Country Portugal Language Portuguese Lyricist(s) José Luís Tinoco | Artist(s) Duarte Mendes Composer(s) José Luís Tinoco Conductor Pedro Vaz Osório | |
"Madrugada" ("Dawn") was the Portuguese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975, performed in Portuguese by Duarte Mendes.
The song is a moderately up-tempo number, describing the joy felt in Portugal at the success of the Carnation Revolution of the year before, in which Mendes participated - which had been initiated by the playing of Portugal's previous Contest entry on the radio. Mendes describes the overthrow of the Estado Novo regime as being like a "rebirth" and a "dawn" for his country, and sings that "there can't be enough songs like this".
The song was performed sixteenth on the night, following Finland's Pihasoittajat with "Old Man Fiddle" and preceding Spain's Sergio y Estíbaliz with "Tú volverás". At the close of voting, it had received 16 points ( a surprising 12 points from Turkey, placing 16th in a field of 19 - a rare feat of symmetry.
It was succeeded as Portuguese representative at the 1976 contest by Carlos do Carmo with "Uma flor de verde pinho".