"We could fill the Palau Sant Jordi, but we prioritize the well-being of our audience."

BarcelonaThe Little Pot It continues to grow. The family music group led by Helena Bagué and Siddhartha Vargas, whose songs have amassed over 200 million views on YouTube and more than 120,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, makes its debut this Friday in a field they haven't yet explored: film. They're doing so with an original song. The spirit of Christmas, the main theme of the Catalan animated film Hanna and the Forgotten Christmas, by Elena Ruiz, a sequel to the 2023 film Hanna and the Monsterswhich was nominated for both the Gaudí and Goya awards. "We had already received some similar proposals, but this one finally convinced us because of the project and its values, which aligned with those of El Pot Petit," explains Vargas. The fact that the theme was Christmas was an added bonus for Bagué, who admits to being "a huge fan" of Christmas songs.

For El Pot Petit, it was a special experience; the first time they had lent their talents to an external artistic project. It was also the first song created to function in a world that wasn't their own, but rather that of Hanna, a girl who, after traveling in the first installment to the world where monsters live and discovering that most are rather timid and afraid of humans, tries in this second part (accompanied by her monster friends) to prevent the evil Gargoyle from harming everyone. "The film team made things much easier for us, with illustrations and thestoryboard "From the moment the characters sing the song – Vargas –. In fact, they adapted the animation to the song, not the other way around. And in retrospect, we've seen that they've given it more importance in the film than originally planned."

The spirit of Christmas, which won't be released on platforms until this Friday to coincide with the film's premiere, isn't the only El Pot Petit song featured in the movie: at some point, Christmas songs by the group can be heard in the background, and the end credits theme is Christmas is here. Of The spirit of ChristmasFurthermore, they have recorded Spanish and English versions for the Spanish and English versions of the film; it is not the first time that Pot Petit has adapted its songs into Spanish, and they even performed a Spanish version of their show in the State The shameful lion, but is Rather, they are the exception: the bulk of their audience is in Catalonia, where they perform around 90 concerts a year. And they champion the talent and quality of Catalan children's music and theater. "The level in Catalonia is extremely high compared to the rest of Spain. We have a very important tradition here, and that's evident when you go to an international fair like the one in Gijón," Vargas points out.

A "very tough" first season

Although Hanna and the Forgotten Christmas This is the group's first foray into film; El Pot Petit had already had an intense relationship with the audiovisual world through their own series, SX3. The World of Pot Petitwhich is already in its second season. "The first season was very tough for us," Bagué admits. "We were used to the stage, and television was a new language we didn't yet master. But the experience has enriched us, and we've really enjoyed the second season." Both musicians are teachers and, therefore, are aware of parents' concerns about children's excessive screen time; that's why they've tried to create "a program that slows down and takes its time," that upholds the values it shares, and that doesn't want to overwhelm children with stimuli. In any case, Bagué appeals to parents' responsibility: "All the programs are available, but you might not want to watch both seasons in two days."

In the program, as well as in the shows at El Pot Petit, the Siddhartha And Helena transform into Pau and Jana, two characters who are themselves and yet not. "It's an exaggerated version of myself that allows me to connect more easily with children," says Vargas. For Bagué, it's "a comfortable way to differentiate yourself from who you are when you go on stage." In any case, they assure us, the divergence between the two facets isn't very significant. "I'm the typical guy who ends up sitting at the kids' table at dinner parties playing whatever," admits Vargas. Incidentally, despite claiming Siddhartha And having named his son Dalai, he insists he is not Buddhist. "Neither Buddhist nor religious." Siddhartha It's because my mother really liked Hermann Hesse's book, and we wanted to give my son a special name."

The next few weeks will be intense for El Pot Petit: in addition to the premiere of Hanna and the Forgotten ChristmasThe group has performances in Mataró and Tivissa and, starting December 20th, a dozen dates at the Teatre Victòria in Barcelona, ​​where they have been performing around this time for several years and are accustomed to selling out the theater's more than 1,200 seats. It will be the end ofThe Great Leap, the tour to present his latest album, Upside down“A very special atmosphere is created at the Victoria, a magic that you don’t find in other venues of this size, which can sometimes feel rather cold,” explains Vargas. During their fourteen performances at the Victoria last year, they drew around 16,000 spectators, figures that could pave the way for them to play in larger venues like the Palau Sant Jordi. “Yes, we could fill the Sant Jordi, but we prioritize the well-being of our audience,” says Bagué. “We prefer that the children and families who come to see us are comfortable and have a more enjoyable experience.”

[You can check the Catalan screenings of the film] in this link]