This coming Saturday, Madrid becomes the official headquarters of Junior Eurovisiona contest that awakens enthusiasm in young talents throughout Europe. This year our country will be represented by Chloe Rosean 11-year-old woman from Extremadura who will interpret Like Lola accompanied by her dancers Ilinca, Laia, María and Amy, Chloe. Outgoing and very fun, Chloe has managed to put all the Eurofans in her pocket by connecting with the cameras and the public with the same energy as other child prodigies who made history in Junior Eurovision such as María Isabel, Antonio José either Dani Fernandezwho continued to achieve success after passing through the contest. However, there was one, the first to represent Spain in this competition twenty years ago, about whom little or nothing has been known until now and whose performance was recorded in the collective memory of an entire generation and marked the beginning of a Eurovision phenomenon in Spain.
© RTVEIt was about Sergio Jesus Garcia Gila boy from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz, who with his voice and his story conquered the first Junior Eurovision Song Contest, where he represented our country with the emotional song from the skydedicated to his mother, who had died a few years earlier. Today, Sergio has made the news again by granting his first interview in almost two decades in which he revealed what has been of him during these years away from the spotlight and stardom.
© @JuanjeDianezIn 2003, at only 11 years old, Sergio was selected to represent Spain in the first Junior Eurovision after his participation in the Eurojunior program. With hardly any experience on stage, Sergio sang Desde el cielo, a moving ballad that he composed with Alexander Abad in tribute to his mother. “It was as if he was speaking directly to the sky,” Sergio recalls in a recent interview in the podcast Now I find out by Juanje Diánez . His performance not only earned him second place in the competition but also a place in the hearts of millions of viewers.
“It was a magical moment, and although I was afraid, I felt that my mother was with me,” Sergio confessed. His performance, in which he constantly looked at the sky, broke linguistic and cultural barriers and ended up conquering every corner of Europe.
From prodigy to child idol
After his success at Junior Eurovision, Sergio was part of the 3+2 children’s groupalong with some of his Eurojunior teammates, such as Blanca, Diego and Irune. The group was a phenomenon in Spain, with hits like Spinning non-stop and The dance of the othe. For years, they toured the country filling auditoriums and singing for crowds, becoming idols for thousands of children and young people.
But in 2008, the story of 3+2 came to an end, and Sergio, at seventeen years old, faced a decision that would mark his life: leave fame behind and resume his life in Sanlúcar. “I wanted to return to a normal life, without the noise of fame,” says Sergio in his recent interview. “There is great peace in looking back and knowing that I chose a path that I feel good about,” he says. Sergio decided to study to become an oral hygienist and nurse, and found in his new profession a vocation that deeply fulfills him.
© sergiogargilFather of two children
Since then, Sergio has built a life away from the stage, but he never abandoned his love for music. Although she no longer pursues it as a career, she has continued singing in special moments. In 2023, Sergio is part of the group Vocemwhich performs at ceremonies and intimate events. “It’s a way to get rid of my thorn,” he confesses.
In addition to his career in the healthcare field, Sergio is today the father of two children, an experience that he describes as “the greatest gift of life.” He keeps alive the memory of his mother, who inspired that song that took him to Junior Eurovision, and assures that “not a day goes by without thinking about her and everything she has taught me.”