He’s the in-demand winner of Eurovision 2017, who was invited to appear on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon shortly after returning to Portugal.
And tonight, in an interview broadcast on Portugal’s TVI with Portuguese TV show host Fátima Lopes, the singer reveals that he had to turn down the invitation from one of America’s most popular shows.
As ESC Portugal reports, the jazz star says: “I cannot get out of here — we tried Skype but the Americans do not want any of that.”
Salvador, you’ll remember, had to miss the first week of Eurovision rehearsals owing to ongoing health issues. As his sister explained at the time, he cannot be away from his medical team in Portugal for prolonged periods of time. It’s understandable that long-haul travel from Lisbon to New York isn’t on the cards.
However, the fact that the “Amar pelos dois” singer offered to do the interview via Skype shows that he’s willing and interested in making in-roads across the ocean. Love for two? Portugal and America, honey!
America wants Salvador
Following Eurovision rumours spread quickly that Fallon wanted Salvador for his show, and Portugal’s Head of Delegation Carla Bugalho soon confirmed the news on a Portuguese daytime TV show A Praça.
“We got an invitation from Jimmy Fallon that arrived the day after the final. We had just landed and we got an email with the invitation,” Miss Bugalho said.
Nominated for nine primetime Emmy Awards and winning two, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon is one of the most watched talkshows in the United States. It posts consistently high ratings and has a strong social media presence.
This bang still seems surreal for Salvador and his sister Luísa.
In their first TV interview after Portugal’s victory in Kyiv, the Sobral clan was surprised to receive the news about the invitation and the repercussions Salvador’s victory is having worldwide. They thanked everyone that supported them and gave insight on how difficult it is to answer every single message.
While trying to maintain a low-profile lifestyle — away from the spotlight and close to the ones he cares for most — Salvador is still dealing with a high number of invitations from outside Portugal. Bugalho explained: “We also received invitations from Good Morning Britain and the Swedish royals — because they support the company that designs and creates the Eurovision trophy.”
Jimmy Fallon’s invitation marks the second time a recent Eurovision winner has taken America by storm.
In 2015 Conchita Wurst dazzled audiences on the Golden Globes red carpet, wearing a velvet slit dress. If Conchita’s beard conquered America why can’t Salvador’s quirkiness do the same?
Are you Eurovision fans in America sad that Salvador will be staying home? Do you hope Jimmy will invite him again once Salvador is able to travel more freely? Let us know in the comments box below.
Salvador is savage
IF ONLY WIWI BLOGGS were PAYING ATTENTION to Sketusss disgusting comment, but nope. As usual the mods are sleeping.
I hope he’ll die before 2018 so we won’t have to hear his dull song ever again.
Wtf is wrong with you?
Muerete tu y asi no leemos estupideces
Sektuss, You will die too sweetpea. And when that day comes, NO one will know who you are, unlike Salvador. Your’e nothing but a Bulgarian rat with low self esteem that’s still pissed about his own, irrelevant country with no history losing the show. Moldova was a failed attempt of being as good as americans, bulgarian as a justin bieber wanna be and italy was a flop. People like you end up getting karma at their door so i wont waste my time anymore.
p.s- HE’S ALIVE and has left the hospital 🙂 xoxo
All those people that are desperately finding motives to criticize, ridicule and put down Salvador just because they don’t like that kind of song or the country reminds me of those homophobes that cannot accept that equality has arise in many countries and that belittle or throw stones tonsame sex couples and marriages. Can’t you see how ridiculous your attitudes are and that you cannot change the fact that Salvador has won fair and square, including the public vote that the majority so adores? Get a grip! Salvador is here, get used to it!
*to same
<3<3<3
In portuguese we say those people have “dor de cotovelo” (“elbow pain”, which means that they are just jealous and should buy some nivea cream to apply, so that the pain could stop)!!! 😉
Let’s move on. Salvador can not make long travels but he is working on new projects!
Do you know who is Benjamin Cymbra in the Alexander Search project? 🙂 🙂
So Beautiful :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdDK4GA5bCw
I bet they wont pay him the plane + hotel and therefore he refused to go. Enough of that victimism. He is not the first person ill or the illest in the world. He comes from a rich family. He can pay doctors if needed and they dont need to be with him 24 hours a day. If something happens in NY while he is there, he just can go to another doctor there. Or do we really believe his doctors are the only ones who can attend him? The miracle makers! man… he just thought: “im going to spend… Read more »
Well, someone with a serious condition can’t just travel and go to another doctor like it’s some kind of cold. He has already his medical team who has his medical RECORDS, and probably a specialist for his particular condition. He traveled with one person from the medical team to Kyiv.
