At the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, Spain awarded him 12 points for his romantic jazz ballad “Amar pelos dois”.

And on Thursday Salvador Sobral said gracias in the most beautiful way by releasing the Spanish-language song “Cerca del Mar” (Near the Sea).

The debut of the music video coincided with his performance at the Festival Jardin Pedralbes in Barcelona.

During our interview at Eurovision 2018, Salvador told us he saw the most recent edition of Eurovision as putting the song contest portion of his life to rest.

With “Cerca del Mar” he once again veers away from fast-food music, delivering a jazzy number that’s at once classic and timeless, but also somehow experimental. His voice flows freely over rich instrumentation that includes Júlio Resende on piano, André Rosinha on double bass, Bruno Pedroso on drums and Ricardo Toscano on clarinet.

The video of “Cerca del Mar”, directed by Daniel Mota and Jenna Thiam, is shot entirely in black and white. It gives the video a nostalgic, cinematic feel. We see a young boy running and playing along a beach. At times pensive, at other times pained, he’s alone for much of the video. But two minutes in the camera begins a series of cutaways to Salvador himself, perhaps suggesting the boy is what Salvador once was, and Salvador is what the boy might become.

After their meeting the pair splash about in the waves. It’s hard to tell if Salvador is having fun — or a full-on reckoning with himself. But in either case it’s a lovely showcase of Salvador’s free-spirited side. In the end the pair have most definitely made peace and colour slowly comes into focus.

Salvador in Spain

Established six years ago, the Festival Jardin Pedralbe has emerged as a highlight of the Spanish summer. Unfolding amid landscaped gardens and lawns, it’s already welcomed the likes of Jessie J, Tom Jones and Pastora Soler.

Salvador, who is currently staging his first-ever series of concerts in Spain, adds to the glamour and prestige of the increasingly popular event.

He continues his Spanish tour in Valencia — at the Palau de La Musica — on July 7.

Read more Salvador Sobral news

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SalvadorSaviour
SalvadorSaviour
5 years ago

HATERS GONNA HATE!!! This is absolutley BRILLIANT from start to finish seems like anything he touches turns to solid gold. 12 Points to Salvador and his Great song!

Croatia will win World Cup
Croatia will win World Cup
5 years ago

Yes, but he needs to respect other genres too, there are time and place for every kind of music.

isabel
isabel
5 years ago

But he does. He likes different genres like hip-hop (Kanye West, Tom Misch, etc) and is always saying that there is a place for all genres, as long as they are good. Take for example his latest interview: http://eldia.es/cultura/2018-07-07/2-Salvador-Sobral-maximo-libertad-eso-es-quiero-buscar-musica.htm
“with music you can transmit, above all, freedom of sensations, you suddenly break that filter and start crying and release sensations; we are musicians because of that, that’s what makes me happy: that people feel all kinds of emotions, and that happens with all types of music as long as they are good and have emotional substance, harmonically and melodically”.

Croatia will win World Cup
Croatia will win World Cup
5 years ago
Reply to  isabel

Fine, this is neverending debate.

Amy
Amy
5 years ago

Congrats to the Croatia team and good luck! 🙂 Well, what he criticises is the music industry that promotes only one kind of music. He is the most eclectic musician that I know, he plays jazz, latino american music, portuguese music, indie Rock (he sings in the Noko Woi group) Rock (the group Alexander Search), he even has a Bolero jazz group (Alma Neustra). In a recent interview he tried to clarify, when someone asked if he likes pop music he said, of course I like, my favourite music group is the Beatles, that is the most pop group; and… Read more »

steph
steph
5 years ago

ew

Alkisti
Alkisti
5 years ago
Reply to  steph

You make me puke

steph
steph
5 years ago
Reply to  Alkisti

salvador’s arrogance should make you puke

Jim
Jim
5 years ago

pretentious boring music and obnoxious attitude

Atlas
5 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Eso justo pienso yo de tu comentario…….. me quedo con el directo en pedralbes, lo que nos hizo reir a los barcelones, la maravilosa cena y la restauración del feetival, y la mejor version que he escuchado en mi vida de una cancion catalana cantada en catalan por sobral emocionando a todo el auditorio.
Saludos

steph
steph
5 years ago
Reply to  Atlas

it’s boring and extremely overrated

Amy
Amy
5 years ago

Ah and Tks for the video about the concert in Barcelona. Great video!

Shijie
Shijie
5 years ago

this diva again

Lola
Lola
5 years ago

The music video looks like a classic movie. It makes me happy seeing him jumping <3 The song is beautiful!

isabel
isabel
5 years ago

His ongoing Spanish tour is taking place in some of the main theatres in Spain. A series of concerts are also announced for 2019, in Germany, Switzerland, and Poland. Well worth the money…

Hada
Hada
5 years ago

This sounds beautiful!!! And it screams movie soundtrack all the way.

Ay Jo
Ay Jo
5 years ago

S. Sobral is wonderful. <3

romanian
romanian
5 years ago

The song says “when the boat seems lost, remind me……”. Is he trying to kill himself when he goes in the water and the child saves him?

