Portugal Puts the Eurovision Hopes in Big-Hearted Crooner

SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2017 Portugal puts the Eurovision hopes in big-hearted crooner few weeks ago, Salvador Sobral, a 27-year-old crooner worries. But he plays down his heart ailment, even though he is tipped as a favorite for today's Eurovision Song Contest, still waiting for a transplant. "The disease is a small problem, real- Awas an unknown artist waiting for a heart transplant. But ly, certainly the only one I have in my life." with his intimate rendering of the melancholic "Amar Pelos Dois" (For the Both of Us) written by his older sister Luisa-a success in Highs and lows her own right Sobral is hoping to chart an unconventional route Discovered in 2009 while competing in Portugal's version of to Eurovision gold. At first glance, his decision to forgo the elabo- "American Idol" as his sister had a few years previously-Sobral was rate choreography and heavy dance tempos favoured by most barely 18 and had a hard time adjusting to his sudden popularity. contestants would make him a long shot. Shunning English to He quit singing shortly afterwards, and in 2011 he left Portugal for Jana Burceska from Macedonia performs the song ‘Dance sing in a Portuguese tremolo that reflects a severe heart condi- Spain's Balearic Islands, where he studied psychology during an Alone’ during rehearsals. tion would also seem to bode ill for the Lisbon native, whose Erasmus program. It was during this time Sobral fell into heavy beard and ponytail make him look more of a hipster than a bud- drug use, including regular use of psychedelic mushrooms. But he ding pop star. "I don't like pointless 'fast food' music, my songs gradually cleaned himself up and started singing in the bars and have to have meaning, I sing with my heart," he said recently. hotels on Mallorca. "It was hard to sing every night until midnight, but it was worth it," he said recently. "I thought about staying on Something to say the island, but when I saw that nothing happens there in winter, I Sobral has become the bookmakers' top contender after the knew I had to make a decision." Italian Francesco Gabbani and his "dancing naked ape", and a So he left for Barcelona to study jazz and work on his voice, favorite of fans, with huge crowds welcoming his arrival at the and it was in the Catalan city that he discovered Chet Baker, the Eurovision venue in Kiev, Ukraine. "I felt as popular as Cristiano trumpeter Sobral now calls his biggest musical inspiration. And Ronaldo," said Sobral, who added that he was not making the trip as the Eurovision final approaches, Sobral says he's not nervous, only to sing. After the Eurovision semi-finals Sobral held a press displaying a confidence few would expect of a shy performer conference wearing a sweatshirt calling attention to the plight of who often seems to want to apologize when appearing in front refugees. "When I learned that I was going to participate at of a microphone. But the emotional force of his singing has Eurovision I first thought about the refugees, because they leave touched a nerve in Portugal, which has never won higher than their country to escape death. These people are not just simple sixth place in the Eurovision contest, in 1996, since it first started immigrants," he said. Sobral, for his part, cannot go anywhere for competing in 1964. — AFP more than two weeks without his medicines, and he did not attend the rehearsals earlier this week in Kiev because of health Portugal’s Salvador Sobral performs during the first semi-final rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev. Timebelle from Switzerland performs the song ‘Apollo’ dur- Francesco Gabbani from Italy performs the song ‘Occidentali’s Karma’ during a rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest, in ing rehearsals. Kiev, Ukraine yesterday. The final of The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 will be held today. — AP Photos Croatia's 'Mr Voice', Hungarian gypsy singer among the Eurovision finalists roatian pop-opera, Romanian yodelling and Hungarian gyp- Voice' in Croatia, won a place in the last round by melding pop and and Alex Florea combine rock, rap and yodelling in their song sy fusion will all feature in the final of the 2017 Eurovision operatic singing styles in the song "My Friend". Houdek's costume "Yodel it!". Thursday's other qualifiers for the final were Bulgaria, Csong contest, after the three countries were among 10 to was half-tuxedo, half-leather jacket - a sartorial illustration of the Belarus, Denmark, Israel, Norway, the Netherlands and Austria. qualify in the second round of heats in Kiev. Forty-two countries musical crossover. Eight countries missed out on a final place, including competed in this year's Eurovision, an annual pageant of the Other performers also reached the final with untypical Macedonia's Jana Burceska, but any disappointment she felt colourful, the camp and the cheesy, but only 26 will take part in fusions of different musical traditions. Joci Papai, Hungary's first was likely eased by a surprise marriage proposal from her part- Saturday's grand final in front of a television audience of millions. Roma entrant for Eurovision, performed "Origo" - a mixture of ner live on air. — Reuters In Thursday's semi-final, singer Jacques Houdek, known as 'Mr electronic beats and gypsy vocal flourishes. Romanian duo Ilinca.

Load more