🇵🇹 Blast from the Past: Portugal 1994

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today we want to honour Sara Tavares, who participated for Portugal in 1994. She passed away last Sunday.

Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest

Portugal started participating in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964. It all started with a zero. This was the starting signal for a long and not easy road for Portugal. The idiosyncratic entries the country had often finished low. Exceptions were Carlos Mendes (1958) and JosĂ© Cid (1980), both of whom reached a seventh place. In 1996, Lucia Moniz finished in sixth place with her “O meu coração nĂŁo tem cor”. But for a victory, Portugal had to wait until 2017.

It was Salvador Sobral who managed to enchant both the televoters and the professional jury with his subdued song “Amar pelos dois”. It turned into a landslide victory for the Portuguese; something they had been waiting for so long. 

photo: EBU/Andres Putting

Festival RTP Da Canção 1994

The national final in Portugal is always called Festival RTP Da Canção. This year, two semifinals were held, on 10 and 17 january. Each of the semifinals contained 10 songs. Among them, Marco Quelhas, who represented Portugal in the 2001 contest as a half of the duo MTM. Eight songs headed to the final:

 

  1. Isabel Campelo, “Malmequer do Campo“, 122 pts, 3rd
  2. Trivium, “Trovas do Demo e d’el Rei“, 84 pts, 5th
  3. Pedro MiguĂ©is, “Todos NĂłs Alguma Vez“, 136 pts, 2nd
  4. Inova Fora Nada, “O Vento Sabe o Que Quer“, 83 pts, 6th
  5. JosĂ© Carvalho, “Lisboa, Minha Linda Cidade“, 92 pts, 4th
  6. Fernanda Lopes, “Se Fores Poema“, 75 pts, 7th
  7. TĂł Carlos, “Ai Dona InĂŞs“, 46 pts, 8th
  8. Sara Tavares, “Chamar a MĂşsica“, 220 pts, 1st

As you can see, Sara Tavares won with a landslide, 84 points ahead of the runner up!

Sara Tavares

Sara Alexandra Lima Tavares, born on February 1, 1978, in Lisbon, Portugal, was a renowned Portuguese singer, composer, guitarist, and percussionist. Of Cape Verdean descent, her parents immigrated to Portugal and settled in Almada in the 1970s. Tavares grew up in Lisbon and faced early family challenges, with her father leaving and her mother moving south with her siblings, leaving Sara in the care of an older woman.

Tavares exhibited remarkable musical talent from a young age. In 1994, at just 16, she won the national television song contest “Chuva de Estrelas,” performing Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time.” That same year, she triumphed at the “Festival da Canção,” earning a spot in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. Her winning song, “Chamar a MĂşsica,” was included on her debut EP, “Sara Tavares & Shout” (1996), where she blended gospel and funk with Portuguese influences.

Her debut album “Mi Ma BĂ´,” produced by Lokua Kanza, was released in 1999. In 2017, Tavares released the album “Fitxadu,”. It was inspired by Lisbon’s diverse African sounds and cultures, showcasing a more electronic and urban sound. The album earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Portuguese Language Roots Album.

Tavares was multilingual, composing in Portuguese, Portuguese-based Creole languages, and occasionally English. Sara was known for singing the European-Portuguese version of “God Help the Outcasts” from the Disney movie “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,”. She won a Disney Award for the best version of the original song with it. She also won a Portuguese Golden Globe for Best Portuguese Singer in 2000.

photo: Henryk Kotowski

Tavares passed away on November 19, 2023, in Lisbon at the age of 45, after a long battle with a brain tumor diagnosed since 2009​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. Her death was a great shock in the Eurovision community.

Chamar a MĂşsica

“Chamar a MĂşsica,” the captivating song that Sara Tavares performed at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, showcases her exceptional talent as a young artist. At just 16 years old, Tavares brought this melodic and emotionally resonant piece to the Eurovision stage, representing Portugal with grace and artistry. The song is characterized by its smooth, soulful melody. It is blending elements of Portuguese musical tradition with contemporary influences. Although Tavares’ performance was well-received, it ultimately placed 8th in the competition. Despite this, “Chamar a MĂşsica” remains a significant part of her early career, reflecting her deep connection to her cultural roots.

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Read More »
March 29, 2026 No Comments
History
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70 years of Eurovision: the first years

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 1956 Seven countries lined up at the start of the Song Contest. Lugano, Switzerland hosted the event. Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland took part. Each country could submit two songs, which helped fill the programme. Lohengrin Filipello presented the show entirely in Italian. The scoring lacked suspense. Two jurors from each country gave their verdict. At the end of the evening, Rolf Liebermann, the Martin Green of his time, came on stage and announced Switzerland as the winner. That result did not come as a surprise. Luxembourg did not send any jurors and instead asked two Swiss jurors to vote on their behalf. The winning song was the Swiss “Refrain”. When singer Lys Assia had to sing her song again, it became too much for her. She said she was overcome by emotions and decided to start over. Few moving images of the festival have survived; however, an audio recording does. 1957 United Kingdom, Denmark, and Austria joined the seven already participating countries. The contest was held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. And this time, there was a voting procedure. Host Anaid Iplikjan had an assistant who established the telephone connections. It was a tough job for the presenter: not every jury chairman had read the instructions properly. Anaid had to constantly make adjustments. One entry that should not go unmentioned is that of Denmark. Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler played a fishing couple. She said goodbye to him because he had to go sailing. The act ended with a kiss. At a sign from the director, the two were supposed to let go of each other. However, the person who was supposed to give that sign was not paying attention, causing the kiss to last an extremely long time. And this happened in 1957! It did not get any more exciting after that. The Dutch Corry Brokken won with a landslide. She made quite an impression with her “Net als toen”. This was due in no small part to the beautiful solo by violinist Sem Nijveen. 1958 For the first time, the winning country hosted the Song Contest the following year. Ten countries competed in the AVRO studio in Hilversum. Great Britain skipped this edition, but Sweden made its debut. Hannie Lips served as the host. She only appeared after all the songs had been performed. At that point, she explained that technical problems had prevented some countries from broadcasting the first entry, Italy’s song. The organisers therefore repeated it. He did not win. However, it was a lucrative experience for the Italian Domenico Modugno. His song “Nel blu dipinto di blu”, under the title “Volare”, probably became the biggest Eurovision hit ever. Countless versions have been made of it. Dean Martin’s is the best known, but David Bowie and Paul McCartney also sang the song. The battle for first place was incredibly exciting. This one was between France and Switzerland. 1956 winner Lys Assia seemed poised to take first place with her “Giorgio”. She just missed out. It was the Frenchman AndrĂ© Claveau who claimed first place with “Dors mon amour”. And for anyone who thinks he went on to buy a villa or a yacht with the proceeds from this song: not at all. He happily announced that he could now purchase an extra cow for his herd!

Read More »
March 29, 2026 No Comments
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