PORTUGAL 2011 - A luta é alegria

If you only hear this song, and never ever watch any kind of performance of it, you may think it's not half bad. But alas. This is the kind of song that makes you wish that the ESC was a radio show. Scroll down ...

It's important to understand the context of this entry - that Portugal is in a lot of difficulties right now because of the financial crisis and their government is struggling to deal with it. This song is a protest, basically. So ... there's a reason, there really is. This makes sense to them. But that doesn't change the fact that this is by far and away the most messed up entry this year.

I quite like Portugal ... they always sing in their own language, and I like that a lot. They've sent some good songs. Some clunkers too, but there are some gems in the pile. But regardless of the quality, they never get anywhere ... !! :-) I really feel for them, because they just soldier on and they never win, or even come close to winning. So I want to like them, I really do. But they're making it awfully hard this year.

There really isn't much I can say about this entry that's positive. It's just all crappy. Really. It's all bad. There will be applause when they're done, though ... because people will want to stave off the awkward silence that will be hovering in the arena. Ouch, I'm dreading it already.

If you watch this entry performed a few times and you really genuinely like it, then get help. There is help for you out there, you don't have to live like this.

This is Homens da Luta performing A luta é alegria by Vasco Duarte and Nuno Duarte. They will be competing for Portugal on Tuesday, May 10th. Brr.

Widescreen here.

Lyrics with translation here.

PORTUGAL 2010 - Há dias assim

Oh, Portugal ... !! I so want Portugal to win the ESC one day ... ! They try so hard, but they never seem to make it. They've been in the contest since almost forever - more than 45 years, although they haven't participated every year - and they so want to win, the poor souls, but they've never placed better than 6th. And that was almost 15 years ago now, too. They just never seem to make it. But they do try ... ! I applaud them for effort - and, even more, for always singing in Portuguese - and I so much hope that one day they will achieve their lofty goal and we will all tune in to Lisboa 20xx ... !! :-)

As for this year's entry, I'm afraid it's not a winner either. Too low key, too anonymous. Although it is a very pretty ballad performed very well by a singer with a good voice ... so nothing wrong with the song, per se. Nothing wrong with the performance, either. A good effort from Portugal this year, and they can hold their collective heads up, but this entry just lacks that extra something that makes a song stick in people's minds.

Compare this song to Molitva and my point will become obvious ... :-)

This is Filipa Azevedo performing Há dias assim by Agusto Madureira. He will be competing for Portugal on Tuesday, May 25th. Good luck to him!!!



Lyrics here.

Sweden, Croatia, Portugal

Sweden:
Was Malena Ernman really born female? The more I see of her, the more I question that.
Why does her gown have those feathers on it, it looks awful?? Hideous. It looks like she's stepped in a huge puddle of coffee.
Again: The chorus is fantastic, but the verse is totally standard and ruins it.
Come on, Alexander, you can beat this chick!! All this winning lark aside, you know that beating the Swede is all we really ask of you. ;-)

Croatia:
I like this song, I think it's lovely. Not a winner though, too slow and too little personality.
I've figured out what it is they're trying to communicate with the choreography: That Igor is soo sexy that when they hear him sing, they just have to touch themselves ...
Nice, I will listen to this a lot when I get around to picking up the CD. (I haven't yet, shame on me.) But far from a winner.

Portugal:
Aww, the sweetest entry. Adorable. Great performance, and I totally love what they're doing with the stage.
I so hope this will do well, it's just so sweet. Precious. :-) Good luck. :-)

Portugal, Malta, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Portugal:
Another song that has really grown on me. The more I hear it the more I like it. And I totally love what they're doing with the stage. Fantastic. Fun and charming.
The song is soo pretty!! And the singer is so pretty too. :-) Young and sweet. I really like their presentation. And the song is just adorable. I love her voice. She has such an unusual voice. It'll be remembered.
See you, Portugal, I hope ... and all the best of luck!!

Malta:
At least here's a song that is guaranteed to be very well performed ... !!
A lovely song and a beautiful voice.
A very Chiara presentation. :-)
But it's a ripoff of Angel ... both the song and the presentation. The latter even more than I'd thought.
I hope they will get through, but I'm less sure than I was.
A really good entry though ... I like it ... but ballads are dangerous.
Good luck to Malta, they deserve it.

