Salvador (Vilar Braamcamp) Sobral won the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with “Amor pelos dois”, representing Portugal. What’s his story?
Early Years
Salvador Sobral was born on 28 December 1989 in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. He comes from a family of Portuguese nobility. He also is a descendant of Gerrit Braamcamp, an 18th-century Dutch distiller, timber trader, and renowned art collector. Portugal officially abolished nobility and its privileges in 1910 with the proclamation of the republic. Even so, people still informally call Sobral a count. His parents, Salvador Luís Cabral Braamcamp Sobral and Luísa Maria Cabral Posser Vilar, raised him in a musical family. His older sister, Luísa Sobral, built her own reputation as a Portuguese singer and songwriter
At the age of 10, Salvador appeared on the Portuguese TV program Bravo Bravíssimo, a talent show for young musical minds. Around his twenties, he competed in Ídolos, the Portuguese version of Idols. He made it to the Top 10 finalists.
Salvador Sobral initially studied psychology at the ISPA Institute in Lisbon but left his studies to fully dedicate himself to music. Through the Erasmus program, he moved to Mallorca, where he performed in bars — an important formative experience that shaped his artistic path. He later pursued formal musical education at Taller de Músics in Barcelona, specializing in modern music and jazz, and graduated in 2014.
Eurovision and Heart Condition
When Salvador Sobral won the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with “Amar pelos dois”, he already appeared fragile on stage. Behind the captivating smile and delicate voice was a heavy truth: the young Portuguese singer was battling a severe heart condition. His health often failed him, which meant he couldn’t always attend rehearsals.
Some fans began to see the lyrics of the song in a different light, since his sister Luísa had written it for him during his illness. The line “my heart can love for both of us” gained deeper meaning, as Salvador’s own heart was failing, and in a way, his sister was “loving for two.”
In his winner’s speech, Sobral criticized much of Eurovision’s music as “fast-food music without content”, emphasizing emotion over spectacle. While many praised his lyrical honesty, other, including fellow contestant Robin Bengtsson for Sweden, felt it came across as condescending.
He later expressed regret, calling those remarks “nonsense” and acknowledging that they were interpreted as arrogant. He also regretted labeling Eurovision participation as his “personal prostitution,” admitting he had been trying to seem funny and rebellious
In September of that year, Sobral announced a forced pause in his career. He needed all his energy for treatment and recovery. The tension surrounding his situation grew, and it became clear that a major operation was inevitable.
On 8 December 2017, the crucial step followed: a heart transplant in a Lisbon hospital. The surgery was successful and literally gave Salvador a new rhythm. A month later, in January 2018, he was released from hospital. His recovery, however, came with strict rules: no hugs, no crowds, and above all: rest.
Sobral described this second chance at life as a rebirth. His voice, long affected by heavy medication, remained fragile, but he hoped to regain his full vocal strength.
Behind the medical journey lay an emotional one. Before the surgery, Salvador, uncertain of the outcome, wrote a sort of will on his phone. His wish: to be cremated and have his ashes scattered into the sea near Mallorca. A quiet but powerful testament to how close he was to death.
He has never made any statements about the precise nature of his congenital heart defect.
After Eurovision Fame
In April 2018, Salvador and his sister Luísa received the “Order of Merit”, awarded by the Portuguese president in recognition of their contribution to culture. Shortly afterward, Salvador made an impressive comeback at the Eurovision final in Lisbon. Together with Brazilian legend Caetano Veloso, he performed “Amar pelos dois”and his new song “Mano a Mano” It was a symbolic return: an artist singing with a new heart, literally and figuratively.
With renewed life and energy, Sobral embarked on a creative journey that took him from Lisbon to Paris, across Latin America, and finally to Barcelona. His path since 2019 reveals an artist constantly reinventing himself while staying true to his authenticity.
In February 2024, Salvador made history again: he performed at the prestigious Goya Awards alongside Spanish singer Sílvia Pérez Cru; the first Portuguese artist ever to do so. Their collaboration grew into an intimate artistic project that culminated in the 2025 album “Sílvia & Salvador”, recorded in analogue. The record captures their voices in honest dialogue; without embellishment, pure and deeply human.
That same year, Sobral chose a new home base: Barcelona. For him, it was more than a move; it was a chance to begin again, far from the shadows of illness and recovery.
Private Life
In December 2018, Salvador married French actress Jenna Thiam. No grand spectacle, no flashing cameras, just an intimate ceremony in Lisbon with close family and friends. Jenna became not only his life partner but also his rock during the turbulent years after his transplant.
Together they welcomed a daughter, who gave Salvador’s life a new dimension. For a man who had stood so close to death, fatherhood became a gift.
In March 2024, Sobral once again showed courage and vulnerability: he revealed that he is intersex. His body does not naturally produce testosterone, a reality he had kept private for many years. By speaking openly, he not only shared his truth but also offered recognition and strength to others in similar situations.
