Country Portugal Language Portuguese Lyricist(s) José Fanha | Artist(s) Lúcia Moniz Composer(s) Pedro Osório Conductor Pedro Osório | |
"O meu coração não tem cor" ("My heart has no colour") was the Portuguese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996, performed in Portuguese by Lúcia Moniz.
Composed by Pedro Osório and with lyrics by José Fanha, the song is a moderately up-tempo number. Moniz sings in praise of the Portuguese language and Lusophone culture in general, describing the result of the former Portuguese Empire as a "tricontinental party" in which "What's far away is still close in songs". Such a theme is common in Portuguese entries, for example the country's 1995 entry.
Moniz names the various dances and musical styles throughout the Lusophone community, singing that "We dance the samba, the marrabenta too/We weep the fado and roll the coladeira" among others. Mention is also made of the variety of foods found throughout the community, with fig, papaya and guarana all being things which the "lips" of Moniz' listeners have a "rowdy craving" for.
The song was performed fourth on the night, following Spain's Antonio Carbonell with "¡Ay, qué deseo!" and preceding Cyprus' Constantinos with "Mono Yia Mas". At the close of voting, it had received 92 points, placing 6th in a field of 23, Portugal's best Contest result at the time and one which (as of 2015) has not yet been bettered.
It was succeeded as Portuguese representative at the 1997 contest by Célia Lawson with "Antes do adeus", which would ironically go on to record Portugal's worst result since the Carnation Revolution.
Moniz herself would go on to a career as an actress after a successful musical career in her home country. While most of her success was achieved in Portugal, she appeared as Aurélia in Love Actually.