'Festival da Canção' is an institution on the Eurovision national final calendar, with Portugal always serving a diverse and classy range of songs that are distinctively Portuguese.
Eleven members of the Aussievision team have listened to all the 20 songs participating in 'Festival da Canção' 2022 and ranked their top 10 songs, providing Eurovision-style points from 12 to 1.
With such a strong line-up this year, it’s tight at the top of the Aussievision rankings. Will Pongo e Tristany take the crown with their Kuduro-infused track, or will one of the more traditional Portuguese numbers like Blacci or FF win the day? Might we even get (gasp) our second English-language winner of FdC from Aurea or TheMisterDriver?
There’s only one way to find out!
10. FF – ‘Como É Bom Esperar Alguém’ (33 points)
Highs: 8 points from Steven.
Lows: 0 points from Mike, Fleur, Guy and Tim.
“An “old-timey” entry rather reminiscent of a Senhor Sobral. Fernando Fernandes (FF) also has a beautiful tone to his voice and the instrumentation is divine. I just worry about the inevitable comparisons to Salvador affecting FF’s chances of success.” ~ Steven
“This is Portugal delivering what Portugal does best – wonderful melancholy ballads delivered by note-perfect singers. I can’t imagine this coming out of any other country, and as a massive fan of Portugal at Eurovision, I could listen to this all day.” ~ Craig
9. TheMisterDriver – ‘Cali Sun’ (35 points)
Highs: 10 points from Hayley
Lows: 0 points from Fleur, Steven and Craig.
"I really like the way this rolls along - it gives me summer beers and BBQ vibes. The FDC line-up has a lot of really great songs this year - and a lot are quite serious sounding - so this one sticks out as being one of the brighter tracks that you can groove along to." ~ Guy
“Very radio-friendly funky pop. I'm not sure how he will pull this off live based on the studio version, but it's an enjoyable listen and would fill the dancefloor. I don't like the subdued ending though... it needed to finish with a bang.” ~ Emma
8. Kumpania Algazarra – ‘A Minha Praia’ (37 points)
Highs: 12 points from Emma
Lows: 0 points from Guy, Mike and Craig.
“It's the Portuguese Cat Empire or Madness, if you're old enough to remember them! I would love to see this at Eurovision - it's a party song, possibly a bit dated but it's an enjoyable listen and would no doubt get the crowd going.” ~ Emma
“It's nice to see Portugal doing a Moldova and bringing the ska party. It's not usually a genre I listen to often but in this lineup it stands out.” ~ Laura
"If Zbob si Zdub were Portuguese. This definitely stands out in a mix such as this. I'm very curious about the staging for this." ~ Fleur
7. Os Azeitonas – ‘Solta A Voz E Canta’ (44 points)
Highs: 10 points from Guy and Steven
Lows: 0 points from Kyriakos, Tim, Hayley and Laura.
“A high-octane start, a disco beat and the song’s general liveliness do it for me. It undoubtedly straddles the cheery/cheesy line and - in parts - sounds like a late 70s/80s TV theme tune (Cagney & Lacey anyone?) but it definitely has its appeal for this child of that era.” ~ Steven
“I am obsessed with this! It sounds like an early 80s sitcom but in Portuguese and I am living for it!” ~ Dale
"I really can't get enough of that 80s sound. Look, it is fun. It probably won't get through, but let's enjoy it anyway." ~ Fleur
6. Aurea – ‘Why?’ (45 points)
Highs: 12 points from Kyriakos, Tim and Craig
Lows: 0 points from Dale, Mike, Steven, Emma and Fleur.
“WOW! This song is beautiful and spectacular!! I love the clean production, and build up to the momentous end. Portugal please send this to Eurovision!” ~ Kyriakos
“‘Why?’ gives me the same vibes as Jeangu Macrooy's ‘Grow’ from 2020 - a deliberately minimalist, reflective track that expands into an emotional epic by its final 30 seconds. The instrumental here is all the more striking for how stripped back it is, and Aurea is a big enough name in Portugal that I have no doubt she will bring this to life in a live setting. I have a feeling this is going to surprise people.” ~ Craig
“This is stunningly beautiful!!! I just knew that this was my favourite upon first listen. This is lyrically amazing and the emotion in the song is on point. It reminded me at once of Arcade and I honestly think it’s got the potential to be just as good as Duncan Laurence. I really click with this song and I understand it would be something for Portugal to send two entirely English entries in a row. But with a song of this quality, it’s worth it.” ~ Tim
5. Fado Bicha – ‘Povo Pequenino’ (46 points)
Highs: 12 points from Guy and Dale
Lows: 0 points from Fleur and Steven.
“This melds the traditional Portuguese with a really modern production that is just so infectious. It takes you on a journey with the song changing almost every 30-45 seconds, from exposed vocal, to whacky instrumentation to rousing chorus. Adore it!” ~ Dale
“This takes the traditional fado sound and gives it an edge and a twist, and it really works for me. These guys are an interesting group, and going by some of their videos, I think we could be in for an interesting stage performance.” ~ Guy
4. Pongo e Tristany – ‘DÉGRÁ.DÊ’ (54 points)
Highs: 12 points from Laura, 10 points from Craig, 8 points from Kyriakos and Emma
Lows: 0 points from Dale, Steven, Guy and Fleur.
