When the Stage Gets Stuck: Amaia Montero & Leire Martínez
Cuando el escenario se atasca: Amaia Montero y Leire Martínez
Sep 25, 2026·1 min read·Graded Spanish · word-by-word audio
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Amaia Montero es una cantante española de 50 años. Fue la vocalista original del grupo La Oreja de Van Gogh. Hace unos años dejó la banda y ahora canta como solista. Recientemente, ha vuelto a actuar con el grupo en varios conciertos. Durante la segunda noche de conciertos en Madrid, ocurrió algo inesperado.
El mecanismo se desbloqueó justo antes del estribillo, y Montero pudo terminar la canción ante miles de asistentes. Después, ella se lo tomó con humor y dijo: "Decía: ¿Les veré? ¿Solucionarán esto?". No es la primera vez que la estructura le juega una mala pasada. En mayo, también en Madrid, la plataforma se detuvo cuando iba a cantar Mariposa.
Al mismo tiempo, una campaña publicitaria de Montero ha reavivado la polémica con Leire Martínez, la actual vocalista del grupo. Las dos cantantes se han lanzado pullas en los medios. Los fans están divididos entre las dos artistas.
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Watch out, English speaker
Spanish simple past (fue, dejó, ocurrió) describes completed past actions, while the present perfect (ha vuelto, ha reavivado) describes recent actions with present relevance. English often uses the simple past for both, so learners may say Amaia Montero was the vocalist when Spanish requires ha vuelto for a recent return. Remember: if the action connects to now, use the present perfect.
Spanish reflexive verbs like quedarse, sorprenderse, and reírse require a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) that English often omits. For example, La plataforma se quedó atascada literally means 'the platform got itself stuck,' but English just says 'the platform got stuck.' Learners frequently drop the pronoun, producing incorrect Spanish like La plataforma quedó atascada or El público sorprendió.
Spanish uses the present perfect (ha reavivado) for a recent event that still affects the present, while English often uses the simple past ('has reignited' or 'reignited'). English speakers may translate ha reavivado as 'reignited' and lose the nuance of ongoing relevance. Also, Spanish 'pulla' is a mocking remark, not a physical pull, so avoid false-friend confusion with English 'pull.'
Key vocabulary
cantantem./f.
singer
“Amaia Montero es una cantante española.”— Amaia Montero is a Spanish singer.
Pattern cantante famoso famous singer
Compare vocalista lead singer
Plural: cantantes
💡 From the verb cantar (to sing); the suffix -ante indicates 'a person who does something'.
vocalistam./f.
lead singer
“Fue la vocalista original del grupo.”— She was the original lead singer of the group.
Pattern vocalista principal lead singer
Compare cantante singer
Plural: vocalistas
💡 From voz (voice); vocalista is the lead singer in a band.
plataformaf.
platform
“La plataforma elevadora se quedó atascada.”— The lifting platform got stuck.
Pattern plataforma elevadora lifting platform
Compare tarima platform
Plural: plataformas
💡 plat- means 'flat', forma means 'shape'; together they mean 'platform'.
atascadoadj.
stuck
“La plataforma se quedó atascada.”— The platform got stuck.
Pattern quedarse atascado to get stuck
Compare bloqueado blocked
Feminine: atascada; plural: atascados/as
💡 From the verb atascar (to block); often used for machinery or traffic.
estribillom.
chorus
“El mecanismo se desbloqueó justo antes del estribillo.”— The mechanism unlocked just before the chorus.
Pattern el estribillo de una canción the chorus of a song
Compare coro chorus
Plural: estribillos
💡 The repeated part of a song, easy to remember.
polémicaf.
controversy
“Una campaña publicitaria ha reavivado la polémica.”— An advertising campaign has reignited the controversy.
Pattern generar polémica to generate controversy
Compare controversia controversy
Plural: polémicas
💡 From Greek, meaning 'war', extended to verbal argument.
pullaf.
mocking remark, jab
“Las dos cantantes se han lanzado pullas.”— The two singers have exchanged jabs.
Pattern lanzarse pullas to exchange jabs
Compare indirecta hint
Plural: pullas
💡 Often refers to indirect sarcasm, used between friends or rivals.
reavivarv.
to reignite, revive
“La campaña ha reavivado la polémica.”— The campaign has reignited the controversy.
Pattern reavivar la polémica to reignite the controversy
Compare reactivar to reactivate
Conjugation: reavivo, reavivas, reaviva...
💡 re- means 'again', avivar means 'to liven up'.
desbloquearv.
to unlock, unblock
“El mecanismo se desbloqueó justo antes del estribillo.”— The mechanism unlocked just before the chorus.
Pattern desbloquear el mecanismo to unlock the mechanism
Compare liberar to release
Conjugation: desbloqueo, desbloqueas...
💡 des- means 'opposite', bloquear means 'to block'.
asistentem./f.
attendee, audience member
“Montero pudo terminar la canción ante miles de asistentes.”— Montero was able to finish the song before thousands of attendees.
Pattern miles de asistentes thousands of attendees
Compare espectador spectator
Plural: asistentes
💡 From the verb asistir (to attend); refers to people attending an event.
Grammar spotlight
Contrast between the preterite and the present perfect
A2
In Spanish, the preterite (e.g., fue, dejó, ocurrió) describes completed actions in the past. The present perfect (e.g., ha vuelto, ha reavivado) describes recent actions that are connected to the present.
“Fue la vocalista original del grupo. / Recientemente, ha vuelto a actuar con el grupo.”— She was the original lead singer of the band. / Recently, she has performed with the band again.
⚠️ Don't use the present perfect to describe the distant past, e.g., *Ha sido la vocalista en 2010.
Reflexive verbs (quedarse, sorprenderse, reírse)
A2
Reflexive verbs require a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) and indicate that the action affects the subject or emphasize a change. Examples include quedarse atascado (to get stuck), sorprenderse (to be surprised), and reírse (to laugh).
“La plataforma se quedó atascada. El público se sorprendió y se rió.”— The platform got stuck. The audience was surprised and laughed.
⚠️ Forgetting to add the reflexive pronoun, e.g., *La plataforma quedó atascada (grammatically correct but different in meaning; it emphasizes the state rather than the change).
Sentence patterns to steal
No es la primera vez que la estructura le juega una mala pasada.
It's not the first time the stage structure has played a trick on her.
No es la primera vez que + clauseYou can replace the clause, e.g., No es la primera vez que llega tarde.
Las dos cantantes se han lanzado pullas en los medios.
The two singers have traded barbs in the media.
lanzarse pullasYou can replace the subject, e.g., Los políticos se lanzan pullas.
Los fans están divididos entre las dos artistas.
The fans are divided between the two artists.
estar dividido entre A y BYou can replace A and B, e.g., estar dividido entre dos opciones.
La Oreja de Van Gogh
La Oreja de Van Gogh is a pop band from the Basque Country in Spain, founded in 1996. Amaia Montero was the original lead singer; she left in 2007 to pursue a solo career, and Leire Martínez took over as the new lead singer. Comparisons and tensions between the two have often drawn media attention.