Portugal begins their search for their 2024 Eurovision entry this weekend, as the annual Festival Da Canção returns!
Consisting of two semi-finals and the final, FdC will conclude on March 9th 2024, which is in just two weeks.
Here’s all you need to know about the artists taking part in Semi-Final 1.
Nena – ‘Teorias da Conspiração’
Singer/songwriter Nena comes from Lisbon and has been making music professionally since 2019, despite having written her first song at age 12. Her lyrics and music often feature the topic of love, which has become popular over the years, winning the ‘Artist Revelation’ Award at the Play Awards. Nena released her first album ‘Ao fundo da rua’ in November 2022, which she presented at Casino Estoril with special guests Bárbara Tinoco, Carolina de Deus and João Só – who had encouraged her to begin her musical career.
Her song is titled ‘Teorias da Conspiração’ (‘Conspiracy Theories’), which you can hear below!
Perpétua – ‘Bem Longe Daqui’
Perpétua is a band made up of Diogo, Rúben, Xavier and Beatriz – the three men met at a music school in Gafanha da Nazaré, Ílhavo, with Beatriz joining the group after meeting Diogo at high school.
Their debut single ‘Condição’ was released in 2020, and was first performed when they opened for André Henriques. In 2021, they released their debut album ‘Esperar Pra Ver’.
They partnered with the Ílhavo City Council to record and reinvent 5 songs for their EP ‘Muito Mais’ by the late Carlos Paião, whose family all came from Ílhavo, and who won Festival Da Canção 1981 – going on to represent Portugal in Eurovision with ‘Playback’.
Their song is called ‘Bem Longe Daqui’ (‘Far Away From Here’), and you can hear it below!
Mela – ‘Água’
26-year-old Mariana Fernandes Gonçalves (Mela) was born in Funchal and throughout her childhood participated in several singing competitions, also learning how to play both guitar and piano. She’s been writing poems since she was 10 years old, moving into songwriting when she became a professional musician.
In 2016, Mela took part in The Voice Portugal and started creating songs for herself and other artists in 2019 and 2020. She refers to her songs as ”like a diary transformed into a sung story”.
Mela is also a medical student, dentist and artist – but is setting out for her biggest year in music yet – taking part in FdC 2024, and preparing to release her first album later in the year.
Her song is called ‘Água’ (‘Water’), and you can hear it below!
Mila Dores – ‘Afia a Língua’
Jazz star Mila Dores began musical training at the age of five at the Vilar do Paraíso studying piano and singing, going on to attend the Escola de Jazz do Porto. She moved to the UK in 2009, completing a degree in Jazz and Indian Classical Music at Leeds College of Music, winning “Young Jazz Musician” at the Jazz Yorkshire Awards.
She released an album in 2011 titled ‘Is Love The World?’, and has performed alongside British Jazz singers Simon Purcell, Evan Parker, Ian Shaw, and Matthew Bourne
Mila’s song is called ‘Afia a Língua’ (‘Sharpen Your Tongue’) and you can hear it below!
Left – ‘Volto a Ti’
António Graça (LEFT) has been making music for almost a decade, winning the National Antena 3 Band Contest in 2015, and releasing his debut Indie-Folk album ‘Influence’ in 2017.
In 2019 he transitioned to pop/electronic music, releasing several singles that helped to form his second album ‘Perspective’ in 2021. Whilst his music is mainly in English, he’s currently working on his first Portuguese album.
Despite FdC 2024 being his first time in the contest as an artist, it isn’t the first time he’s had a song in the running. He was behind the production of ‘A Festa‘ by Edmundo Inácio, which placed 2nd in 2023.
LEFT’s song is called ‘Volto a Ti’ (‘I Return To You’) and you can hear it below!
Rita Rocha – ‘Pontos Finais’
Rita Rocha may only be 17 years old, but she’s already a big rising star in Portugal. After taking part in The Voice Kids in 2021, her debut single ‘Mais ou Menos Isto’ went platinum, and a year later was performing on the main stage at MEO Marés Vivas and Festival F.
She released an EP in 2023 titled ‘A Miúda do 319‘, which received support from radio stations across Portugal, as well as praise from stars AGIR, Bárbara Tinoco and Carolina Deslandes. Rita was named artist of the month in March 2023 by MTV Push and sings on the soundtrack of Rabo de Peixe, an acclaimed series on Netflix.
Rita’s song is called ‘Pontos Finais’ (‘End Point’) and you can hear it below!
Noble – ‘Memory’
Pedro Fidalgo (NOBLE), is a singer/songwriter who comes from Amarante. He joined a number of garage bands and tribute bands as a teen, meeting Fingertips drummer Jorge Oliveira, who introduced him to Metrosonic Records. He went on to release ‘Honey’ as his debut single, which became the theme of the soap opera Amar Depois de Amar. He’s been travelling across the world in the 2020s to create his music, writing one of his singles ‘Lost In You’ in the USA.
NOBLE’s song is called ‘Memory’ and you can hear it below!
João Borsch – ‘…Pelas Costuras’
Funchal native João Borsch has been into music since childhood – drumming in a local metal band, and was the regional champion of Guitar Hero!
He moved to Lisbon to take a degree in Jazz and Modern Music, releasing his debut album ‘Uma Noite Romântica com João Borsch’, in 2021. In 2023, he released his second album ‘É Só Harakiri, Baby’, which featured popular songs ‘Pólvara!’ and ‘Nunca Consigo Recusar’.
João’s song is called ‘…Pelas Costuras’ (‘…At The Seams’) and you can hear it below!
Iolanda – ‘Grito’
Iolanda is from São Pedro de Cova Gala, Figueira da Foz, but moved to Lisbon aged 17. She sang in bars and talent contests before moving to London to study songwriting at Sussex University.
She released her debut EP in March 2023 titled ‘Cura’, which gained attention across Portugal for its vulnerability and storytelling. Named as ‘one of music’s next great divas made in Portugal’ by Rimas e Batidas, Iolanda has already managed to impress publications and radio stations across the country so early into her career.
Iolanda’s song is called ‘Grito’ (‘Shout’) and is one of the favourites to win FdC this year. You can hear her song below!
Bispo – ‘Casa Portuguesa’
Hip-Hop artist Bispo is another one of the favourites in FdC 2024 – his raw, personal lyricism tied with modern yet traditional musical elements in his songs has gained a huge fanbase. His music has resonated specifically with a young audience, with Bispo aiming to reflect their reality in his music.
With over 650,000 monthly listeners and more than 200,000 followers on Instagram, he’s one of the most well-known artists taking part in this year’s contest. He’s released 4 albums to date and performed on some of the biggest stages in Portugal.
Bispo’s song is called ‘Casa Portuguesa’ and you can hear it below!
Festival Da Canção Semi Final 1 takes place on February 24th 2024 at 22:00 CET // 21:00 GMT Live on RTP – click here to watch live.
Who’s your FdC Semi 1 favourite? Leave a comment below to let us know!
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