Mexico was represented at the OTI Festival 1988 with the song "", written by and José María Frías, and performed by María del Sol. The Mexican participating broadcaster, Televisa, selected its entry through a national televised competition with several phases. The song, that was performed in position 4, placed fifth out of 22 competing entries, tying with the song from Uruguay with 14 points.
National stage Televisa held a national competition with four televised qualifying rounds, a playoff, a semi-final, and a final to select its entry for the 17th edition of the OTI Festival. This seventeenth edition of the National OTI Festival featured twenty-four songs in the qualifying rounds, twelve in the semi-final, and six in the final. In addition to the general competition, awards were given for Best Male Performer, Best Female Performer, Best Musical Arrangement, Breakout Male Artist, Breakout Female Artist, and Best Group among all the competing artists.
The shows were held at Teatro de la Ciudad in Mexico City, were presented by Raúl Velasco, and broadcast on . The musical director was , who conducted the orchestra when required.
+ Competing entries on the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1988 Song Artist Songwriter(s) Conductor "" Erika Buenfil "" Sylvia Tapia Chucho Ferrer "" María del Sol Jesús Medel "" Juan Santana Jesús Monárrez "" Óscar Athié Marco Flores "" Gibrán Alejandro Filio Chucho Ferrer "" José María Lobo José María Lobo Chucho Ferrer "" Laura Flores Laura Flores Pepe Hernández "" Alejandro Filio "" Mayté Edson Jesús Medel "" José María Napoleón José María Napoleón Eduardo Magallanes "" Amparo Rubín Chucho Ferrer "" Magdalena Zárate and Pablo Raffi Amparo Rubín Pepe Stiphens "" Francisco Xavier Francisco Xavier Eduardo Magallanes "" Crystal Pedro Alberto Cárdenas Pedro Alberto Cárdenas "" Prisma Sylvia Tapia "" Byanka Luigi Lazareno "" Doris Roxana Rosas Ricardo Toral "" Sergio Ruiz Sergio Ruiz "" Grupo Viva Voz Marco Flores Marco Flores "" Mauricio Abarca Rubén Zepeda "" Carmín Gabriela Martínez de la Mora Eduardo Magallanes "" Alberto Ángel Eduardo Magallanes "" Dueto Jade Pedro Alberto Cárdenas
Qualifying rounds The four qualifying rounds were held on Saturdays 10, 17, and 24 September, and 1 October 1988. Each round featured six entries, of which the two highest-scoring advanced to the semi-final. In each round, after all the competing entries were performed, each of the ten jurors cast one vote for each of their two favorite entries.
+ Result of the first qualifying round of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1988 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" Sergio Ruiz 0 2 "" José María Lobo 1 3 "" Crystal 7 Qualified 4 "" Erika Buenfil 1 5 "" Francisco Xavier 8 Qualified 6 "" Laura Flores 3
+ Result of the second qualifying round of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1988 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" Doris 0 2 "" Óscar Athié 4 3 "" 0 4 "" Dueto Jade 6 Qualified 5 "" 3 6 "" Grupo Viva Voz 7 Qualified
+ Result of the third qualifying round of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1988 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" Byanka 0 2 "" 5 Qualified 3 "" Mayté 0 4 "" 4 5 "" Magdalena Zárate and Pablo Raffi 6 Qualified 6 "" José María Napoleón 5 Qualified
+ Result of the fourth qualifying round of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1988 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" Carmín 2 2 "" Gibrán 1 3 "" 6 Qualified 4 "" Juan Santana 2 5 "" Prisma 0 6 "" María del Sol 9 Qualified
Playoff The playoff was held on Saturday 1 October 1988 following the fourth qualifying round. To select the last three semi-finalists, each of the ten jurors cast one vote for each of their three favorite entries among the fifteen not qualified.
+ Result of the playoff of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1988 Song Result "" "" "" "" Qualified "" "" "" Qualified "" "" "" "" "" "" Qualified "" ""
Semi-final The semi-final was held on Saturday 8 October 1988. After all the competing entries were performed, each of the thirteen jurors cast one vote for each of their six favorite entries, and the six most voted songs went on to the final.
+ Result of the semi-final of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1988 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" 3 2 "" Dueto Jade 11 Qualified 3 "" Óscar Athié 4 4 "" Crystal 2 5 "" 7 Qualified 6 "" Grupo Viva Voz 10 Qualified 7 "" María del Sol 13 Qualified 8 "" Francisco Xavier 3 9 "" Laura Flores 3 10 "" José María Napoleón 4 11 "" Magdalena Zárate and Pablo Raffi 8 Qualified 12 "" 10 Qualified
Final The six-song final was held on Sunday 9 October 1988. Each of the twelve jurors cast one vote for each of their three favorite entries.
The winner was "", written by and José María Frías, and performed by María del Sol. The festival ended with a reprise of the winning entry.
+ Result of the final of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1988 Song Artist Votes Result 1 "" 5 3 2 "" 5 4 3 "" Dueto Jade 3 5 4 "" Grupo Viva Voz 6 2 5 "" María del Sol 12 1 6 "" Magdalena Zárate and Pablo Raffi 5 4
Merit awards In the final, the jurors voted for the Best Male and Female Performer, Best Musical Arrangement, Breakout Male and Female Artist, and Best Group among the shortlisted artist in each category.
Juan Santana received the Best Male Performer Award; María del Sol the Best Female Performer Award; the Best Musical Arrangement Award for ""; the Breakout Male Artist Award; Mayté the Breakout Female Artist Award, and Magdalena Zárate and Pablo Raffi the Best Group Award.
Official album Los 12 finalistas del Festival OTI 88 is the official compilation album of the seventeenth edition of the Mexican National OTI Festival, released by Melody Internacional in 1988. The vinyl LP features the studio version of the twelve songs qualified for the semi-final.
At the OTI Festival On 19 November 1988, the OTI Festival was held at the Teatro Nacional Cervantes in Buenos Aires, Argentina, hosted by Argentina Televisora Color (ATC), and broadcast live throughout Ibero-America. María del Sol performed "" in position 4, with Jesús Medel conducting the event's orchestra, and placing fifth out of 22 competing entries, tying with the song from Uruguay with 14 points.
References