Palma´s very own Pop Idol

The Palma city council announced plans yesteray for a Pop Idol style competition aimed at helping young musicians. The council is spending an estimated 36'000 euros on the project and the top 10 groups will all produce an album ahead of a major concert in the Parc de la Mar on August 31. A jury of music specialists is being put together and inscription for the contest is already open. All the competing artists will go before the jury before early August and this is when the top ten will be selected. The next step is the album and then the concert and lastly there will be the finals. The winning group will receive a cash prize of 2'000 euros and given the opportunity of appearing in the festivities to mark San Sebastian in January. A council spokesperson said yesterday that the competition was aimed at helping young musicians get a foot on the musical ladder. It is very similar in concept to Operacion Triunfo, the Spanish equivalent of Pop Idol which has enjoyed great success across the country. The city council were criticised by the opposition for organising a series of telephone hotlines so that people could vote for the Majorcan contestant taking part in the hit TV series. Chenoa, came fourth in the competition and went on to form part of the group which represented Spain at the Eurovision song contest. Mayor Joan Fageda has often said that Chenoa is a good example to the youth of Majorca. He has called on Palma's youth to follow her example.