http://eurovisionireland.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/portugal-eurovision-2014.png

 

With its best placing at any Eurovision Final an infamous 6th place, it's easy to disregard Portugal as a country with a rich musical history.

It's a given that in recent years most Portuguese entries are below average and nice at best, but taking part since 1964 this country has plenty of monster hits in its repertoire. Domestic hits, that is, but still most Portuguese people would know a good bunch of the oldies, while some are forever part of the Portuguese culture.

 

Here I will try to timely countdown the Portuguese entries from the very worst and forgettable to the very best and iconic of them all.

 

As a teaser let's start off with two songs that have won the Portuguese Finals but never made it to the Eurovision stage.

 

XX | 1970 | "Onde Vais Rio Que Eu Canto" | SÉRGIO BORGES

http://fes70.no.sapo.pt/sergio70.jpg (Where Do You Go River That I Sing)

 

In a time where Festival da Canção was bigger than Melodifestivalen, RTP held its 7th edition (then named 'TV's 7th Grand Prix of Song') with a chance to sing at Eurovision gone from the prize package. After the 4-way tie for victory of the 1969 edition, Portugal boycotted the 1970 contest along with Austria, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Unlike the Swedes, the Portuguese still carried on with their 1970 Grand Prix and Sérgio Borges battled it out with other former and future Portuguese entrants, with an overzealous backing singer, powerful strings and a moody atmosphere that would make any Bond theme sound like a lullabye.

Needless to say, not many people remember this classic or indeed its performer, so how it would've fared at Eurovision is a question I fear an answer for.

 

XX | 2000 | "Sonhos Mágicos" | LIANA

http://fes00.com.sapo.pt/liana.jpg (Magic Dreams)

 

With declining rates, declining public interest and a relegation from Eurovision 2000 (at Globen!), RTP ventured into keeping up with tradition and put a 8 song-long National Final.

Largely forgotten by pretty much everyone, it's no wonder no one really came out of this as a star (even if Mónica Ferraz, singer of 3rd placed group Secreta Passagem, built a respectable music career for herself ever since).

"Sonhos Mágicos" was deeply immersed in the Disney ballad category and could not keep up with its radio times. Liana herself vanished only to remerge as of late with appearances at Eurovision Live Concert 2013 and this year's Festival da Canção where she was part of an interval act with other past winners.

Edited March 24, 201411 yr by Vülker

Wait, did RTP know Portugal were relegated already?

 

Anyway much as I love Catarina I just CAN'T with Portugal so short of DEIXA-ME SONHAR I am OUT

2003 and 2008 were Portugal's only standout moments for me although I always had a soft spot for the 2001 entry too, but then I hold very fond memories of that contest and like practically everything!

Wait, did RTP know Portugal were relegated already?

 

Anyway much as I love Catarina I just CAN'T with Portugal so short of DEIXA-ME SONHAR I am OUT

 

AFAIK, yes. The rules were well established by then, no? And considering how lacklustre (even by Portugal's standards) that NF was, I'm really sure they knew they wouldn't be going DIREKT TIL GLOBEN.

 

Deixa-me Sonhar is 'MEH' at best. :unsure:

2003 and 2008 were Portugal's only standout moments for me although I always had a soft spot for the 2001 entry too, but then I hold very fond memories of that contest and like practically everything!

 

:mellow: 2001 was atrocious. The real Portuguese gems are scattered between the 60s and the 90s. Only 2008/2009/2010~ picked up the pace but everything outside from those 3 years have been shameful really.

Carlos Paião is the only one I like from 1964-2009 :lol:

Flor De Lis or NOTHING!

Carlos Paião is the only one I like from 1964-2009 :lol:

 

 

Flor De Lis or NOTHING!

 

Two of my personal favourites actually.

erm SENHORA DO MAR >>>>>>>>>>>

x

Edited March 24, 201411 yr by Eyes
there's no need to spam youtube embeds of the very songs that are going to be coming later

Hi mods,

 

Can we please edit this last post? I've yet to get to those songs and it just makes this thread too video heavy without inputting any valid commentary.

 

Thanks.

 

I like only some Portuguese entries : Non Stop, Tonicha, "Conquistador" and song from this year.

Edited March 24, 201411 yr by AlexRus

Hi mods,

 

Can we please edit this last post? I've yet to get to those songs and it just makes this thread too video heavy without inputting any valid commentary.

 

Thanks.

 

my apologies -_-

I loved Sabrina with "Dança comigo (Vem ser feliz)" in 2007. Shame that she wasn't in the final. The music was very good and Sabrina was likeable..I like the fact that Portugal always send a Portuguese song despite it hasn't the best positions in the final or semi-finals. Sweden is one of my favourite Eurovision countries but they always send an english song which it's the easiest way..

