On March 18th, “Candela” by Alvaro Soler and Nico Santos was crowned the winner of the 2025 Locura de Marzo, directly translated to “March Madness.” This marks yet another win for Alvaro Soler, preceded by his songs “Para Vivirla” in 2024, “A Contracorriente” in 2022, “La Libertad” in 2020, and “Lo Mismo” in 2019. Yet again, founder and coordinator of Locura de Marzo at Ramapo Señora Ciprian predicted the win: “I had a strong feeling that ‘Candela’ by Alvaro Soler and Nico Santos would resonate with our students—and I was right! The song’s upbeat energy and catchy rhythm made it a favorite among students, keeping them engaged throughout the competition.” This Latin folk pop hit, featuring a mix of Spanish and English lyrics, uses the “candle” or “fire” as a metaphor for a passionate love. It was originally seeded third after “Turista” by Bad Bunny and “Bailando en la Lluvia” by Daddy Yankee, then won the finals over 8th-seeded “Cómo Pasó” by Ela Taubert with 70267 votes.
This year, songs were played during passing periods, in addition to playing them before and after the morning announcements. “Many students found themselves singing along or asking about certain songs, which fostered a sense of connection and excitement beyond the classroom,” Señora Ciprian added. “Music has a way of bringing people together, and playing the songs over the loudspeaker helped spread the energy of Locura de Marzo to the entire school.” Moreover, in exposing students to new music, Locura de Marzo helps to educate. Senior Life editor of Rampage and AP Spanish student Ina Nip, who also predicted Candela to be the winner, remarked, “After participating in the challenge for the first time in her class last year, I truly discovered that listening to music in Spanish not only massively helps with improving my fluency, but with learning about different cultures around the world. I highly encourage anyone who is taking Spanish or plans on taking AP Spanish to listen to Latin music!”
Locura de Marzo has not only become a major event at Ramapo, but is also popular around the world. Over 1,500 schools and 240,000 students across 15 countries (all 50 states in America having participated) took part in voting for the best songs. It engages and expands the music culture while fostering school spirit. As put by sophomore Spanish 3H student and DJ Mia Tarta, “I look forward to hearing the songs and listening to new styles of music. I love how music can elevate us and bring us together.”
