Portugal continues their search for their 2024 Eurovision entry this weekend with the second semi-final of the annual Festival Da Canção.
Last week saw the following acts progress to the final, which will take place on Saturday 9th March:
- Rita Rocha – ‘Pontos Finais’
- Nena – ‘Teorias da Conspiração’
- Perpétua – ‘Bem Longe Daqui’
- Iolanda – ‘Grito’
- João Borsch – ‘…Pelas Costuras’
- Noble – ‘Memory’
Let’s meet the ten artists hoping to join them!
Buba Espinho – O farol
Buba Espinho is a singer from Beja who had a love of music instilled in him from a young age by his father and grandmother, who are both also musicians. He is inspired by traditional music from the Alentejo region as well as the fado genre. His music combines these traditional Portuguese forms with pop, with his 2022 single ‘CASA’ having over 13 million streams on Spotify at the time of writing. Buba has two studio albums: his self-titled debut in 2020 and ‘Voltar’ in 2023.
Buba’s FdC entry is titled ‘O farol’ (‘The Headlight’) and you can listen to it below:
Cristina Clara – Primavera
Cristina Clara is a singer and songwriter from Minho. She moved to Lisbon to study cardiology at Hospital de Santa Maria and while doing so she turned her attention to studying theatre and singing. This led to Cristina becoming part of the Teatro de Letras Group and, while playing a young fado singer, she was invited by real-life fado singer Marco Rodrigues. She released her debut album ‘Lua Adversa’ in 2021.
Cristina’s song is called ‘Primavera’ and you can listen to it below:
L̩o Middea РDoce mist̩rio
28-year-old Léo Middea is based in Lisbon but is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is renowned for his contributions to Brazilian music in Portugal. As a young man, he gained recognition in Buenos Aires with his 2014 debut album ‘Dois’ which led him to tour Argentina. He has since released four more studio albums with his 2023 release ‘Gente’ reaching a million streams a month after its release.
Léo’s song is titled ‘Doce mistério’ (‘Sweet Mystery’) and you can listen to it below:
FILIPA – You Can’t Hide
FILIPA was born in South Africa and first became known in 2013 when she entered an international covers competition promoted by Ryan Seacrest (known best as the host of American Idol). Her rendition of One Direction‘s ‘Story of My Life’ brought her recognition in South Africa and led to her debut single ‘Chills’ being promoted through Ryan Seacrest’s website. Her 2016 single ‘Little White Lie’ also reached prominent positions on iTunes and radio charts in South Africa. FILIPA now resides between New York and Los Angeles where she has collaborated with a number of producers and songwriters, including Pam Sheyne who is best known for having co-written ‘Genie in a Bottle’ by Christina Aguilera.
FILIPA’s song is titled ‘You Can’t Hide’ and you can listen to it below:
Jọo Couto РQuarto para um
28-year-old João Couto played in garage bands before winning Portuguese Idol in 2015. He released his debut album ‘Carta Aberta’ in 2018 before going on to compete in FdC in 2019 with his song ‘O jantar’ which placed sixth in its semi. His second album ‘Boa Sorte’ was released in 2021. For his second application to FdC, João applied through the public submission process, which means members of the public could vote for who they wanted to participate in the festival. João was selected from more than 800 applicants so he certainly has the people on his side!
João’s song is titled ‘Quarto para um’ (‘Room For One’) and you can listen to it below:
Huca РP̩ de choro
Huca was born and raised in Mozambique and moved to Lisbon to study theatre-actor training at the Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema, graduating in 2006. He has collaborated with a number of directors from around the world and regularly works as a performer with the ‘mala vooda’ theatre company. Although Huca has written his own songs before, his FdC entry is his first public release.
Huca’s song is titled ‘Pé de choro’ (‘Crying Foot’) and you can listen to it below:
No Maka ft. Ana Maria – Aceitar
No Maka is the project of Emanuel Oliveira and Duarte Carvalho who have toured for years as DJs, having produced gold, platinum and double platinum records. They produced and composed Madonna‘s song ‘Faz Gostoso’ which appeared on her Billboard number 1 album ‘Madame X’! The duo will be using live instruments onstage for the first time, with jazz singer Ana Maria lending her vocals to the project.
The group’s song is titled ‘Aceitar’ (‘Accept’) and you can listen to it below:
Maria Jọo РDia
Maria João is a renowned jazz singer, having participated in a number of festivals around the world. Her contribution of bringing Portuguese music to international audiences led her to be awarded the Order of Infante D. Henrique by former president of Portugal Jorge Sampaio. She is also the only Portuguese artist to have been nominated for the European Jazz Prize.
Maria’s song is titled ‘Dia’ (‘Day’) and you can listen to it below:
Rita Onofre – Criatura
Like João Couto, Rita Onofre was chosen from the free submission portion of FdC. She is influenced by both Portuguese and international artists, including Bon Iver, BANKS and Eurovision 2017 winner Salvador Sobral. Speaking with ESC United, Rita explained that “I write songs to translate or understand what goes on inside my mind and my heart.”
Rita’s FdC entry is titled ‘Criatura’ and you can listen to it below:
SILK NOBRE – Change
SILK NOBRE is a Portuguese singer and actor who was born in Mozambique to Cape Verdean parents. He has appeared in theatre, films and television for the past twenty years as well as a host of musical projects and bands. His latest album ‘Diz à Mãe que está tudo bem’ was released in 2023.
SILK NOBRE’s entry is called ‘Change’ and you can listen to it below:
Festival Da Canção Semi Final 2 takes place on 2nd March 2024 at 22:00 CET // 21:00 GMT Live on RTP – click here to watch live.
Who’s your FdC Semi 2 favourite? Leave a comment below to let us know!
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