Eurovision Eurovision 2022 Portugal

Meet MARO, Portugal representative in Eurovision 2022

This year Portugal has chosen MARO as its representative on Eurovision 2022 that will take place in Turin this month with the song “Saudade, Saudade”. But who is MARO? In this article you will have the opportunity to know more about Portugal’s singer for Eurovision 2022.

About MARO

Marina Secca, or better known as MARO, is a Portuguese singer born on 30 October 1994 in Lisbon, Portugal. Music has always been present in her life, but it was not until the age of 19 that she decided to dedicate herself completely to music. To do so, she travelled to Boston, USA, where she graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2017 and then moved to Los Angeles.

In her first year in California, MARO released a total of six albums written and produced by herself. At the same time, MARO focused on social media as a platform to reach as many people as possible and started uploading videos. Some of those videos reached four-time Grammy Award winner Jacob Colier. The British musician asked her to join him and his band as a vocalist and instrumentalist to go on tour with them. In addition, MARO has also opened for major artists such as Jessi J, Fatai and Téo? among others.

On 4 November 2021, the RTP announced the composers of Festival da Canção 2022, among which was MARO. It was not until 12 March 2022 that we learned that the young Portuguese songwriter was the winner of the 56th edition of the Festival da Canção 2022 and will represent Portugal at the next Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, Italy.

“Saudade saudade” is a composition by John Blanda and MARO herself about the loss of a loved one to whom she will no longer be able to say goodbye. The song is a longing for that lost opportunity, which will never return, but which she can express to the world through music.

Lyrics

I’ve tried to write a million other songs, but
Somehow I can’t move on, oh, you’re gone
Takes time, alright
And I know it’s no one’s fault, but
Somehow I can’t move on, oh, you’re gone

Saudade, saudade
Nothing more that I can say
Says it in a better way
Saudade, saudade
Nothing more that I can say
Says it in a better way

Tem tanto que trago comigo
Foi sempre o meu porto de abrigo
E agora nada faz sentido
Perdi o meu melhor amigo
E se não for demais, peço por sinais
Resta uma só palavra

Saudade, saudade
Nothing more that I can say
Says it in a better way
Saudade, saudade
Nothing more that I can say
Says it in a better way
Nothing more that I can say
Says it in a better way

I’ve tried, alright
But it’s killing me inside
Thought you’d be by my side, always

Portugal in Eurovision

Portugal joined the Eurovision family in 1964 and held the record for the most appearances in the Eurovision Song Contest without a win until 2017 when Salvador Sobral lifted the trophy in Kyiv.

Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, (RTP), is responsible for organising the Portuguese Eurovision Song Contest and uses Festival da Canção as its national selection. Over the years the format has changed to include semi-finals as well as different voting combinations.

Portugal is the most westerly country in mainland Europe and has only missed 5 contests since joining Eurovision; 1970, 2000, 2002, 2013 and 2016. In 2008, Portugal won the Marcel Bezençon Press Award with Vânia Fernandes and the song Senhora do mar (Negras águas). In 2017 Salvador Sobral won the Marcel Bezençon Artistic Award and the Marcel Bezençon Composer Award with his song Amar Pelos Dois.

The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest was held in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon following Salvador Sobral’s victory in the 2017 competition.

Eurovision

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