Fado is the theme of this year portuguese national final, Festival da Canção. The contest started in 1964 when portugal entered the ESC for the first time. Since then it is the older participating country that never won the contest. The question remains year after year: will the little atlantic country win one day?

This year, 12 songs are in the race for the big award. RTP allmost tried a different system every year trying to find the best song for Eurovision, but the best they did was a 6th place in 1996. The OGAE Portugal makes a sistematic effort and it’s one of the most active fan clubs in Europe trying to promote the country but even like that, it is not enough!!

What is needed for Portugal to win? Why Portugal failed every year? It can be a good real case study! Yesterday during the rehearsals we asked fans and journalists but the theory was not clear at all! Will it be this year?

Journalists seems not to be very optimistic even with the major subject of all songs being the national song: Fado! Fado was considered a cultural world heritage by the UNESCO and it’s a cultural pride to all the portuguese. Maybe a bit strange is that the most likely song to win was composed by a Croatian guy. Andrej Babic, is the same that composed “Senhora do mar” among other songs for Eurovision like “Call me” for Bosnia or “Cvet z juga” for Slovenia. Fans seems not be very sad with that, perhaps because of the good result of “Senhora do Mar” in 2008. Even the song can deceive the audience, the only thing that turns the song into a portuguese taste, is of course the language and the talented singer that is a Fado expert.

But let’s take a look to the rest of the songs, just in case we have a surprise. Ricardo Soler and Rui Andrade are the other two favourites for tonight. “Gratia Plena” and “Amor a preto e branco” are great performances by the hand of two former participants in the contest. The black Diva Vânia Osório has a great composition and a good performance, such as the duo Cumplices, but their songs are maybe too alternative for the taste of the Saturday night audience. We should remind that the Eurovision Song Contest still have good audience every year in Portugal, but not the National Final.

Taking a look to facebook fans, Carlos Costa is one of the most popular artists in Portugal. His song is a bit different than the rest, with lots of rhythm and it can definitely be a guarantee for the televoting.

Arménio Pimenta, Pamela Santos and Gerson Santos have average songs unfortnally, since their voices deserved a better work. Pedro Macedo has something – his voice and the song is one of the best, but something is strange in his performance.

In my opinion, the best song was given to the unexpert singer Joana Leite. She is terrible and if tonight she sings like yesterday, we will watch a murder….Live!

After all, Portugal deserves the best! The show will be one of the best national finals of the year, since RTP returned to the classical format in 2006. (by Laurent Hopkin)

Inspired by the show "Nights at the Piano," which during 2011 led Rita Guerra (Portugal, 2003)playing in theaters from north to south of Portugal, Retrato ("Portrait") is the image of an intimate Rita , surrounded by the songs that marked her life and her professional journey .

Supported on the piano, "Portrait" is an album where Rita recreates classical Portuguese hits. From fados to the pop, Rita  recover songs that, probably, the audience did not expect to hear her singing. In duets with Ivan Lins, Tim, Lara Li, Paulo de Carvalho and Angels, Portrait, also features three new songs, which promise to be the next big hits of Rita Guerra.

Anna Maria Jopek (Poland, 1997) has just released thee albums. Polanna, Haiku and Sobremesa. Those three albums are available in a single publication entitled LUSTRA where the music is accompanied by the photo story in a hundred frames presenting the last three years. According to the official website of the singer, Polanna is "the search of the essence of Polish soul in music, in the arrangements of Gil Goldstein -multiple Grammy Award winner and Krzysztof Herdzin. The albums take a fresh look at both important and beautiful moments in the history of our music." Haiku it is an attempt to find a common factor for the Polish and Japanese music. The project was accomplished together with Makoto Ozone, the most outstanding Japanese jazz pianist. Anna Maria Jopek has visited Japan six times so far performing in the most important places in the country. More concerts in December and January 2012 after the album premiere in Tokyo." Sobremesa (dessert in english), is "a kind of "dessert" after the sophistication of the main course. It presents the stories of Lisbon, the city where Anna Maria Jopek has found her second home. It is a collection of Anna Maria Jopek's beloved songs from the world of Portuguese and lusophone culture." In this CD we can listen duets with Sara Tavares and Paulo de Carvalho, both participated in Eurovision (1974 and 1994, respectively). 

One more time we are proud to take part in the organization of the biggest event related to Eurovision apart from the Eurovision Song Contest itself. Now we have the privilege to announce the first names that will perform in the Eurovision Party Portugal 2011.

