Milena Warthon: the story of “Warmisitay” and the singer’s powerful message after winning in Viña del Mar

Warmisitay, y-ay You’re going to fall in love with the sun / That little skirt looks so pretty on you / Warmisitay, tell me who you’re going to fall in love with

With “Warmisitay” and her beautiful little skirt, Milena Warthon Tamariz not only made the sun and the galaxies fall in love, but also the rigorous jury of the 62nd edition of the Viña Del Mar International Song Festival and the feared Monster of Quinta Vergara. Last Thursday night, the 22-year-old singer-songwriter won the Gaviota de Plata in a close folkloric competition in which Peruvian talent and Andean sounds shone with their own light and in style.

“… Upon receiving the Seagull I began to reflect on everything we have had to go through until we reached this moment. Being an artist in Peru is not easy. They don’t know how many times I’ve fallen and rebuilt, how many times they’ve said ‘no’ to me. This Seagull belongs to all of you: to those who have had to fight with me, to those who once sent me a message of encouragement, to those who enjoy my music, to all the girls who gave me their letters and bracelets, to my family, my best friends, my team. This seagull is from a country that still does not see clearly that its greatest wealth is in its diversity, and from a mountain range that unites us when necessary, despite borders.”, wrote the national singer-songwriter on her social networks.

“This Gaviota is from that 8-year-old Milena who got up on the school stage to sing, it is confirmation that Andean girls can also be superstars, we can be whatever we dream of. May this Seagull be a symbol of reflection on how far we need to advance as a society. I don’t live blindfolded, every day I struggle with racist, misogynistic comments and more. I struggle with people who don’t understand that we shouldn’t be accountable to anyone, nor fit into any ideal. We are who we are and that is more than enough”, he added.

In the last stage of the contest, Warthon faced the Chilean trio Laia (“Camino”) and the Mexican artist Frank Di. (“The last straw”). With 6.4 points, the national artist managed to prevail over her tough opponents.

“It was too close a competition, everyone was too good, I felt like a winner just by competing with them”, Milena referred after obtaining the victory in Viña del Mar.

made with the heart

“Warmisitay” -a word in Quechua that in Spanish means “Little Woman”- is a song that pays tribute to the Andean woman, the dance and the skirt. Through her social networks, the singer explained that she is inspired by an Apurimeño carnival and the story of her grandmother Teresa Varela, her artistic mentor.

“I imagined my grandmother at the carnival in her red costume of a beautiful abanquina and I began to compose. Today, that beautiful song is reality”, he stressed.