Rachel Arieff

Connected:  North American residing in Spain, Rachel Arieff is an authentic show woman: she sings, does stand-up comedy, and now she programs a monthly Anti-Karaoke in Madrid.

by Darío Manrique

Who you are: An unwitting provocateur from a strange land.

An accomplishment: Shared a taxi with Carmen de Mairena.

A song that never fails: Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. They always sing so often that hearing it makes me nauseous.

Urban invention: The penis-shaped buildings and monuments all over Barcelona.

In 2004, a humorist-actress-singer from Milwaukee swaps New York for Barcelona. With Spanish worse than Michael Robinson's, Rachel Arieff decides to do monologues. Meanwhile, she creates a karaoke that smashes the preconceived ideas of bachelorette parties singing Corazón partío: "I missed the goofy theatrical karaokes that I did with my friends in the United States. People here told me that karaokes were gross and that it wouldn't work." Today, Arieff acts in her show Cómo ser feliz todo el tiempo and fills Barcelon's Sidecar Club to capacity with her Anti-Karaoke, with which she has disembarked in Madrid at El Sol.

The Anti-Karaoke: everything for rock

Every month, Rachel Arieff brings her Anti-Karaoke to Madrid, where anyone who wants to can sing rock (AC/DC, the Stones, Guns 'N' Roses...) "At this show everyone feels like God," says Fosy, a regular. Hilarious costumes, off-key crooning, makeshift choreography... Your opportunity: March 14, 10 pm, in El Sol (C/ Jardines, 3. Admission: 7 € + cerveza.