Despite mixed outcomes at Eurovision, Festival da Canção has proven to be a successful selection method after its revamp in 2017, providing five quality entries, a top-15 finisher and a Eurovision winner. And on Thursday RTP turned the heat up on this year’s event by revealing the list of 16 composers invited to submit songs and the four others who advanced via the public submission.
The songwriters will decide which artist will perform their song. As we’ve seen in previous years, sometimes the songwriter performs their own song or they may select a well-known singer. We all remember fondly how Luisa Sobral selected her brother Salvador for the contest in 2017.
Festival da Canção 2022: The 16 invited songwriters
Agir
Aurea
Blacci
Cubita
DJ Marfox
Fábia Rebordão
Fado Bicha
FF
Joana Espadinha
Kumpania Algazarra
Maro
Norton
Os Azeitonas
PZ
Syro
Valas
Fans of the Portuguese contest will recognise the name Joana Espadinha. In 2018 she competed with the song “Zero a zero” and finished ninth in the final.
The 4 songwriters from the public submissions
For 2022, the broadcaster has doubled the number of songs selected via public submissions to four entries. These could be submitted by Portuguese citizens or residents. The deadline for submitting songs was 21 October.
The lucky four are…
Pedro Marques
Pepperoni Passion
The Mister Driver
Tiago Nogueira (Os Quatro e Meia)
Not gonna lie. Pepperoni Passion speaks to my stomach.
The show itself will consist of two semi-finals made up of ten songs each. Five songs from each semi will qualify for the grand final.
Voting in the semi-finals will be done by 50% televote and 50% expert jury. For the grand final, it will be 50% televote and 50% regional juries. In the event of a tiebreak, the televote favourite wins.
While RTP hasn’t announced the exact dates of Festival da Canção 2022, the broadcaster has confirmed that the 56th edition will take place sometime in February and March 2022.
What do you think? Who would you like to see compete in Festival da Canção 2022? Tell us your thoughts below!
So excitted to see what MARO will bring to the table. She is outstanding…
😀
Some updates on the artist’s list…
Aurea
Agir Feat Sara Correia
Pongo feat Tittica
Syro
Os Quatro e Meia
Benjamim
Teresa Salgueiro (biggest surprise)
Who is the composer of Teresa’s song?
Aurea submitted her song some days ago. It is written along with Sharon Vaughn.
Aurea will take the song for herself. Syro as well. Both in english.
AGIR wrote his song for a (very) famous female singer, but it is still not confirmed.
Where is confirmation that Aurea will sing her own song and that it will be in English?
Syro has never sung in english afaik, so I find this very hard to believe
I don’t know all the names, but compared to last year’s line up this year seems to fall short… But it can be just on paper, they might end up giving us good songs. Anyway, FdC last years have been so good: Filipe Melo’s magical song, Filipe Sambado’s majestic performance, Euclides groovy voice, and the god Osíris… That I will honestly forgive them for a ‘weaker’ festival next year…
My favourite ESC country. Hope you’re doing well this year. Love and support from Ukraine.
Amazing artists! Aurea is currently probably one of the biggest names in the Portuguese music scene, well established with big experience (one of the judges of „The Voice Portugal”). She sings mostly in English but her soul songs are universal. I am sure she accepted the RTP offer after last year’s success of the first English Song representing her country. Os Azeitonas are Great too with their Portuguese vibes (the Song „Anda comigo ver os aviões” is my favourite one, maybe because I do speak Portuguese). Agir and Syro are the stars of the new generation, both very talented composers.… Read more »
So overall I’m expecting a slow FdC this year (again). I just hope they know how to put on a stage show – please learn from Graciela’s performance last year! And my hopes for some upbeat songs, something dirty and sleazy are not on this year lineup. As a portuguese, I don’t really know how to feel about this list: Some big names, like Aurea and Agir, that won’t be performing. Aurea will probably give her song to one of her The Voice alumni; my bets are on Márcia Trabulo, I’m almost sure she will be on FdC. As for… Read more »
Regarding to the last question: maybe xd
I mean This year we all saw a slow and enchanting ballad as we could usually expect from FdC and they did great and everyone adored it. And in the other hand, in 2019 they brought something completely out of the box for once and that turned out in a bad bad result at the contest despite the greatness of the song itself. I don’t really see Portugal taking risks anymore 🙁
I agree, maybe! It just feels as a constant middle of the road. We win with a ballad, FdC 2018 saw an increase in balladd; we choose O Jardim after Diogo Piçarra was DQ (and I think O jardim was a far better act). We end up last and in 2019 we send the most unexpected act and we don’t qualify for the finals. In 2020, FdC was meh and still was disappointing both in performances and results. And in 2021 I never saw that coming. Both in FdC and in the ESC. I mean, FdC isn’t getting its potential… Read more »
Joana Espadinha comes as a composer while before she came as an interpreter – of a Benjamim song.
Festival da Cançao was my favorite nf this year so I have high hopes for next year too. It already looks promising.
Aurea??? OMG!
I did some research on the names and here’s what I got. FdC has been the indiest national selection, but there are some mainstream names this year. Áurea is a well known name in Portugal (respected singer, actress, The Voice mentor…). If she decides to perform her own song, she’s for sure someone to pay attention to. Agir is also popular, his sound is very radiofriendly. Syro seems to be someone that can bring something that may appeal to fans of both Diogo Piçarra and NEEV. He’s very pleasant to listen to and look at if you know what I… Read more »
Obrigada, Sabrina.
Por nada. 🙂 Oh, an extra information: there’s a chance we’ll hear a Brazilian accent in FdC for the second year in a row, Blacci lives in Lisbon, but was born in Rio. Hers is very different from Tainá’s accent, who’s originally from Pará, in the Amazon region.
I did some research on the names and here’s what I got. FdC has been the indiest national selection, but there are some mainstream names this year. Áurea is a well known name in Portugal (respected singer, actress, The Voice mentor…). If she decides to perform her own song, she’s for sure someone to pay attention to. Agir is also popular, his sound is very radiofriendly. Syro seems to be someone that can bring something that may appeal to fans of both Diogo Piçarra and NEEV. He’s very pleasant to listen to and look at if you know what I… Read more »
Don’t know any of them. Doesn’t matter. Know it’ll be quality.
Why? They always send boring songs
I don’t often pay a lot of attention to Portugish national final songs but this year, Carolina Deslandes’ Por um triz was my second overall favorite from all the 2021 national selection songs. I’m still very sad while thinking it came second behind Love is on my side. I still listen to it sometimes, and Mrs.Deslandes, who I discovered at this particular occasion, seems to be a lovely artist/person.
Portuguese you mean
Yes, so excited to see Fado Bicha there! Fado from a queer perspective. They’ve been on my wish-list since I discovered them 2 years ago!
Queer fado! I love it already
I hope they ban songs in English.
You sure live up to your name
Joe Mama (pun obviously intended) taught you well. You are speaking facts.
This has probably been explained several times (and most likely mentioned in the article, but I am too lazy to read to be honest), but are these song writers allowed to compete as its own act or are they only songwriters?
If they are allowed to compete as an act then I am 100% looking forward to Kumpania Algazarra.
First two sentences, second paragraph.
Thanks. As I said in my comment, I was too lazy to read, which is humane.