Amy
Amy
5 years ago
Reply to  romanian

No, the translation is more like this:
When the ship seems lost, remind me what we did
When the ship seems lost, remind me where we wanted to go

romanian
romanian
5 years ago
Reply to  Amy

Thank you for the translation, Amy.

romanian
romanian
5 years ago
Reply to  romanian

I guess it says
“When the boat seems lost, remind me why we created it
When the boat seems lost, remind me where we want to arrive”

Amy
Amy
5 years ago
Reply to  romanian

perhaps… Yes, I think your translation is better 🙂

romanian
romanian
5 years ago
Reply to  Amy

Spanish is not my first language, is Romanian, but our languages are very close. I hope somebody will make a proper translation in English, because I don’t know if I’m right.

Amy
Amy
5 years ago
Reply to  romanian

So, I think the song is about having hope in difficult times, searching for the inner strengths

romanian
romanian
5 years ago
Reply to  Amy

I believe that too. Find the innocence of your inner child and that will be the greatest strenght.

Atlas
5 years ago
Reply to  romanian

Exacto, esa es la esencia…… va a entregar al mar lo aprendido y lo suelta a gritos para desaprwnder y volver a su niño interior, superando esa contradicion , saludos

Amy
Amy
5 years ago
Reply to  Atlas

Gracias Atlas. Just beautiful!

Elsa
Elsa
5 years ago
Reply to  romanian

A possible translation of the lyrics would be this: NEAR THE SEA Yesterday I had to come near the sea Yesterday I had to surrender to the solitude I needed to drown my sorrows Let them lead with the tide, under the new moon. Yesterday I had to shout at the fear of changing I do not pursue destinations, but ways of walking Like the river and its path, I have to change course in order to move forward. When the ship seems lost, remind me what we did it for When the ship seems lost, remind me where we… Read more »

Sofia
Sofia
5 years ago
Reply to  Elsa

Elsa, thank you for the translation! I’d love to learn the lyrics in spanish, unfortunatelly I can’t find them anywhere… Did you figured them out?

Elsa
Elsa
5 years ago
Reply to  Sofia

Hi! Here are the lyrics, as I hear them: CERCA DEL MAR Ayer tuve que acercarme al mar, al mar, Ayer tuve que rendirme ante la soledad. Necesité ahogar mis penas, Dejarlas llevar por la marea, en luna nueva. Hoy tuve que gritarle al miedo de cambiar. No persigo destinos, sino formas de andar. Como el río en su camino, Me desvío para avanzar?. ///Cuando el barco parezca perdido, recuérdame para que lo hicimos. Cuando el barco parezca perdido, recuérdame a donde quisimos llegar./// Los barcos llegan a la orilla, el sol se hunde atrás. Con solo un respiro, la… Read more »

sevzch
sevzch
5 years ago

I could have appriciated his music if he wasnt such an a- hole toards others

Herr Frau
Herr Frau
5 years ago
Reply to  sevzch

He did have a point though. Israel didn’t deserve to win because it was a song, purely based on gimmicks. A song should be judged on quality, its message and whether they can perform live, not bloody chicken noises!

sevzch
sevzch
5 years ago
Reply to  Herr Frau

When you choose to focus on the obvius instead of looking deeper and realizing the true meaning of Toy… you would realise how worng you are…. Im sorry to hear that you think that rape is a gimmick…. what is Salvadors message? Love? maybe but he dosent show love to others.. he shows hate and disrespect so his message is worthless in my opinion…. Toy is filled with quality, Great message and amazing vocals…. you focus on the obvious which is the chicken noises instead of looking for their meaning because they are not there by mistake….. You and Salvador… Read more »

isabel
isabel
5 years ago
Reply to  sevzch

You can find many rap songs about rape on youtube. It doesn’t make them thoughtful or moving in any way. Whether the male authors of Netta’s song really wanted to convey a message or just take advantage of the me-too movement, adding some silly gimmicks to the package, that’s a whole other discussion… Anyway, Netta’s interpretation does nothing for me, as a woman. You are entitled to say that “Toy” is a masterpiece and that Salvador’s style is disagreeable to your ears… but so does he. Salvador said nothing against Netta. He just admitted that, for him, that song is… Read more »

Amy
Amy
5 years ago

Yes, William, I think it is about the pains of growing… and i think the scene in the sea as to be with ” yell at the fear ” as in the lyrics Lyrics (found it on a comment on youtube: Ayer tuve que acercarme al mar al mar al mar Ayer tuve que rendirme ante la soledad necesité ahogar mis penas Dejarlas llevar por la marea, en luna nueva… Hoy tuve que gritarle al miedo de cambiar No persigo destinos, sino formas de andar Como el río en su camino Me desvío para basar Cuando el barco, parezca perdido,… Read more »

Amy
Amy
5 years ago
Reply to  Amy

And in this interview he says that Eurovision is part of his life and always be and that Eurovision brought him so many good things https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VY56JpGKH4

Hada
Hada
5 years ago
Reply to  Amy

I think in a way (because it was written by other people after all) the song is about being reborn. He said in an interview he fetl he had nothing to lose and he was gonna die, and now after the transplant he feels like he’s been born again and he never thought he would ever feel this way.

Amy
Amy
5 years ago

Completely in love with this music and video. Love it so much. <3

Elsa
Elsa
5 years ago
Reply to  Amy

It is beautiful and the video is a masterpiece as well <3