United States in the OTI Festival 1989
| United States in the OTI Festival 1989 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTI Festival 1989 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | Univision | |||
| Country | United States | |||
| Selection process | XII Festival Nacional de la Canción OTI–Univision | |||
| Selection date | 28 September 1989 | |||
| Competing entry | ||||
| Song | "Hazme sentir" | |||
| Artist | Iris and Margie | |||
| Songwriter | Margarita Andino | |||
| Placement | ||||
| Final result | Finalist | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
| ||||
The United States was represented at the OTI Festival 1989 with the song "Hazme sentir", written by Margarita Andino, and performed by Iris and Margie. The participating broadcaster representing the country, Univision, selected its entry through a national televised competition. The song, that was performed in position 17, was not among the top-three places revealed. In addition, Univision was also the host broadcaster and staged the event at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.
National stage
Univision held a national televised competition to select its entry for the 18th edition of the OTI Festival. This was the twelfth edition of the Festival Nacional de la Canción OTI–Univision. In the final, each song represented a Univision affiliate, each of which had selected its entry through a local pre-selection.
Félix López, who qualified for the final by winning the Houston pre-selection, had already represented El Salvador in 1982 and 1974.
Central California pre-selection
On Saturday 5 August 1989, KFTV held a televised pre-selection at the Fresno Memorial Auditorium in Fresno, beginning at 20:00 PDT (03:00+1 UTC). This twelfth edition of the Central California Local OTI Festival featured ten songs. It was presented by Jorge Muñiz, and broadcast on Channel 21 on Sunday 13 August, beginning at 19:30 PDT (02:30+1 UTC).[1][2]
The winner, and therefore qualified for the national final, was "Nunca me olvidarás", performed by Rodrigo González.
| R/O | Song | Artist | Songwriter(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Nunca me olvidarás" | Rodrigo González | Qualified |
Tampa pre-selection
On Sunday 6 August 1989, WBHS held a televised pre-selection in Tampa, beginning at 18:30 EDT (22:30 UTC). This sixth edition of the Tampa Local OTI Festival featured seven songs. It was broadcast on Channel 61.[4]
The winner, and therefore qualified for the national final, was "Cantando por no llorar" written by Esther María Tellado and performed by Jaime Jacob.[5]
| R/O | Song | Artist | Songwriter(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Cantando por no llorar" | Jaime Jacob | Esther María Tellado | Qualified | |
| Fausto Antonio | ||||
| Gastón García | ||||
| Henry Guerra | ||||
| Dinorah Rivas | ||||
| Roy Soto | ||||
| Jaime Torres |
Houston pre-selection
On Saturday 26 August 1989, KXLN-TV held a televised pre-selection at the Wortham Theater Center in Houston.[7] This second edition of the Houston Local OTI Festival featured twelve songs, selected from the seventy received. It was presented by Beatriz Alvarado and José Ramírez, assisted by Pedro de Pool, Laurinda Flores, and Manny López, and broadcast on Channel 45. The show featured guest performances by Lupita Ferrer, Raúl Vale, and Carlos Mata.
The jury was composed of Jesús López Guizar, Javier Figueras, Arlette Pacheco, Nicolasa, and Raúl Vale as chairperson. Each juror scored each of the entries between 1 and 5 points.
The winner, and therefore qualified for the national final, was "Matices", written and performed by Félix López; with "Ayúdenme a existir", written by Iván Senteno and performed by Fernando González and Werner Baertschi, placing second; and "Con amor", written and performed by Alejandro Martínez placing third. The first-place trophy was presented by José Adán Treviño, president of the station, the second prize trophy by Beatriz Alvarado, and the third-place trophy by Laurinda Flores. The festival ended with a reprise of the winning entry.
| R/O | Song | Artist | Songwriter(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Qué lindo sería" | Héctor Darío Tapasco |
|
N/a |
| 2 | "Nuestra herencia" | Ramón Torres | José Villarreal | N/a |
| 3 | "Pobre mundo" | Fey Libertad | Samuel Pérez Córdoba | N/a |
| 4 | "Un emigrante más" | Jesús Rodríguez | Jesús Rodríguez | N/a |
| 5 | "Ganas de vivir" | Theo Alvarado | Carlos Montes | N/a |
| 6 | "Matices" | Félix López | Félix López | Qualified |
| 7 | "Grato recuerdo" | Gloria Regil | Ricardo Flores | N/a |
| 8 | "Cantando" | Sergio del Valle | Sergio del Valle | N/a |
| 9 | "Que el hombre cambie el corazón" | José Antonio Gómez | José Antonio Gómez | N/a |
| 10 | "Otra vez estoy de fiesta" | Rafael de Bastos | Rafael de Bastos | N/a |
| 11 | "Ayúdenme a existir" | Fernando González and Werner Baertschi | Iván Senteno | 2 |
| 12 | "Con amor" | Alejandro Martínez | Alejandro Martínez | 3 |
Los Angeles pre-selection
On Thursday 31 August 1989, KMEX-TV held a televised pre-selection at The Hollywood Palace in Los Angeles. This eleventh edition of the Los Angeles Local OTI Festival featured eight songs, selected from the 412 received. It was presented by Andrés García and Rebeca Rambal, and the musical director was Roberto Arballo Betuco. It was broadcast on Channel 34 on Sunday 3 September, beginning at 20:00 PDT (03:00+1 UTC).
