The chirigota 'Los que la tienen de mármol', created by El Melli and El Molina, was one of the most acclaimed acts at the recent COAC 2026. Its innovative staging, featuring members singing while lying in niches, along with the quality of its lyrics and music, generated significant anticipation and public applause. However, contrary to expectations, the group failed to reach the grand final, a fact that sparked controversy due to an unusual shift in scores from the quarter-final stage.
In this context, Jesús Selma, originally from El Puerto de Santa María and artistically known as El Melli, shared his experience on Daniel Fopiani's podcast 'Un podcast con acento'. According to his statements, he was informed during the quarter-finals that his chirigota would not be participating in the COAC 2026 final.
“"Here in Carnival, we all know each other... And about the integrity of the jury, well, they might be very integral, but here in Carnival, we all know each other. This came through an acquaintance of mine who called me after the quarter-finals because he's a mutual friend of mine and a jury member. And he told me: 'I've heard that you won't make it to the final... I've heard they're after you.' And he even told me who was supposedly targeting us."
Official scores released after the contest showed that 'Los que la tienen de mármol' had a strong start in the preliminary rounds, almost tying with El Bizcocho's chirigota 'Ssshhhhh!!', which ultimately won first prize. Nevertheless, in the quarter-finals, El Melli and El Molina's group dropped to fourth place, overtaken by El Yuyu's 'Los que van a coger papas'. The dynamic shifted dramatically in the semi-finals, where 'Una chirigota en teoría' climbed to third position, pushing El Yuyu to fourth and leaving 'Los que la tienen de mármol' in fifth place, thus missing out on the COAC 2026 grand final.
