“I was an atheist, but now I believe, because a miracle like you had to come down from heaven.” Tremendous rhyme for tremendous bachata and tremendous controversy that C. Tangana has brought us with the launch of his new single and video clip with Argentine artist Nathy Peluso, “Ateo”. In the case of from Madrid, the pucho, little surprises us that the provocation of symbolism hidden among the images would go unnoticed.
Nobody has yet forgotten the controversy raised by Yate and his famous photo, least of all C. Tangana. And it is already difficult to distinguish the artist from the character when we see him in action. Today he has gone back to face, and has taken a step ahead of criticism. So much so that he has made them himself. This same morning, millions of Spanish followers of the ragpicker (if we can continue to call him that) came to YouTube to get into the artist’s new story. This time without palms or sevillanas.
The foreground: the cathedral of Toledo. Seconds later: an ass shaking in the eyes of the priests present. And in the background: a Latin bachatero rhythm that is turning on little by little.
“I want to make religion to your hair, your mouth and your face
And may the Virgin of Almudena forgive me
The things that I do in your bed “
At that point thousands had already surrendered at the artist’s feet. And thousands more were rubbing the blisters. After the image of Tangana pulling Peluso’s hair, in an interpretable gesture both from a point of view of abuse and sexual daring, the controversy was more than served. So much so that the same ecclesiastical institution in Toledo has just starred in a social uproar that shows how a song in the 21st century can hit hard and not be understood.
But first, let’s see why the video clip has gone the extra mile for many reasons. First, we have Miranda Makaroff (who I already came out with my ass in the foreground in the photo of Yate), the trans activist Elisabeth Duval, Cayetana Guillén Cuervo and, above all, the icon of the heated debates on current television, Josep Prederol. They were joined by different youtubers, among those of us who saw a Brays Efe.
In the video every controversial image works, a pose to criticize the show and the media noise, the critics in the networks and the audience. And below, the real song and the real video actually only shows us Tangana and Peluso dancing in a church. Not even the sensual dance is more transgressive than any of their previous discography.
“Let them speak badly, die of envy”
And yet, neither Tangana nor Peluso had the slightest idea of what was going to be mounted around the video clip for capturing all that inside a temple. The one in Toledo, no less. Three and a half hours after the launch, the archbishop of the city, Francisco Cerro Chaves, deeply regretted the recording, disapproved of images and noted that “I was absolutely unaware of the existence of this project and its content.”
But minutes later, the true hero of the day (with or without a cape) appeared elsewhere: the dean of the Cathedral, Juan Miguel Ferrer Grenesche. I published a letter on social networks aimed at those who have been offended by the images in the video clip and the song. Also a response to his own institution on the most conservative side.
Note from Mr. Dean of the @SICP_de_Toledo before the controversy caused by the last video of #Cangana pic.twitter.com/cRuiymXPx7
– Archdiocese of Toledo (@architoledo) October 8, 2021
The Dean of the Cabildo Primate of the Cathedral of Toledo justified the recording inside the temple. “It presents the story of a conversion through human love”, bill. He also apologized if “some people may dislike” the video or hurt their sensibilities. “It is true that the video uses provocative visual language, but it does not affect faith.”
The faith that we have lost in the world if we believe that those who have seen Peluso wiggling have felt existential doubts during the course of the video clip. The same faith that hundreds of teenagers will have lost who will upload videos to TikTok tomorrow imitating the dance in which he grabs her all over her body in a dominant pose.
These scenes inside the impressive Toledo monument were recorded in mid-September. And in addition to the two protagonists, in the video clip other actors appear dressed as priests or altar boys. “Against certain attitudes of intolerance he contrasts the understanding and acceptance of the Church, as manifested in the final sequences”, the dean explained. He is right. It is the only thing that is striking about the video clip: a bound ending (forced or not, we don’t know) to satisfy the Church.
But the pulse, finally, here has been won by C. Tangana. Both the messenger of God and many others, they have not been able to contain what we are and where we are going: “It is a language typical of the culture of our time and it has taken care of the good that it can produce in those far away.” Nothing can be done to avoid that. It is the power of popular culture. The one from the social networks. That of the new generations. Those of C. Tangana. I was also an atheist, but now I believe.