She is Zorra: Meet the Inspo behind Nebulossa’s track Manuela Trasobares

Note: A version of this article in Spanish worked by Augusto, can be found here.

Ever since Nebulossa’s “Zorra” was introduced as one of the competing entries in Spain’s Benidorm Fest, it started a lot of conversations about women’s empowerment, standing up to oneself, and determination.  Most notably, the title, which could translate to either “vixen” or “bitch”, indicates the perception of women in the modern age.  It managed to win the contest, getting the privilege to represent Spain at Eurovision, and garnered airtime on Spanish radio.

One interesting thing which fans wouldn’t notice on the outset is how “Zorra” was inspired by another strong woman–Manuela Trasobares. A trans woman who has made her name as an opera singer, artist and politician. She was notable for becoming the first trans woman in Spain to be elected as a town councilor in 2007 The duo shouted out to her courage and determination in the song, from Mery Bas dressing like Manuela in the music video to shouting out “throw the cup!” at the end of their performance, referring to when Manuela threw a cup during a 1997 speech in when she called out the Spanish establishment for their disregard for transgender rights.

We at EurovisionFam are honored to interview Manuela for our publication, not only as a muse for the Spanish Eurovision entry this year, but also as an inspiration for women, both cis and trans, all over the world.

Eurovision-Fam: How did you find out about Nebulossa paying homage to you in their performance of “Zorra” at Benidorm Fest?

Manuela Trasobares: By chance. Someone told me that an unknown group had made a videoclip of a song to present at the Benidorm Fest in which they made a tribute to me.

E-F: When you think of the message of the song, why do you think it is so important for the world to hear and see this message today?

MT: Because it is an empowerment of women after so many years in which somehow there has always been a moment in our lives in which we have been humiliated with that word. What woman at some point in her life has not been called a slut? Now we take the reins of our lives and anticipate the patriarchy, we ourselves are the ones who empower that word.

E-F: You are a vocalist. Would you ever consider performing at Benidorm Fest?

MT: Why not? In my life, I have done so many things that who knows what the future may hold for me.  I have had a multidisciplinary artistic career. I am a lyrical singer, painter, and sculptor, I have planted great monuments of Fallas in Valencia and last year I published a philosophical, historical, and autobiographical essay entitled “Voluntad de Poder” which can be purchased on Amazon in Spanish language. In this book, I analyze the parameters that are repeated in civilizations and social revolutions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and propose a thesis on historical evolution.

E-F: What are your opinions on the Eurovision Song Contest?

MT: It is a festival that I have been following since I was a child, where I have witnessed how a group called ABBA, which at the time was not known, triumphed with their song “Waterloo”… I have witnessed great events of great singers who at the time were not known and then became known worldwide.

E-F: Eurovision really has become somewhat of a safe haven for queer folks around the world, but the community much like the rest of the world isn’t safe from toxic ideologies: sexism, ageism, racism… etc. As an icon in the community with years of wisdom, what would you say to this next generation— to encourage those who are marginalized within an already marginalized community? AND to caution those who might, unfortunately, get caught up in perpetuating the same divisive tactics the opposition uses to marginalize the queer community?

MT: Everything that is a space for the LGBTQIA+ collective to express themselves seems very positive to me. If Eurovision is a space where the collective can freely express their desire for respect and dignity, I think it’s great. Anyone who attacks us every day will receive powerful alarms. Concepts such as slut or faggot will be full of pride and dignity for our collective, everything that is a space for the LGBTQIA+ collective to express itself seems very positive to me. If Eurovision is a space where the collective can freely express their desire for respect and dignity I think it’s great. Anyone who attacks us every day will receive powerful alarms. Concepts like slut or faggot will be full of pride and dignity for our collective.

However, as I explain in my book, history is full of steps forward and backward.  The rights acquired by the LGTBI community are at risk of being undermined by the new wave of conservatism invading world politics. Therefore, we must continue to fight for them. I, myself, was educated during the Franco dictatorship in Spain, I suffered marginalization and torture as a child, episodes that I also narrate in my book, and then as a teenager, I participated in the first demonstrations for democracy and the rights of our collective during the 70s and 80s. Then we achieved timid advances in social recognition. But in the 90’s the conservative government of Aznar tried to discredit the LGBTQIA+ collective again, especially on public television. My radical protest intervention on the Valencian television channel Canal 9 in 1997 had a similar effect in Spain to the Stonewall riots in the USA, saving the distances. The new generations of young Spaniards began to repeat my words as a mantra, as a way of self-motivation to come out of the closet and present themselves freely to society. The cry “Throw the Cup” that I launched during that TV program became a symbol of self-affirmation and LGBTQIA+ protest. Transfeminism also embraced my gestures and words. For all this, at the end of her performance at the Benidorm Fest, Nebulossa shouted “Throw the Cup“. When my intervention on Canal 9 went viral at the beginning of this century on the internet, it became a revulsive for the LGBTQIA+ collective, and the new progressive governments were forced to enact laws favorable to women and gays such as the gay marriage law in 2005.

Currently, in Spain, there is a progressive federal government; but the conservative opposition is very strong and governs in some nationalities and regions such as Madrid, Galicia, and Valencia. These regional governments have already begun to repeal laws favorable to the LGBTQIA+ collective. I have no advice for those who advocate this ideology. My advice is for those who suffer discrimination in society. Our demands must be much more ambitious than they have been so far. We must ask for positive discrimination measures, social visibility campaigns, and academic and labor insertion facilities for vulnerable young people of the LGBTQIA+ collective and others. We also need help and compensation from the State for the adults of the collective who were victims of child torture and suffered conversion therapies, social and labor marginalization, and even police torture during the Franco dictatorship that lasted until 1975.

Following Manuela’s wise words, we wrap up this piece with the official music video of “Zorra”, where you can see all the references made about her.