Rigoberta Bandini to step away from stage 'for a long time' after season festival

Catalan singer Rigoberta Bandini has announced she will step down from performing "for a long time" after she finishes her tour in Autumn. Paula Ribó, the artist's real name, revealed her decision in an interview on La Resistencia on Movistar+.

Her goal is to step away from stages but not to stop "working" as an artist. 

"One thing is to leave stages, but there will be work," Paula Ribó said, as she is "overwhelmed" and "cannot" continue with her current lifestyle. 

She will not leave fans unattended as Rigoberta Bandini will still perform one last time in some "special" shows scheduled in Autumn, but still with no exact date announced. 

Right now, Paula Ribó has a summer full of concerts as she will be performing on Friday in Barcelona’s Festival Cruïlla, but also in some other places across Catalonia. 

The luckiest ones have had already the opportunity to see Bandini at the Primavera Sound music festival early in June. But others will get to attend her performance at the Festival de Cap Roig.

Eurovision’s feminist anthem

Rigoberta Bandini has become a huge star after being one of the contenders to represent Spain in this year’s Eurovision song contest with her hit ‘Ay Mama!’. 

The song has become a feminist anthem as its lyrics could be read in some painted signs during the March 8 demonstration held in Barcelona.

"I don't know why our tits are so scary for people," the sign and the song say.

Despite Paula Ribó becoming known because of the European song competition, she was already well-known to some Catalan residents. 

In the past, she was part of the ‘Les Mamzelles’ music group, which released a song for a recycling campaign named ‘Envàs on vas?’. The ad had a catchy rhythm that stuck in the heads of Catalans for weeks and is still remembered today.

The song was so popular and important, that it was featured in our Filling the Sink podcast episode about Catalonia's trash.