MTM

Marco Quelhas and Tony Jackson formed MTM in 2001 specifically to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. The group’s name stands for “Marco, Tony e Música,” combining the first names of its two members with the Portuguese word for “music”. In early 2001, MTM took part in Festival da Canção 2001, Portugal’s national selection contest. They performed the song “Só Sei Ser Feliz Assim” (meaning “I only know how to be happy this way”), written and composed by Marco Quelhas. MTM won the competition, which earned them the right to represent Portugal at Eurovision 2001. The Festival da Canção final was held in Santa Maria da Feira in March 2001, and MTM’s victory marked the start of their brief career as a duo.

Eurovision Song Contest 2001

MTM went on to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 in Copenhagen. They performed “Só Sei Ser Feliz Assim” during the Eurovision final on 12 May 2001. MTM finished in 17th place out of 23 participating countries. This result capped the group’s Eurovision journey. 

After Eurovision

MTM was essentially a one-off project and did not continue as an active group after 2001. They released no further singles or albums together. However, Marco Quelhas recorded an English-language version of their Eurovision song, titled “The Only Way,” and included it on his 2001 solo album Fascínio Azul. This album, released on the Ovação label, featured both the original Portuguese track “Só Sei Ser Feliz Assim” and its English version. After the Eurovision experience, the two members of MTM went back to their individual careers and pursuits.

Marco Quelhas

Marco Quelhas was an experienced singer-songwriter before joining MTM. He spent 15 years abroad and returned to Portugal in 1989 to pursue music. In 1990, he formed the band Karamuru, which recorded two albums and achieved second place in the 1990 Festival da Canção with the song “Essência da Vida”. The group’s most famous song was “Mulher Liberal”, making Marco a known figure in the Portuguese pop-rock scene. In 1993, Marco co-wrote the song “A Cidade (Até Ser Dia)”, which was performed by Anabela as Portugal’s entry at Eurovision 1993. He also performed regularly on television music programs and contributed to the debut album of Dulce Pontes, a renowned Portuguese singer and Eurovision alumna. These accomplishments established Marco Quelhas in the music industry well before the MTM project.

After Eurovision 2001, Marco Quelhas remained active in music as a singer, composer and producer. He released the album Fascínio Azul in 2001, featuring the MTM Eurovision song and its English version “The Only Way”. In 2003, Marco started a new musical project called Duas Luas together with his wife, singer Suzana, and they released an album as a duo. Marco continued to engage in various music collaborations and public events. For example, he participated in the charity single “Heróis 2004 – Portugal No Coração” in 2004, alongside other Portuguese artists. He also kept producing and performing music throughout the 2000s. Marco released additional solo albums (including one in 2008) and in 2009 celebrated 20 years of his career with a special live concert and album recording. 

Tony Jackson

Tony Jackson did not have a long music background before MTM. He was born in Angola and moved to Portugal to study medicine at the University of Coimbra. Although medicine was his field, Tony also enjoyed singing and teamed up with Marco Quelhas for the MTM Eurovision project. The 2001 Festival da Canção and Eurovision Song Contest were his first major appearances as a singer.

After Eurovision 2001, Tony Jackson did not pursue a professional music career. He completed his medical studies and eventually returned to live in Luanda, Angola. Tony has expressed pride in his Eurovision experience, noting that he was only the second Angolan-born singer ever to win Portugal’s Festival da Canção and represent Portugal at Eurovision.