Last Friday, the Portuguese broadcaster RTP announced all the artists and songs competing to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. In total, 20 acts were allocated to one of 2 semifinals. The Semifinals of the Festival da Canção 2022 will take place on March 5 and 7 and the final is set for March 12.
We’ll be commenting each song individually. For now, get to know the 10 songs of the First Semifinal!
First Semifinal
1 – Aurea – “Why?”
Aurea is, without a doubt, one of the biggest names to step on the Festival stage. “Why” fits perfectly the kind of music she’s been marking, offering us a soulful lullaby, with a crescendo that enhances the artist’s voice. It will very likely, and not surprisingly, be among the bets with the greatest support from the jury and also from the televote,
2 – Fado Bicha – “Povo Pequeninho”
Fado Bicha brings the traditional sounds of the Portuguese music scene, while carrying a message of social critique about the Portuguese nation and their “wrongs”.. They are a Portuguese Queer activist project and we can not wait, of course, to see what they will bring on the stage!
3 – FF – “Como é Bom Esperar Alguém”
FF’s song embodies a mellodic old-style Portuguese classic contemporary ballad. The artist has also music theathre background, which can largely be transpired in this song. It will probably struggle to get a spot amongst the finalists.
4 – Diana Castro – “Ginger Ale”
Diana Castro, runner-up of The Voice Portugal’s 6th edition, is the singer of “Ginger Ale” by Joana Espadinha, who also have previously participated in Festival da Canção 2018. This is an alternative funky song, with some radiofriendly moments, and safe, stable vocals!
5 – Kumpania Algazarra – “A Minha Praia”
If you listen carefully to Kumpania Algazarra’s “A Minha Praia”, you will probably find similiarities to the rythms of “So Lucky”, Moldovan’s 2011 entry by Zdob si Zdub. This Portuguese band was founded in 2004 and mixes folk, ska, reggae and latin sounds. They really know how to make the party, so we can expect something entertaining on stage!
6 – MARO – “saudade, saudade”
MARO is a young, emerging artist in the Portuguese music scene, having studied at the Berklee College of Music and lived in Los Angeles. Something very special and unique is expressed on her music style, which has been praised by many of the established artists in Portugal. “saudade, saudade”, a word which can not be translated, is mostly sung in English, intertwining very gracefully with the Portuguese language.
7 – Norton – “Hope”
Norton is a living proof that there is Portuguese indie. In a very chill-out vibe, “Hope” takes us on a journey of discovering Norton’s music, a band that has been around for now 20 years and offers a lot of experience. Despite its pleasant quality, the song is quite harmless and doesn’t seem to be a huge contender, and may fall unnoticed and forgotten in the line-up.
8 – TheMisterDriver – Calisun
TheMisterDriver, or Rafael Matos, is a young artist (19 years of age!) that just recently started his first steps into the music industry. “Calisun” is filled with groove, it’s a breath of fresh hair and positivity. It’s a boost of energy, radiofriendly and the chorus is definitely memorable, which may give this entry a step forward!
9 – Os Quatro e Meia – “Amanhã”
Tiago, Ricardo, João, Mário, Pedro and Rui: these are the names of the 6 friends who comprise the band “Os Quatro e Meia” (translation: The Fourth and a Half). They met at the university of Coimbra, as members of Coimbra’s tuna (a group of university students who usually play serenades) and easily found a common passion: the love for music. The music project came to life in 2013. Over the past couple of years, they have been touring throughout Portugal and gathered thousands of fans with their light-hearted romantic songs.
10 – Valas & Os Astronautas – Odisseia
Valas and his “astronauta” friends invites us for a intergalactical journey with “Odisseia”. Valas is undoubtedly considered one of the most promising names in contemporary hip-hop, performing in important music festivals of the country, such as Vodafone Mexefest, Sumol Summer Fest or MEO Sudoeste. This song clearly fits the kind of music he masters, although we don’t feel very confident of a qualification to the Grand Final of FdC.
What do you think of these 10 songs? What are your big favourites? Share your thoughts with us!