The jury was composed of Chuck Anderson, María del Rey, José Silva, Emily Simonitsch, Kenny O'Brien, Isabela Sotelo, and Eduardo Quezada as chairperson.
The winner, and therefore qualified for the national final, was "¡Vamos América!", written and performed by Juan José; with "Cantaré", performed by Miguel Enrique, placing second.[9]
| R/O | Song | Artist | Songwriter(s) | Conductor | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Joven de 1989" | ||||
| 2 | "Soledades buenas" | ||||
| 3 | "Mundo loco" | ||||
| 4 | "¡Vamos América!" | Juan José | Juan José | Qualified | |
| 5 | "Amigos" | ||||
| 6 | "Entre penas y alegrías" | ||||
| 7 | "Cantaré" | Miguel Enrique | 2 | ||
| 8 | "Imagíname" | Margarita Luna | Rubén Trujillo | Javier Pontón | 4 |
San Antonio pre-selection
On Friday 8 September 1989, KWEX-TV held a televised pre-selection at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center in San Antonio,[11] beginning at 20:00 CDT (01:00+1 UTC). This edition of the San Antonio Local OTI Festival featured twelve songs. It was presented by Franco and Blanca Santos, and broadcast on Channel 41 on Sunday 17 September, beginning at 20:30 CDT (01:30+1 UTC).[12]
The jury was composed of Mary Esther Bernal, Ramiro Burr, Paul Elizondo, Rosita Fernández, Ada García, David González, Salomé Gutiérrez, Santiago Nieto, Ovidio Rodríguez, and Juan Tejada.[13]
The songs were performed by Agustín Ariza, Lina del Roble Cronful, Zenaida Alvarado, Sylvia Bezi, Mario Márquez, Cecilio González, Adalberto Gallegos, José Rosario, Luis A. Urbina, Sylvia Montiel, Luis Damián, and Xavier González. Songwriters competing included Mario A. Sánchez, Miguel Nacel, José E. González, Black Alonso, Efraín S. Palacios, Sergio Ruiz, and Jonathán Zarzosa.[13]
The winner, and therefore qualified for the national final, was "Amar otra vez", performed by Xavier González.
| R/O | Song | Artist | Songwriter(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Amar otra vez" | Xavier González | Qualified |
Dallas–Fort Worth pre-selection
KUVN held a televised pre-selection. This was the first edition of the Dallas–Fort Worth Local OTI Festival. It was broadcast live on Channel 23.
The winner, and therefore qualified for the national final, was "Más no puedo", performed by Luz María Zárate.
| R/O | Song | Artist | Songwriter(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Más no puedo" | Luz María Zárate | Qualified | ||
| "Amor eterno" | Andrea Teicher | Andrea Elisabeth Teicher |
Final
The final was held on Thursday 28 September 1989 at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, beginning at 20:00 EDT (00:00+1 UTC), and featuring fourteen songs. It was presented by Lucy Pereda and Antonio Vodanovic, and broadcast live on all Univision affiliates. The show featured guest performances by Lucía Méndez, Franco, Ednita Nazario, Franco De Vita, and Luis Enrique.[16]
The jury was composed of María Sorté, Lolita de la Colina, Yuri, Willy Chirino, Ruddy Rodríguez, Luca Bentivoglio, Henry Sakka, Gabriel Traversari, Madelín Marchant, and Laura Fabián.[17]
The winner was "Hazme sentir" representing WLTV–Miami, written by Margarita Andino, and performed by Iris and Margie; with "Para ser el mejor" representing WCIU–Chicago, written by Daniel Recalde and performed by Liliana Campuzano, placing second; and "Cada día lo mismo" representing KDTV–San Francisco, written and performed by Cristina Stibor, placing third. In addition, Liliana Campuzano received the Best Performer Award, and Héctor Garrido the Best Musical Arrangement Award for "Para ser el mejor". The festival ended with a reprise of the winning entry.[18]
| R/O | Song | Artist | Affiliate | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Hazme sentir" | Iris and Margie | WLTV–Miami | 1 | |
| "Matices" | Félix López | KXLN-TV–Houston | N/a | |
| "Cantando por no llorar" | Jaime Jacob | WBHS–Tampa | N/a | |
| "Nunca me olvidarás" | Rodrigo González | KFTV–Fresno | N/a | |
| "¡Vamos América!" | Juan José | KMEX-TV–Los Angeles | N/a | |
| "Amar otra vez" | Xavier González | KWEX-TV–San Antonio | N/a | |
| "Más no puedo" | Luz María Zárate | KUVN–Dallas–Fort Worth | N/a | |
| "Canción para el canto" | Héctor Flabio Martínez and Blanca Morales | KTVW-TV–Phoenix | N/a | |