Gilipoyas, es la unica respuesta que merece tu comentario
US consumes the most fast food music out of anybody
Not true at all.
I will pray for his health. The most important thing in his life is following the Doctor’s advise. If people in the US or anywhere want him let them come to Lisboa. Will continue to pray.
Such poor writing.
Ugh.
He hasn’t “taken America by storm.”
Get a grip and do some research.
No! I strongly support Salvador Sobral’s decision not to visit the United States due to his health problems. The Americans will not take the Eurovision Song Contest seriously until they find a way to make money out of it. It has happened previously with other countries’ cultures.
The americans would probably appreciate Salvador better than europeans and would not insult him for being weird, because they’re used to it and respect different music styles.
Jimmy went down in my estimation after the infamous ruffling Trump’s “hair” incident. He’s also a total sycophant, it’s hard to believe anything out of his mouth.
Best to avoid, Salvador.
Are you serious?
I guess with America being a third world country, it’s a shame they don’t have the health care expertise nor resources to accommodate Salvador’s condition.
Suddenly everyone is a medical expertee. Yeah, why not leave his medical team that knows his problem and watches him closely to go to Jimmy Fallon? If something goes wrong, there are hospitals in the States. Just do it! God…
He’s on the list for a heart transplant in Portugal, it has nothing to do with technology. The exception was made for Kyiv because of the Eurovision stuff, but he can’t just go Willy bully.
So sad.
Was he really invited?
Here in the US, nobody knows what Eurovision is, especially Jimmy Fallon’s demographic.
I don’t think he’d lie about being invited. Plus, if The Roots have some say in the guests, it wouldn’t surprise me that they were the ones angling to get Salvador on the show. Salvador seems to have pretty good comedic timing and has interviewed well in English, so it makes sense for LNJF since JF isn’t exactly a strong interviewer anyway—he wouldn’t have to work hard for the interview to go well. Salvador would have also brought a humanitarian aspect to the show, I reckon. It’d be nice if he could do an edition of Jools Holland though–maybe a… Read more »
I think it’s because jazz music is bigger in US than Europe and Salvador is really different from any winner and contestants of EUROVISION. Fallon and the producers obviously appreciate his song and musical taste and the fact that his idol is Chet Baker, an american singer.
I have my doubts about this story. But whatever…
The point would be to be “the musical guest” that night. Any interview would be fluff whatever, the entire goal would be to have him do an amazing jazzy bossa-nova song on live TV with the studio band.
Thus, the total lack of interest in Skype-interview. They don’t much care about interviewing him; they want the performance.
Yes, it’s a very disputed space on the American TV. They only interview big names in US (music, acting, internet). So they probably just wanted the performance, if this whole thing weren’t made up.
Maybe there’s some label interest behind it to test if Eurovision acts can reach America. Who knows…
How is it that so many people in this blog have so much of a sick mind. How on earth would anyone invent a story like that? That makes me sick how perverted the human mind can be over nothing..,,
blah blah blah
I’ve never said it’s a lie. Maybe it’s true. I have seen enough made up or twisted stories by the media to not believe 100% in what they say.
I see that you must be a 12 year old so I won’t reply no more.
ok
You’re making it sound like the Jimmy Fallon audience is a bunch of rednecks lol camon, give us some credit here. Most of us know a little about the world.
I have never seen Fallon say a good thing about Eurovision, Salvador is not stupid, he is being invited so they can make fun of him.
No, he was invited because he sang one of the most beautiful and original songs to appear on eurovision.
this is for the best. i’m scared what he’ll say when he’s given the mic… he’s probably gonna insult the whole american continent for their cheap, unsophisticated music taste.
Your nickname says it all. Garbage lover
Fastfoodlover – Your nickname says it all. His biggest idol and inspiration is CHET BAKER, an AMERICAN jazz artist, stupid.