“A party in Portuguese - this song is absolute madness but I love every second of it!!” ~ Laura
“This is a *cool* track, in a way that doesn't come along as often as I'd like. It's great to hear some authentic African musical influences here, and the instrumentation is really varied and interesting. Everything I've seen of Pongo suggests to me this is going to be amazing live, too. Perhaps a risk of this getting Conan Osiris'd if it gets to Eurovision, but I'm in love with it nonetheless.” ~ Craig
“This song is not necessarily my cup of tea but is so out there that it would definitely stand out at Eurovision. It progresses well and there are some great staging opportunities here for when the song reaches its climax. Should be stunning visually.” ~ Emma
3. Diana Castro – ‘Ginger Ale’ (55 points)
Highs: 12 points from Steven, 10 points from Dale and Mike, 8 points from Laura
Lows: 0 points from Hayley, Emma, Tim and Kyriakos.
“This cute, peppy, finger-clickingly catchy tune caught my attention thanks to its - to my ear - 60s Motown-inspired melody and general vibe, Diana’s distinctive and pleasing vocals and the once ubiquitous key change at Eurovision. If staged well, I’m totally sold.” ~ Steven
“This song makes me want to pop on a kaftan and drink cocktails by the pool. The song has a little airy feel in its production and delivers an infectious charm that has stuck with me since first listen. Looking forward to seeing how they stage this live.” ~ Mike
“Infectious funky pop - Diana sounds like she is performing at about 4-5pm at a beach club and I want to be there tipsy on a ginger ale cocktail dancing badly on my way back from the bar. “ ~ Dale
“This song reminds me of a relaxing, sunny afternoon outside drinking the titular beverage. I'm very curious to see how this one is staged live but I've already put the studio track in high rotation in my playlists.” ~ Laura
2. MARO – ‘saudade, saudade’ (60 points)
Highs: 10 points from Laura, Emma, Fleur and Tim
Lows: 0 points from Dale, Mike and Steven.
“'saudade saudade' is current-sounding but timeless. The song evokes a beautiful, sad, melancholic longing that perfectly captures the meaning of "saudade" despite it being not directly translatable into English. The emotion carries across linguistic barriers, which is perfect for Eurovision.” ~ Laura
“This was my 12 points until the last song I heard. It is a fantastic modern ballad. I would need to hear this live before confirming its chances at Eurovision. But I can see many a Eurovision fan adding this to their Spotify list.” ~ Fleur
“I love this...the consistent guitar riff all the way through really makes this song. This is very current yet still sounds authentically Portugese. Both English and Portugese are used well throughout the song. You can tell Maro has written this herself...it is very emotive and a beautiful song even though it leaves me feeling sad - which was probably her intention.” ~ Emma
“Another pleasant song that really sticks with me. I really appreciate the mix of Portuguese and English as it makes the song stand out significantly. The vocals remind me a lot of Blanche which can’t hurt the song. I think it’s a really prominent song in the competition.” ~ Tim
1. SYRO – ‘Ainda Nos Temos’ (68 points)
Highs: 12 points from Mike, Hayley and Fleur, 10 points from Kyriakos, 8 points from Tim
Lows: 0 points from Emma, Guy and Laura.
This is a quality modern ballad. Syro brings a great vocal, showing off a fantastic range throughout the song. If he can hit his vocal live and they present this well, I can see this song being one of the highlights of this competition.” ~ Mike
“Such a beautiful, simple song. This is Portugal on a plate. There is so much emotion in these 3 minutes. You are going to take notice.” ~ Fleur
“A beautiful soulful voice and a song that features highs and lows. This entry does however feel a little more generically European than authentically Portuguese (although see last year’s choice!).” ~ Steven
“The stand-out element for the song is by far the vocal range. It’s a great ballad that sounds like it’s built for a live performance. This will protrude I think in this year’s ballad-heavy Festival da Canção.” ~ Tim
The Best of the Rest!
11. Milhanas – ‘Corpo de Mulher’ (26 points)
“This is sung so well. Her voice is perfect for this style of music. Its not the sort of music that I would typically go for, but it's such a great listen.” ~ 8 points from Fleur.
“There is a lovely juxtaposition between how Milhanas looks, young and fresh, compared to the massive throwback sound of the song and her voice. Beautifully sweet and something that could be magic on stage.” ~ 8 points from Dale.
12. Blacci – ‘Mar No Fim’ (24 points)
“Love love love me some fado, and this is for my money the best Portuguese-language ballad in this year's Festival da Canção. The aching, delicate vocals over the chorus are a wonder to behold, and I love the way that the instrumentation really plays with the listener, drawing you in and then backing off in unexpected places. A real aural treat.” ~ 8 points from Craig
13. Os Quatro e Meia – ‘Amanhã’ (21 points)
14. Cubita – ‘Uma Mensagem Tua’ (20 points)
=15. Jonas – ‘Pontas Soltas’ (17 points)
“Another excellent ballad with a mixture of tradition and modern Portuguese elements. There are times I thought this could almost be a Balkan ballad! Jonas delivers a traditional-style vocal which gives it real emotion and the modern production makes it relevant for today.” ~ 8 points from Mike
=15. Norton – ‘Hope’ (17 points)
17. Valas e Os Astronautas – ‘Odisseia’ (13 points)
=18. Pepperoni Passion – ‘Código 30’ (8 points)
=18. Inês Homem de Melo – ‘Fome De Viagem’ (8 points)
20. O Vampiro Submarino – ‘Ao Lado de Mim’ (7 points)
Festival da Canção 2022 kicks off in March, with two semi-finals on March 5 and 7, followed by a Grand Final on 12 March 2022.
You can keep up with all the news and information right here on the Aussievision website!