Bosnia & Herzegovina:
Ooh, great presentation ... !!
One of the real contenders this year.
Very good song, a great performance.
Nothing here I don't like. And I'm sure I will like this song more and more the more I hear it, too.
Ending the show on a high note. :-)

PORTUGAL 2009: Flor-de-Lis – Todas as ruas de amor

I really liked the Portuguese entry last year ... it didn't do too well, ended up 13th ... but then again, that was the best they'd managed for ten years. So maybe it was pretty good after all. :-) Anyway.

This is an entry that I do like, but I don't think it'll do very well. It's too ... modest. It does have a number of ... let's say authentic elements that segments of the audience may like. And the juries too for all I know. And the singer is sweet - a pretty and charming young thing, that's never wrong. :-) But the melody isn't what you'd call overly catchy ... it's too even, there's no real hook here. I think many viewers will quite enjoy hearing & seeing this while it's on, but then forget it pretty soon afterwards. And that, as we know, is not a good thing. Alas. But Portugal has no reason to be ashamed, certainly. This is a good enough entry ... but not really up there where it needs to be. It's rather oldfashioned in some ways ... it's the type of song that I'd have expected to hear five or ten years ago. I don't think Portugal will do well this year.

Kudos, of course, for singing in Portuguese ... but then again, they always do. And more power to them. :-)

This is Flor-de-Lis performing Todas as ruas de amor by Pedro Marques and Paulo Pereira; they will be competing for Portugal in a good slot - #16 - on May 12th.

Lyrics here.

Iceland, Turkey, Portugal

Iceland:
This is a sort of good party tune, a good beat and catchy as far as it goes. But it sounds kind of old, like something from the late 90s. Not very original. Very standard. And same with the presentation.
And what's with that hair, and the costumes ... I know this is the ESC, but aren't there some limits to how gay these things can be?! ;-)
They shouldn't get very far with this. It's just totally standard and so ten years ago.

Turkey:
This is good!! One of the best entries from Turkey ever, IMO. The presentation is good, not that creative perhaps but it suits the song very well. I like this a lot - I don't think it has any chances of winning, but the Turks can certainly hold their heads up this year. A good entry.

Portugal:
This song gets better and better every time I hear it. First time around I thought it was pretty boring, but it has soo grown on me. This is the fourth time I'm hearing it today and I think it's a beautiful ballad. And she's fantastic!! What a voice and what a performance. Good luck, Portugal!!! They deserve to do soo well this year and I think they will too. :-)

Malta, Cyprus, FYR Macedonia, Portugal

Malta:
Finally a nice outfit again ... or pretty nice, anyway. Didn't notice the boots at first.
A really good voice and a professional, confident singer ... pretty good presentation ... and a catchy, upbeat song.
But. It gets really annoying really quickly.
I can feel my blood pressure rising as I watch this ...

Cyprus:
And we're back to the hideous gowns ...
Ouch, she changed, and now it's almost even worse! :-o
This song is catchy and sort of has many elements that one ought to like, but I don't like it anyway. It seems very calculated to me. Kind of heartless, like the Swedish song.
I don't think this will get to the final.

FYR Macedonia:
This song is just really boring IMO, there's nothing to it that makes it stand out in any way. And nothing much that's special about the presentation either.
I don't have much to say about this. It's just completely standard issue all the way.
I hope it doesn't get through, it doesn't deserve it.

Portugal:
A better presentation that in their national final. Rather striking.
Maybe overly theatrical for my taste. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
She has a very good voice and this is a beautiful ballad. And the similarities to last year's winner have been toned down a lot. So now I'm starting to think they may not be so off the mark with this. :-)
No chance of winning, I don't think, but may get to the final, I won't be surprised if they do.

PORTUGAL 2008: Vania Fernandes - Senhora do mar

One must give Portugal some credit for just trying for SO LONG ... !! without getting anywhere.

But they get no credit for basically stealing last year's winning entry AND its choreography as well! Hello! Just as well that the song is nowhere near as good ...

The singer is really putting her all into it, I mean, she is totally working it. But it just doesn't seem to be getting through to the audience, does it? She is sort of ... overly sincere. They're trying too hard. Well, they have reason, they've tried more times than anyone else without ever winning. I want to vote for them, I want them to come up with a fantastic entry so they can win some time!! But since they're in the 2nd semi I couldn't vote for them even if I wanted to ... which is no hardship because although I kind of think this song has potential, it just isn't good enough.

Don't give up, Portugal ... !! Do what Turkey did in 2003 and you can make it too ... !!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qZZxgHxYrw&NR=1