| "Negro y blanco" | Rodrigo Azagra | KLUZ-TV–Albuquerque | N/a | |
| "Traigo una voz" | Gerard Grimaud | WXTV–New York | N/a | |
| "Cada día lo mismo" | Cristina Stibor | KDTV–San Francisco | 3 | |
| "Amor sin papeles" | Lilo González | W48AW–Washington D.C. | N/a | |
| "En un rincón de tus ojos" | Héctor Salomón | KINT-TV–El Paso | N/a | |
| "Para ser el mejor" | Liliana Campuzano | WCIU–Chicago | 2 |
At the OTI Festival
On 18 November 1989, the OTI Festival was held at the theater of the James L. Knight Center in Miami, hosted by Univision, and broadcast live throughout Ibero-America. Iris and Margie performed "Hazme sentir" in position 17. The song was not among the top-three places revealed at the end.[20]
After the OTI Festival
In 1990, María Conchita Alonso released "Hazme sentir" as the first single from her studio album also titled Hazme sentir. Her cover version of the song peaked at 24 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.[21]
Notes
References
- ^ "Hispanic music in competition". Hanford Sentinel. Hanford, United States. 3 August 1989. p. 2-B – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
- ^ "Channel 21 shifts OTI song festival". Hanford Sentinel. Hanford, United States. 12 August 1989. p. 4 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
- ^ XII Festival OTI California Central 1989 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Fresno, United States: KFTV. 5 August 1989.
- ^ "Fueron seleccionadas 7 canciones para concursar en el Festival de la OTI". La Gaceta (in Spanish). Tampa, United States. 14 July 1989. p. 1 – via Florida Digital Newspaper Library.
- ^ "Esther María Tellado debuta en 'La Dolorosa' este domingo en Miami". La Gaceta (in Spanish). Tampa, United States. 26 October 1990. p. 2 – via Florida Digital Newspaper Library.
- ^ VI Festival OTI Tampa 1989 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Tampa, United States: WBHS. 6 August 1989.
- ^ "Houston Chronicle advertisement". Houston Chronicle. Houston, United States. 25 August 1989. p. 3B. Retrieved 24 January 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ II Festival OTI Houston 1989 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Houston, United States: KXLN-TV. 26 August 1989.
- ^ González, Luis Manuel (5 September 1989). "Transmisión confirma que 'Cantaré' de Miguel Enrique era el mejor tema". La Opinión (in Spanish). Los Angeles, United States. p. 13 – via Google Books.
- ^ XI Festival OTI Los Ángeles 1989 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Los Angeles, United States: KMEX-TV. 31 August 1989.
- ^ "KWEX-TV advertisement". Express-News. San Antonio, United States. 27 July 1989. p. 6-F. Retrieved 24 January 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sunday night". Express-News. San Antonio, United States. 17 September 1989. p. TV Now 10. Retrieved 24 January 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Conroy, Ed (8 September 1989). "Hispanic performers set for OTI Festival". Express-News. San Antonio, United States. p. 3-E. Retrieved 24 January 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Festival OTI San Antonio 1989 (Television programme) (in Spanish). San Antonio, United States: KWEX-TV. 8 September 1989.
- ^ I Festival OTI Dallas–Fort Worth 1989 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Garland, United States: KUVN. 1989.
- ^ "Ya viene el XII Festival OTI Nacional de la Canción en vivo". La Gaceta (in Spanish). Tampa, United States. 1 September 1989. p. 8 – via Florida Digital Newspaper Library.
- ^ Ramírez, Katia (28 September 1989). "Llegó la noche de la OTI". La Opinión (in Spanish). Los Angeles, United States. p. 2nd-1 – via Google Books.
- ^ González, Luis M. (29 September 1989). "Miami vuelve a ganar el Festival OTI Nacional". La Opinión (in Spanish). Los Angeles, United States. p. 3rd-1 – via Google Books.
- ^ Final del XII Festival Nacional de la Canción OTI–Univision 1989 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Miami, United States: Univision. 28 September 1989.
- ^ XVIII Festival de la canción OTI 1989 (Television programme) (in Spanish). Miami, United States: Univision. 18 November 1989.
- ^ Hazme sentir (Media notes). María Conchita Alonso. Philips. 1990.
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