Edited March 25, 201411 yr by Insomnio

I loved Sabrina with "Dança comigo (Vem ser feliz)" in 2007. Shame that she wasn't in the final. The music was very good and Sabrina was likeable..I like the fact that Portugal always send a Portuguese song despite it hasn't the best positions in the final or semi-finals. Sweden is one of my favourite Eurovision countries but they always send an english song which it's the easiest way..

 

Yes, I do agree. But for once it would be nice to see my country represented by a piece of music with international appeal. I wouldn't mind if they sang it in Uzbek as long as the track sounded as modern as the Swedish or indeed the Greek. :cry:

Yes, I do agree. But for once it would be nice to see my country represented by a piece of music with international appeal. I wouldn't mind if they sang it in Uzbek as long as the track sounded as modern as the Swedish or indeed the Greek. :cry:

 

As much as i love British music, i believe that Greece needs to send only Greek songs. This is Eurovision. Every country sends a song which it represents their culture (like Portugal/wise people). That's why i loved 1990-99 era in comparison with the last years. I think that it is extremely silly and offensive the fact that every country sends an english song. They are so wannabes and desperate!!! It's not an English festival. I prefer countries which they send songs with their own language. They have guts.. And i don't care if their languages sound like a dog barking to my ears. If their songs had nice vocals and music, i would like like them anyway...This is the magic of Eurovision. It doesn't need to understand every word of the lyrics..There are so many things that can excite you (Performance, rhythm, vocals, traditional instruments e.t.c).

As much as i love British music, i believe that Greece needs to send only Greek songs. This is Eurovision. Every country sends a song which it represents their culture (like Portugal/wise people). That's why i loved 1990-99 era in comparison with the last years. I think that it is extremely silly and offensive the fact that every country sends an english song. They are so wannabes and desperate!!! It's not an English festival. I prefer countries which they send songs with their own language. They have guts.. And i don't care if their languages sound like a dog barking to my ears. If their songs had nice vocals and music, i would like like them anyway...This is the magic of Eurovision. It doesn't need to understand every word of the lyrics..There are so many things that can excite you (Performance, rhythm, vocals, traditional instruments e.t.c).

 

 

finally i see some people that share the same thoughts as me, Eurovision supposed to be a festival where each country would take the best of their culture for the show, its annoying when outsiders of our country makes such pressions towards those who refuse to sing in english with the threat of not getting votes, i already stopped worrying with them a very long time ago, they are just outsiders full of ignorance toward a specific country culture mixing everything and not making any sense when discuss about the culture, so i ignore them.

I loved Sabrina with "Dança comigo (Vem ser feliz)" in 2007. Shame that she wasn't in the final. The music was very good and Sabrina was likeable..I like the fact that Portugal always send a Portuguese song despite it hasn't the best positions in the final or semi-finals. Sweden is one of my favourite Eurovision countries but they always send an english song which it's the easiest way..

 

Sabrina and Suzy are tagged as the same type of music most of the portuguese refuses to take to a european show (at least is what they say), but the true is, those songs wins at the crucial moment the national contest, because are easy songs, catchy, cheap and simple, and thats it.

 

Both Sabrina and Suzy songs were composed, arranged and wrote by Emanuel the creator of the tag music of Pimba means all the adjectives I mentioned above.

Edited March 25, 201411 yr by Odaisul

finally i see some people that share the same thoughts as me, Eurovision supposed to be a festival where each country would take the best of their culture for the show, its annoying when outsiders of our country makes such pressions towards those who refuse to sing in english with the threat of not getting votes, i already stopped worrying with them a very long time ago, they are just outsiders full of ignorance toward a specific country culture mixing everything and not making any sense when discuss about the culture, so i ignore them.

I think you're forgetting that a lot of countries hold national finals, as in PEOPLE decide which songs get sent to Eurovision. Yes, of course, sometimes foreign language songs win and they get translated for Eurovision (hai Iceland, Albania (although in these cases ALL NF songs were in their own language)) but it's not like it's such a common thing anyway. People in their own country deemed the song to be the best possible entrant and there's nothing you ("the outsider" :magic: ) can say and do about it.

 

And puh-lease! In 2012 there were 6 songs in the Top 10 that used a foreign language or were exclusively in their country's language! I have no doubt that if Euphoria was sung in Swedish, it'd have still landslided this bitch as well.

finally i see some people that share the same thoughts as me, Eurovision supposed to be a festival where each country would take the best of their culture for the show, its annoying when outsiders of our country makes such pressions towards those who refuse to sing in english with the threat of not getting votes, i already stopped worrying with them a very long time ago, they are just outsiders full of ignorance toward a specific country culture mixing everything and not making any sense when discuss about the culture, so i ignore them.

 

:teresa:

Edited March 25, 201411 yr by Odaisul