Mexico was represented at the OTI Festival 1978 with the song "", written by Lolita de la Colina, and performed by Lupita D'Alessio. The Mexican participating broadcaster, Televisa, selected its entry through a national televised competition with several phases. The song, that was performed in position 13, placed third out of 19 competing entries, with 44 points.
National stage Televisa held a national competition with four televised qualifying rounds and a final to select its entry for the 7th edition of the OTI Festival. This seventh edition of the National OTI Festival featured thirty-nine songs, of which ten reached the final. In addition to the general competition, awards were given for Best Performer, and Best Musical Arrangement, among all the competing artists.
The shows were held at Teatro de la Ciudad in Mexico City, were presented by Raúl Velasco, and were broadcast on . The musical director was , who conducted the Single Union of Music Workers of Mexico orchestra when required. Hermanos Zavala, the single mixed backing choir of five voices, were credited on the songs they accompanied.
+ Competing entries on the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1978 Song Artist Songwriter(s) Conductor "" Héctor Meneses Héctor Meneses "" Álvaro Dávila Álvaro Dávila "" Sergio Esquivel Sergio Esquivel Rodolfo Rey "" Martha Caramelo Guillermo Rocha "" Guadalupe Trigo and Viola Guadalupe Trigo Lázaro Muñiz "" Humberto Cravioto Arnulfo M. Vega "" Mario Pintor María Esther Esparza "" Lupita D'Alessio Lolita de la Colina Chucho Ferrer "" Lila Deneken Nacho Méndez "" Los Joao Fernando Riba "" María del Carmen "" Yoshio Chucho Ferrer "" Emmanuel Emmanuel Chucho Ferrer "" Grupo Hermanos and friends "" José Sierra Flores "" Joan Sebastian Joan Sebastian "" José Luis Almada Massías "" Ramón Arencibia "" Imelda Miller Raúl Vidaurri "" Tehua Rafael Elizondo "" Massías Massías "" Sola Jonathán Zarzosa "" Brujos y Brujas Sergio Luna "" Sonia Rivas Sonia Rivas "" Fernando Riba "" Grupo Katarsis "" José Roberto José Roberto "" Felipe Gil Felipe Gil "" Luis Daniel and Sergio Sergio Ortiz "" Potro "" Fátima Javier Salazar "" Johnny Laboriel Felipe Gil Chucho Ferrer "" Manolo Solo "" Aria 8 Javier Salazar "" Fernando Perdomo Fernando Perdomo "" Los Randal "" La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata Javier Martín del Campo "" Víctor Yturbe Sergio Esquivel Chucho Ferrer "" Manolo Muñoz
Qualifying rounds The four qualifying rounds were held on Saturdays 16, 23, and 30 September, and 7 October 1978. The ten highest-scoring entries among the thirty-nine competing advanced to the final.
+ Result of the qualifying rounds of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1979 Song Artist Result First qualifying round – 16 September 1978 1 "" La Revolución de Emiliano Zapata 2 "" José Roberto 3 "" Fátima 4 "" Luis Daniel and Sergio 5 "" Johnny Laboriel Qualified 6 "" Grupo Hermanos and friends 7 "" Fernando Perdomo 8 "" Humberto Cravioto 9 "" Martha Caramelo 10 "" Second qualifying round – 23 September 1978 1 "" Brujos y Brujas 2 "" Manolo Solo 3 "" Lila Deneken Qualified 4 "" Los Randal 5 "" Potro 6 "" Grupo Katarsis 7 "" José Luis Almada 8 "" Manolo Muñoz 9 "" Tehua 10 "" Emmanuel Qualified Third qualifying round – 30 September 1978 1 "" Aria 8 2 "" Mario Pintor 3 "" Sonia Rivas 4 "" Massías 5 "" Guadalupe Trigo and Viola Qualified 6 "" Los Joao 7 "" Sola 8 "" Joan Sebastian 9 "" Víctor Yturbe Qualified Fourth qualifying round – 7 October 1978 1 "" 2 "" Felipe Gil 3 "" Fernando Riba 4 "" María del Carmen 5 "" Sergio Esquivel Qualified 6 "" Yoshio Qualified 7 "" Qualified 8 "" Álvaro Dávila Qualified 9 "" Héctor Meneses 10 "" Lupita D'Alessio Qualified
Final The final was held on Sunday 22 October 1978. Fifteen expert jurors present in the hall, and five remote provincial juries located in Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo, Mérida, Torreón, and Guadalajara, scored the entries.
The winner was "", written by Lupita D'Alessio and performed by Lolita de la Colina; with "", written by and performed by Lila Deneken, placing second; and "", written and performed by Emmanuel, placing third.
+ Result of the final of the National OTI Festival – Mexico 1978 Song Artist Points Result 1 "" Guadalupe Trigo and Viola 133 9 2 "" Lupita D'Alessio 187 1 3 "" Yoshio 128 10 4 "" Víctor Yturbe 134 8 5 "" Johnny Laboriel 155 5 6 "" Sergio Esquivel 145 6 7 "" 136 7 8 "" Lila Deneken 172 2 9 "" Álvaro Dávila 164 4 10 "" Emmanuel 166 3
Merit awards Lila Deneken received the Best Performer Award; and Chucho Ferrer the Best Musical Arrangement Award for "".
Official album Las 10 finalistas del Festival OTI 78 is the official compilation album of the seventh edition of the Mexican National OTI Festival, released by Sistema Radiópolis in 1978. The vinyl LP features the studio version of the ten songs qualified for the national final.
At the OTI Festival On 2 December 1978, the OTI Festival was held at the Municipal Theatre in Santiago, Chile, hosted by (TVN), (UCTV), (UTV), and (UCVTV), and broadcast live throughout Ibero-America. Lupita D'Alessio performed "" in position 13, with Chucho Ferrer conducting the event's orchestra, and placed third out of 19 competing entries, with 44 points.
Voting Each participating broadcaster assembled a jury who awarded 5–1 points to their five favourite songs in order of preference.
+ Points awarded to Mexico Score Country 5 points 4 points 3 points Chile 2 points 1 point Costa Rica
+ Points awarded by Mexico Score Country 5 points United States 4 points Puerto Rico 3 points Spain 2 points Peru 1 point Uruguay
References