That would’ve rather funny
SalvaDiva would probably say: ” Hello Jimmy your show is like a circus and my performance is the only real thing that happened in ur studio.This is a victory for real music , lets make it real again”
and afterwards everybody would boo this weirdo
Well the diva WON!!!!!! And the sh*t that you probably liked DID NOT WIN!!! So take that and deal with that… oh wait you are dealing with it by being utterly BITTER!!! Ah ah ah! An
jim , AMERICA has many weirdos. In fact, ESC is known for being a freak, weird show, the fact that you consider him a weird makes me laugh. And you didnt understand his speech, at all.
Se te esta poniendo cara de hamburguesa, solo te faltan las salsas
Jimmy, you make this happen. One way or another.
Jimmy Fallon must find a way!
Let´s email Fallon to make an interview by satellite. 🙂
Salvador is the biggest diva to win ESC for years.. Sadly he has no merit in the industry to justify this huge ego.
Don´t be stupid!
If he had a big ego and was a star, he was already in the US.
Hope you never end up with an “ego” like him. An ego that conditions his life and forbides him to go wherever he wants whenever he wants. You’re just an idiot.
Cry me a river
Da you’re the only one crying about salvador winning ESC
Da
You realy Da
You are sick!
Yes, like YOU have any merit? HAHA
Salvador doesn’t make any music for people like you anyway. Too high for your taste.
Stay on your lane.
Hopefully one day he can travel / perform everywhere and anytime he wants… 🙂
?
I think Luísa should go for Salvador, as she performed his rehearsals, sang with Salvador on the winning performance, and produced the song.
They want his performance. They don’t care about the interviews. They don’t care about the composition. They don’t care about Eurovision, except to the extent that this song performance is “a big international winner”. They don’t care about a stand-in covering the song, even if it is the composer/sister.
They want Salvador to sing this song on live TV, and that’s the beginning and end and entirety of what they want.
Probably to fast food for his liking!
Are you reta.rded? did you bother reading anything? It’s for health reasons. Try harder, troll.
Hi ! He and his sister are vegetarian.
About fastfood music what he means is the way to production music . Not about music style . he like “Occidentali’s Karma” “City lights” ” Brackbirds” and other songs.
Let”s pray for Salvador Health! I’m sooo sorry he cannot travel, I’ d be delighted? he even could go to South America too. Let’s hope next interview could be even by Skype or a reorter to move to Portugal. He is suffering out of this situation, I am sure… Soy uruguaya y Tengo fe en Dios, ….si alguém le isto diz pra Salvador que visite FATIMA, QUE A VIRGEM LHE AMA. DEUS TE AMA E EU TAMBÉM.
Ele disse que nao e religioso.
He said he is not religious
He said it, but he also asked her grandmother to pray for him before Eurovision.
Perhaps one day,he’ll tour the US. Even it’s only a short stay.
That is sad news for me. I see that his health issues might be an impediment for his international career development… On the other hand that shows how real his health issues are, against many speculations.
I am sad too L’oiseau. I’m not Sobral’s biggest fan but I want to see him have big success because that would be great for the contest.
I hold my hands up to accept your second point and withdraw some of my earlier scepticism. He’s turned down a huge opportunity, because surely he would have performed his song on the programme. That’s exactly the sort of break which helped launch Adele in the United States. Skype can’t make up for that.
Yes it would be a huge opportunity. Hopefully he will get better.
Yeah it’s for the best. I have a cousin who was also in his late twenties due last year from his own heart condition because he didn’t listen to his doctors about long travel times. It’s good that Salvador is listening to his doctors but due to the circumstances I really do wish the Late Night with Jimmy fallon met him half way on this.
Indeed his life is so much more important… 🙂
You only have to look at him to know that his health issues are real.
Any “specualtions” are idiotic.
I meant “speculations”…who’s the idiot now, Jonas?
LOL
Can’t say I’m surprised, but I’m sad the Jimmy Fallon team couldn’t meet them halfway. It’s not like it’s a secret that he can’t travel too far from Portugal and why. I’d love to see an American show interviewing the Sobrals even if it’s via satellite 🙁
They don’t care about the interview. They want him to perform the song with the studio band, giving them exclusive video content in the American market, since every single live Eurovision YouTube is geo-blocked in the Americas.
If Salvador can’t perform a valuable version of the song for them, then they have no interest in wasting airtime with an interview.