Chiara who performed 3 times in Eurovision will attend the event and will be the second artist from Malta that will make history in the stage of Setúbal (host city). Fabrizio Faniello was performing in the very first edition of this event. Marcin Mrozinski from Poland will be there performing his song from 2010, Legenda. Marcin promised to give a surprise and turn this event in a special moment. Israel will attend the event by the hand of Chen Aharoni. Chen sang Or in this year K'dam. From Portugal, two artists that competed in Festival da Canção 2011 will be performing their songs. Rui Andrade that placed second with "Em nome do Amor" and Tânia Tavares that performed "Se esse dia chegar". Both songs are choosen by the readers of www.festivaistv.home.sapo.pt/mega.htm as one of the best 12 from this decade in Festival RTP da Canção.

Last week we announced the hosts of the event, Pedro Penim  and Carla Salgueiro, during next week more names will be announce. Don't forget to book your flight and hotel! We will be abble to help you if needed, just email us or contact the organization directly, so you can have everything ready for the 10th of September! Setúbal is waiting for you! www.eurovisionparty2011.webs.com

Eurovision Party Portugal 2011 will be held next September 10th in Setúbal for the third time. With a little change in the name to Eurovision Live Concert, the organization will start soon to reveal the names of the artists that will be invited to perform their songs. OGAE Portugal and the Municipality of Setúbal (50 km far from Lisbon) wants to repeat the success of the event in the last two years and wants to be a reference event in the life of all eurofans and friends of Eurovision. This time the hosts will be the actor Pedro Penim, for the second time, and the popular actress Carla Salgueiro. Ana Belén Garcia and Kristian Rodic will be encharged this time of interview the artists in the Lounge area.  http://eurovisionparty2011.webs.com/index.htm

Paulo de Carvalho, the portuguese singer from 1974 has a new CD. Ao vivo - "50 anos de carreira" celebrates his anniversary in music with a live recording. "E depois do adeus" placed last but the song became popular because of the Carnation Revolution in Portugal. In a interview to FNAC MAG, Paulo answer to the question "If someone ask you, would you comeback again to Festival RTP da Canção (National Final)?", saying "The Festival still exists?". Is this representative of the way some artists look to the contest nowadays in Portugal?. Paulo de Carvalho went to the National Final in 1971 (2nd place), 1973, 1974 (winning), 1975 (3rd place), 1977 (Os Amigos), 1984 (Quinteto Paulo de Carvalho). Its is definitely a strange opinion to someone that will always be related to the Portuguese National Final.

Hungary, one of the most expected songs. The presentation is ok with a certain glamour. We had the sensation that the singer was keeping the highest notes for next week, or was she out of tune?. Ifs it works on Tuesday, Hungary can win this time! It reminds Celine Dion!

The supposed funny moment from Portugal was nothing more than a reprise of what we saw in their national final! Some will like, some dont, some people will found it funny, some will think its ridiculous. We will see.

source: songfestival.web.nl

Rita Guerra (Portugal 2003) has a new CD entitled Nights at the Piano. In this new work, Rita play her biggest hits including Deixa-me sonhar. Rita is working on a new CD but she will be touring now this more intimate project. Her shows in Lisbon are sold out. The first will be tonight at Tivoli Theatre.

Jel e Falâncio, the leaders of Homens da Luta will represent Portugal in ESC (1st semifinal). The two humorist brothers said to TV7dias magazine today that they will write in the manifesto cards "Fight is happiness" in all languages. They also said that maybe they will rent a van to travel to Dusseldorf (and promote themselves singing on the way). Homens da Luta are one of the characters that Nuno (Jel) and Falâncio (Vasco) play in their show "Vai tudo abaixo". Recently (March 12th) they were involved in a big manifesto in Lisbon, where thousands of people show their indignation about the lack of jobs among the youngest generations and the policies of the government in Portugal. They were considered "the face" of this contestation. Carlinhos, the Gay macho is also one of the most popular characters ot the two brothers. You can see it down

A scandal for some, effects of the crisis for others. The remind of the 70's and the intervention song from Homens da Luta won in Portugal. Is the crisis economical, or cultural? We will see...

Several countries has started to think in the procedure for choosing the song for next year edition of ESC! Austrian selection was announced, Estonian too and Norway, Netherlands, Romania, etc, announced dates.

We are all looking to all national finals and waiting for details but maybe in one country it has already start! Due to the economical crisis of Portugal, RTP needs to decide but nothing new was announced yet. The two reasonable options are now: one more edition of Festival RTP da canção without semifinals or use Operação Triunfo 2010 like in 2004 to select the winner and the song later. The show will start next saturday on RTP with the 16 finalists and will end around January. If RTP decides to choose using the TV Show, it seems that the portuguese national Final has started!

www.rtp.pt/tvonline/sites/ot2010/