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''Your Face Sounds Familiar'' (
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
: ''Tu cara me suena'') is a Spanish interactive
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
franchise series where celebrity contestants impersonate singers. The format, similar to Dutch television series ''
Soundmixshow ''Soundmixshow'' is a Dutch talent show which was a live-vocals version of the '' Playback Show''. It aired from 17 November 1985 to 27 April 2002 and was hosted by Henny Huisman. The format has since been sold to other countries,
'', was first used in Spain under the title '' Tu cara me suena'' in 2011.


Format

The show challenges celebrities to perform as different iconic music artists every week, which are chosen by the show's "Randomiser". They are then judged by the panel of celebrity judges. Each celebrity becomes transformed into a different singer each week, and performs an iconic song and dance routine well known by that particular singer. The "randomiser" can choose any older or younger artist available in the machine, or even a singer of the opposite sex, or a deceased singer. The contestants are awarded points from the judges based on their singing and dance routines. After the jury vote, the contestants have to give a set of points to a fellow contestant of their choice. The total score of each contestant is counted by summing the points from judges and contestant's voting. In case of a tie, the judges will choose the weeks winner. Whoever is at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the each show receives a cash prize for a charity of their choice and a further grand prize for the "series champion".


Blackface incidents

Throughout the course of its broadcast, the ''Your Face Sounds Familiar'' franchise has received heavy criticism due to its contestants' frequent usage of
blackface Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...
. Prominent artists who have been impersonated via blackface include
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
,
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
,
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
and
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
. In March 2021, actor Tomasz Ciachorowski received backlash after performing
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
's single " Stronger" on the Polish iteration of the franchise while using blackface. The series defended Ciachorowski's impersonation and were "very surprised" by the negative reception, arguing: "The intention of each star performing on the show, as well as of the whole production team, is to recreate the original performance in the most precise manner, while honouring the original artist." In accordance with the requirements of the franchise's owner
Banijay Banijay Entertainment S.A. (formerly Banijay Group and later Banijay) is a French multinational television production and distribution company which is the world's largest international content producer and distributor with over 130 production co ...
, the Czech version of the series prohibited the usage of blackface in April 2021. Vojtěch Boháček, the edition's
public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
coordinator, supported the decision and added that the show's goal "has always been and is to respect and celebrate artists around the world, regardless of their race,
gender Gender is the range of social, psychological, cultural, and behavioral aspects of being a man (or boy), woman (or girl), or third gender. Although gender often corresponds to sex, a transgender person may identify with a gender other tha ...
,
sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns ar ...
or any other characteristics." The Polish edition of the series received widespread criticism again in September 2023 after singer Kuba Szmajkowski and actress Pola Gonciarz used blackface to impersonate
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
and
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
. As Szmajkowski performed Lamar's single " Humble", he also sported fake
cornrows Cornrows (also called canerows) are a style of three-strand braids in which the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to make a continuous, raised row. Cornrows are often done in simple, straight lines, as the ...
and repeatedly used ''
nigga ''Nigga'' (), also known as "''the N-word''", is a colloquial term in African-American Vernacular English that is considered as a vulgar word in most contexts of its use. It began as a dialect form of the word ''nigger'', an ethnic slur agai ...
''; the broadcast did not censor the racial term, although it did censor other profane language. In a statement obtained by ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', Banijay Group condemned its
subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...
, Endemol Shine Poland, for its execution of their franchise, stating that it "contradicts with our group's global values." The company shared that a "subsequent internal investigation is underway and the appropriate measures will be taken." In 2015, the Spanish version of the series featured
Ruth Lorenzo Ruth Lorenzo Pascual (; born 10 November 1982) is a Spanish singer, composer and television personality, best known in the UK for been the eighth contestant eliminated in the fifth series of the British TV talent show ''The X Factor'' in 2008. ...
in blackface 3 times, as
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
,
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
and
Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. Having received List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Hudson, numerous accolades for ...
, the latter being her show winning performance. In 2021, the Chinese version of the series featured rapper Vava in blackface as
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
. 2024 croatia version mia Was As
chanel terrero Chanel Terrero Martínez (born 28 July 1991), known mononymously as Chanel (), is a Cuban and Spanish singer, dancer and actress, having worked in several stage musicals. She represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, after having w ...


International versions

Since the format debuted in Spain, there have been more than 45 versions worldwide (as of December 2016). ;Legend : Airing : Not airing : Upcoming : Original version ''(Spain)'' : Talent version ''(Spain)'' : Kids version ''(Portugal)''


See also

* ''
Soundmixshow ''Soundmixshow'' is a Dutch talent show which was a live-vocals version of the '' Playback Show''. It aired from 17 November 1985 to 27 April 2002 and was hosted by Henny Huisman. The format has since been sold to other countries,
'' – similar concept that debuted in the Netherlands in 1985, on
KRO Kro or KRO may refer to: *, Dutch public broadcasting organization * Kro (comics), character from the Marvel Comics, also known as Warlord Kro *IATA code for Kurgan Airport *ISO code for Kru languages The Kru languages are spoken by the Kru ...
. * ''
Stars in Their Eyes ''Stars in Their Eyes'' is a British television talent series, based on Joop van den Ende's Dutch format '' Soundmixshow''. It featured a singing contest in which members of the public impersonate showbiz stars. The show premiered on 21 Ju ...
'' – British adaptation of ''Soundmixshow'', originally from 1990 to 2006, on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
.


Notes


References

{{Authority control Banijay franchises Singing talent shows franchises