfect. María Bas commented that, on some occasions, her daughter even invites her to party with her friends. In a video published on social media, you can see the natural family love being expressed backstage between parents and children. However, they also comment that the journey has not been easy given that, until now, neither of them has been able to live on the income they make from music. María works in a beauty and spa centre located in the town where she was born. "I inherited it from my mother and now my daughter will inherit the place," the artist told El Español. They both also share a small business - yes, in music - that they opened a year before they got married, almost 21 years ago. Atomic Studio, a recording studio that shows that the couple's passion for music has always been present.

Here's the official English subtitled version of the tune, in which they translate the word zorra as the more literal 'vixen', a she-fox...
"I'm in a good place now / It was just a matter of time / I'm going to go out / and shout what I feel from the rooftops.."
All power to the Zorra!