Mandanga Style: origin of Amador's song in La que se avecina

There are catchphrases from La que se avecina that have ended up becoming part of the language of its fans. But few managed to make the leap from television to music like Mandanga Style.

What started as one of the wild ideas of Amador Rivas and his brother Teodoro ended up becoming a real song, a phenomenon among the show's fans, and one of the most memorable musical moments in La que se avecina.

But how was Mandanga Style born? Who really composed the song? And how did the Rivas brothers end up forming Psicomotronic?

What is Mandanga Style?

Mandanga Style is the song created within the universe of La que se avecina by Amador and Teodoro Rivas during the series' eighth season.

Amador, played by Pablo Chiapella, provides all the personality of the character: his delusions of grandeur, his obsession with picking up women, his nicknames, and that unique language that has produced some of the most recognizable expressions from LQSA.

Teodoro, played by Ernesto Sevilla, provides the musical component and adopts the stage name DJ Theo for his DJ persona.

Together they form Psicomotronic, an unlikely musical project with which they intend to conquer the clubs.

In which episode does Mandanga Style appear?

Mandanga Style appears in the episode "Unos pitufos terroristas, un pajarraco triste y el Mandanga Style" (Some terrorist Smurfs, a sad bird, and the Mandanga Style), corresponding to episode 9 of season 8 of La que se avecina.

The episode originally aired in December 2014 and turned the Rivas brothers' musical adventure into one of the most remembered storylines of that season.

The story begins when Teodoro arrives at Mirador de Montepinar determined to make a name for himself as a DJ. Amador ends up getting involved in the project, and both start fantasizing about achieving a major musical success.

The result of that adventure is Mandanga Style.

Who are the Psicomotronic?

Within the series, Psicomotronic is the musical project formed by brothers Amador and Teodoro Rivas.

Teodoro tries to succeed as a DJ under the name DJ Theo, while Amador sees music as a new opportunity to achieve fame.

The combination could not be more quintessential for LQSA: electronic music, Amador's spur-of-the-moment ideas, and the entire peculiar universe of Captain Salami.

The song ends up bringing together many of "El Cuqui's" trademarks: party, seduction, excessive ego, and expressions that fans of the show immediately recognize.

Who really composed Mandanga Style?

Although within the fiction the song is born from the musical adventure of the Rivas brothers, behind Mandanga Style was a well-known professional of the Spanish electronic music scene.

The DJ and producer Wally López was in charge of musically creating the track for La que se avecina.

The production achieved something fundamental for the joke to work: Mandanga Style did not simply sound like a comedic song improvised for a scene, but like a real dance music track built around the character of Amador.

That mix between a recognizable electronic production and "El Cuqui's" characteristic absurdity was one of the keys to its success.

What does "mandanga" mean in Mandanga Style?

The word mandanga existed long before La que se avecina and can have different meanings in Spanish.

But Amador does something very common in the series: he appropriates a word and turns it into part of his own vocabulary.

Within the world of "El Cuqui," mandanga takes on an obvious double meaning related to his particular way of understanding seduction, sex, and partying.

That is why Mandanga Style ends up working almost like a definition of Amador Rivas himself: more than the title of a song, it represents his supposed lifestyle.

Does Mandanga Style have a relationship with Gangnam Style?

When Mandanga Style appeared in 2014, it was difficult to hear its name without remembering Gangnam Style, the global phenomenon starring PSY just a few years earlier.

The use of the word "Style," the humorous component, the dance, and the fantasy of creating a huge musical hit play with that type of viral phenomenon.

But La que se avecina takes the idea completely into its own territory, replacing that universe with Amador, Teodoro, the Psicomotronic, and Mirador de Montepinar.

Why did Mandanga Style go viral?

The reaction from fans was practically immediate.

After the episode aired, Mandanga Style began to circulate rapidly on the Internet and social media.

The song brought together several perfect ingredients to become a phenomenon: an enormously popular character, absurd lyrics, a catchy melody, and easy-to-remember expressions.

Furthermore, Amador Rivas had already become one of the most recognizable characters in the series, so moving his particular universe into a song had all the ingredients to work.

The impact went even further when thousands of fans began to request that Mandanga Style represent Spain at Eurovision, an initiative that managed to gather tens of thousands of supporters.

From La que se avecina song to official single

The success meant that Mandanga Style stopped existing solely within the episode.

At the beginning of 2015, the song was officially released and began to be available on digital platforms.

Mandanga Style even managed to reach the top spots on digital sales charts in Spain, proving that the joke had managed to completely cross over from the screen.

It also featured an official music video that expanded the musical story of Amador, Teodoro, and the Psicomotronic.

A song born as part of a storyline in a television comedy had ended up becoming a track that fans could listen to outside the show itself.

Why is Mandanga Style still so remembered?

Because it perfectly represents one of the great virtues of La que se avecina: creating its own universe that continues to live on outside of the episodes.

Mariscos Recio, the Lions of Montepinar, Captain Salami, the neighbors' impossible business ventures, or Amador's countless expressions work because an LQSA fan immediately recognizes every reference.

Mandanga Style achieved exactly the same thing.

More than a decade after its premiere, it is enough to mention its name to remember the Rivas brothers trying to become music stars from Mirador de Montepinar.

Mandanga Style, one of the anthems of La que se avecina

What started as a comedic storyline ended up becoming one of the most recognizable musical moments of the series.

Mandanga Style went from Montepinar to the Internet, from the Internet to musical platforms, and from a fictional song to becoming a real release.

And that is probably the reason why it is still so remembered: it summarizes, like few things do, the universe of Amador Rivas, where any wild idea can become a new plan to get rich, famous, or simply continue being a freeloader.

If you are one of those who still immediately recognize the mandanga, the Psicomotronic, or Captain Salami, you can find our Mandanga Style t-shirt and discover more designs in the La que se avecina t-shirt collection.