The Portuguese final - known as "Festival da Canção" - was held on March 12th at the RTP TV Studios in Lisbon, hosted by Filomena Cautela and Vasco Palmeirim. Before the final there were two semi-finals, where 5 of the 10 songs in each show qualified for the final. A winner was chosen by a 50-50 mix of 7 regional juries and televoting which started on March 8th. The winning act and song was Maro with "Saudade, saudade" (Longing, longing)
Maro - full name Mariana Secca - gets her unusual surname from her Italian father. After her Portuguese schooling she studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and whilst there created "Berklee People". This was a collaborative project created to facilitate the sharing and disseminating knowledge between students rather than competing against.. During her her first year studying in Los Angeles, Maro released six albums entirely self-produced and self-written. Through while publicising her work on Instagram that caught the eye of English jazz musician Jacob Collier, who asked her to join his touring band.
The song starts with a very low instrumental with just the repetitive rhythm of the effective bassline which carries on under the first verse which is in English. The backing becomes much more involved during the chorus with the presence of a 6/8 beat which keeps the song moving but in no way takes over. Verse 2 is in Portuguese, is longer and has a different tune to the first. The backing singers harmonise so well and really helps to keep that emotion coming through. At the two minute mark the chorus comes in and this time the 5 ladies join in with some clapping. The beat peters out back to the original ethereal tune over which Maro sings an outro similar to the very opening lines.
This is a beautifully sung sad song and really takes inspiration from the heart of Portuguese music - Fado. However this song has a very mellow quiet quality rather than the dramatic impassioned performances sometimes associated with this genre. The staging also changed from the semi final into the final. At first Maro was stood alone on stage but now she is joined, on stools, by her female backing singers. It makes the song look and feel more full, almost supportive of one other, She even looks better in a more casual 'everyman' kind of outfit rather than in a shiny suit. The video projections are the same and I like the way it flickers, mirroring the gentle notes in the backing track. Maro's voice is so different and individual that the whole package stands out so much. People will really get the sadness and feel of the song; taking a few moments within the madness of many of the other entries, to be calm and just listen. People all over Europe may even personally relate to the lyrics, especially as many people will have different stories about 'longing' from the past 2 years, and I really hope this does well.
ARTIST - Maro
SONG - Saudade, saudade
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - John Blanda, Maro
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