Country Portugal Selected song "A luta é alegria" | Selected entrant Homens da Luta | |
Selection process Festival da Canção 2011 Selection date(s) Online vote
20–27 January 2010
Final
5 March 2011
50% Jury
50% Televoting Semi-final result Failed to qualify (18th) | ||
Portugal participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, having selected their entry through a televised national final, organised by Portuguese broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP).
Contents
Festival da Canção 2011
The Portuguese broadcaster, RTP, used the same selection method they used in 2010. Song writers, singers and groups could have submit their songs through the RTP website until the January 16th deadline. Those interested had about two months to submit their entries. A jury of experts selected between 20 to 24 of the best songs. Once the songs were chosen, people from all over the world had a chance to listen and selected their favourite song through the RTP’s website. Then, from the 20th 27 January the Portuguese public were able to vote for their favourite song.
The 12 most voted entries then competed at a grand-finale, held on 5 March. The song that represented Portugal in Düsseldorf was selected from a combination of jury votes and televoting. The songs must be performed in Portuguese. The singers and song writers must have Portuguese citizenship but the composer can be a foreigner.
The host of the grand-finale, for the fourth year running, was Sílvia Alberto. She was joined by Joana Teles (conducting the "Green Room" Interviews). At a press conference, the broadcaster (RTP) announced the chosen finalists and the running order of the final show.
Controversy
The results of the Portuguese selection competition caused much controversy. The band Homens da Luta won the Portuguese final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. At the end of the show, the members of the band were interviewed by the press, including oikotimes.com. In a statement in English, the lead member Jel presented the band as “the struggling people of Portugal. We represent the people that don’t like the way things are in Portugal and in Europe and we are going to be in Düsseldorf to tell the world”. Talking about the entry “A luta é alegria”, Jel stated that “this song is our weapon!” After leaving the venue, to attend a previously scheduled concert, the singer added, “People are joining the struggle, every time you hear someone singing the song in the streets, it is someone else that is joining the struggle”. At the venue, the members of Homens da Luta appealed to everybody to join the struggle. After their victory was announced several fans of the Eurovision Song Festival left the venue in protest. If the Portuguese entry suggests a clear political meaning, the song could breach a Eurovision Song Contest ruling and be disqualified. RTP, the Portuguese broadcaster, declined to disqualify the band's entry which further fueled the controversy.
At Eurovision
Portugal entered in sixteenth position in the first semi-final on 10 May, but didn't qualify for the final with an eighteenth place with 22 points, marking the first time since 2007 that Portugal failed to advance to the final.