Road to Liverpool: Portugal

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Portugal.

Mimicat

Festival RTP da Canção, the Portuguese national selection, has been won by Mimicat with het song “Ai coração”. Mimicat wrote and composed the song herself. Co-composer is Luís Pereira.

Mimicat’s real name is Marisa Mena. When she was 9 years old she recorded her first album. She was only 15 years old when she first participated in Festival RTP da Canção, back in 2001. She sang the song “Mundo colorido” but did not make it to the final. She took part in Idolos 2004, the Portuguese version of Idol. Here she entered the last 50.

The name Mimicat exists since 2014. In that year she recorded her first single “Tell me why” and her debut album. Mimicat released two albums and a lot of singles in English. She performed in Brazil and worked together with Selah Sue. Since 2019 she sings in Portuguese. That is what lead to her victory in Festival da Canção.

Festival RTP da Canção

Festival RTP da Canção is a contest with a lot of history. It is held since Portugal started participating in the Eurovision Song Contest. Even in 1970, when Portugal did not participate in Eurovision, there was a Festival da Canção. The winner, Sérgio Borges, never made it to Eurovision. In recent years, Festival da Canção contains two semifinals and a final. This year, former Eurovision participant Cláudia Pascoal was one of the contenders.

Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest

As said, Portugal participates in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1964. Portugal often sings in Portuguese, with only a few exceptions. The country hardly ever makes it to the top. No top-5 position was there for Portugal. Lúcia Moniz did best in 1996 with “O meu coração não tem cor”: 6th. Until 2017: Salvador Sobral represented Portugal in those days. His “Amar pelos dos” became the first and, so far, only winning Portuguese entry so far.

The bookmakers

Portugal is currently 27th at the bookmakers. That would mean that Portugal would not reach the final. However, they are close to making it. Let’s hope for the final for Mimicat.

The song

And of course, this is the song:

Martijn

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