Portugal has chosen its representative for Eurovision
Get to know the Eurovision 2024 representative from Portugal.
Iolanda has achieved victory in the Festival da Canção 2024 with her song “Grito“. The young artist secured first place in the regional jury voting and second place in the televote, accumulating a total of 22 points. This win gives Portugal the chance to reach the Eurovision 2024 final, although it all depends on whether she can qualify in the first semifinal, to be held on May 7 in the Swedish city of Malmö.
Who is iolanda?
Iolanda is a Portuguese singer and songwriter born in São Pedro de Cova Gala. At 17, she moved to the capital, Lisbon, where music became her great passion. At the age of 14, she began writing her first songs, performing in bars and talent shows, such as her debut in 2008 on the first season of the television program “Uma Canção para Ti“.
Once established in music, she decided to pursue further education by moving to London, where she studied composition at the BIMM Music Institute at the University of Sussex. Gradually, Iolanda has made her mark with a distinct identity in her music, which is characterized mainly by a pop and R&B (Rhythm and Blues) style while always keeping her Portuguese and Iberian roots.
After her initial debut, she released her first album, “Cura“, entirely composed during the lockdown months of the pandemic. In recent years, she’s given small acoustic concerts with Brazilian musician Vando Barros and performed at various significant Portuguese festivals like Sonar de Lisboa, A Porta, and Capitolio.
Her latest release is the single “Grito“, the song with which she participated in the Festival da Canção 2024 and the winning proposal to represent Portugal in the upcoming Eurovision edition. This song speaks about taking a stance to overcome life’s obstacles and freeing oneself from the wounds of the past.
Her latest release is the single “Grito“, the song with which she competed in Festival da Canção 2024 and the winning entry to represent Portugal at the new edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. This song is about adopting a mindset of overcoming obstacles and releasing the burdens of the past.
The staging of this song prominently features the color white, in both the lighting and the attire of the singer and her dancers, with contemporary dance surrounding Iolanda at all times. The most poignant moment comes in the final part of the song, where she emits a powerful scream, and the camera closes in for a close-up shot.
