Portugal 2012: Filipa Sousa

Filipa Sousa (27) experimented with Portugal’s traditional musical style, Fado, for fun when she was 16, and hasn’t stopped since. Being a Fado singer, she’s been invited to sing for the Portuguese communities abroad, and thanks to her victory in the 2012 Festival Da Canção, she will represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku.

Filipa Sousa was born on March 2, 1985, in Albufeira. Her musical dreams started early: at the age of 6, she started learning music, and later entered the Conservatory. From the age of 12, she started participating in festivals and karaoke contests, in which she won a few prizes and several amateur Fado competitions in the Algarve.

After Filipa participated in workshops and theatre plays, she became part of the Fado group Al-Mouraria in 2003, and performed in various parts of the country, Spain and Morocco, and in TV shows. In 2007 she managed to get into the casting show Operação Triunfo, in which she remained for seven weeks, getting a very positive reaction.

In April 2008, she won the 1st Big Fado Soirée of the Algarve, in Loulé. In May 2010, she participated in the gala nights Nasci para o Fado (I Was Born For Fado), broadcasted by the RTP, and whose goal was to select artists for the musical Fado: História de um Povo (Fado: The History of a People), by Filipe La Féria. She was selected for the final gala. She did various shows in different styles, from Fado to rock, accompanied by musicians on stage or by instrumental playback.

And now Filipa aims to be the first ever winner of the Eurovision Song Contest for Portugal with Vida Minha written by Carlos Coelho and Andrej Babic.

(eurovision.tv)