Portugal PORTUGAL 2018 - Cláudia Pascoal - O jardim
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EurovisionSmile
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Portugal comes back to normality
You look satisfied!
But let me tell you, after a memorable victory and all the wonderful celebration we lived here in Lisbon, there's no "normality" to go back to, because nothing will be the same after this experience for us.
Aren't these the type of songs the juries should be protecting? rather than continuously bowing for Sweden and Australia.
I honestly can't understand how this beautiful song ended up last (still with a decent amount of points for a last place entry though).
Unfortunately for Portugal also that UK got a few extra sympathy points due to the whole incident.
You should still be proud though Portugal, you were a very nice host and send a beatiful and classy entry to give some extra colour the Grand Final.
Best of luck next year.
I honestly can't understand how this beautiful song ended up last (still with a decent amount of points for a last place entry though).
Unfortunately for Portugal also that UK got a few extra sympathy points due to the whole incident.
You should still be proud though Portugal, you were a very nice host and send a beatiful and classy entry to give some extra colour the Grand Final.
Best of luck next year.
1Aio13
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Damn, I voted 15 times. Guess I must have been the only one lolClaudias Televoting:
Ok, that song was super lit. Portugal did THAT. I pray the next Portuguese entries will be the same quality, because O Jardim was so ahead of the rest tbh. That melody and that production tho 
And Claudia and Isaura performed so well. Couldn't they swap places with Austria as the surprise jury winner?
I'm currently trying to determine who's gonna make it to my personal top 10 this year, and I feel O Jardim is coming for me and my ancestors. This could legitimately be in my top 3 even.
Obrigado Portugal for this piece of art.
P.S.: better late than never... Take my douze points in the poll
By the way did Salvador say anything about this song?
And Claudia and Isaura performed so well. Couldn't they swap places with Austria as the surprise jury winner?
I'm currently trying to determine who's gonna make it to my personal top 10 this year, and I feel O Jardim is coming for me and my ancestors. This could legitimately be in my top 3 even.
Obrigado Portugal for this piece of art.
P.S.: better late than never... Take my douze points in the poll
By the way did Salvador say anything about this song?
Alaska49
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Sammy
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tbh, I wasn't surprised by this result at all. I was rather astonished by the positive reaction to the song before the contest. She is adorable and for me the most beautiful woman in this years contest, but the song did absolutely nothing for me...
musicfan
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I don't think there was much evidence of that. Finland also finished above it. I never expected it to do that well, because last year's song was more a vocal showcase and his charisma had an effect. It was completely different this year with as song that was more about atmosphere, and of course it bypassed the semis. Maybe if Italy had entered it then it would have done better, but Portugal just doesn't have as big a Eurovision reputation.
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Well I don't believe that any extra factors are an explanation for this result. The truth is, imo, and I've mentioned this before, the song got lost amongst all the other songs. It's sad to say so, because I even like the song, but it just had nothing special there for the televoter to support it. If televoters didnt know the song before, it would be completely unnoticed in the evening. Isaura's presence didn't help either. I used to think I liked this song even more than Salvador's, but a week after the final, comparing the performances, the whole songs, I just realised it isn't exactly what I feel. Salvador's song touches me more, in the end, and his performance was memorable and the song did indeed go somewhere. Hating or loving his song, it couldn't be unnoticed because he wouldn't let that happen (for the best or the worst), as he didn't. Cláudia and Isaura did their best but I realised many things were still lacking there , I keep liking the song, it's not the worst the final had to offer, but the televoters had a lot much more "appealing", "entertaining" and yes, even better songs to vote for. In the end it's the kind of things that happen. Not because Portugal is meant to end up with bad results, it's a matter of choice, and this one just didn't fit in what the final was all about. Still, I'm proud we took something different, it's a sweet and gorgeous song, it just didn't have any effect, though. I didn't forget this song because I knew it before. But I confess that in my mind "there were a lot more interesting things" going on than the host song. (Better and worse kind of things mind you. ) It just could end up being forgotten, sadly. After all I mentioned, there wasn't anything better we could have sent this year. Ending with poor results happens to Portugal very often, but it also happens to most of the other countries. It happens more regulary to us because RTP don't have a true interest in doing well. And I'm sure they didn't expect last year's result.
Currently, the song that is the most unique one, stands out and wins the contest. And that's it. Whether we love them or hate them.
) It just could end up being forgotten, sadly. After all I mentioned, there wasn't anything better we could have sent this year. Ending with poor results happens to Portugal very often, but it also happens to most of the other countries. It happens more regulary to us because RTP don't have a true interest in doing well. And I'm sure they didn't expect last year's result. Currently, the song that is the most unique one, stands out and wins the contest. And that's it. Whether we love them or hate them.
Nicholas123
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bouncybobcat
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Oh my
Isn't it odd to hear it sung in English for the first time when you already 'hear' them in the Portuguese version because you've heard it so many times.
(I'm worried I might remember it as 'The Flower Watering Song' now)
Ok, I was re-listening to "O Jardim" today and I felt the urge to review it.
Song: To speak plainly, since I followed the contest from 2009, Portugal has never been on my radar. However, I have the utmost respect for the Portuguese for always leaning against the wind and sticking to their own language no matter what, which is what Eurovision means to me. Since 2009, I really liked "Vida Minha" only (because fado is life), and I found some of their efforts really cute and underrated ("Todas As Ruas Do Amor", "Quero Ser Tua", "Há um mar que nos separa") but I never loved any of these to death... I don't know what happened in 2017, but RTP was replaced by an actual skillful and involved broadcaster and "Amar Pelos Dois" happened. Not a case of love at first sight, I liked this song well enough but it eventually grew on me to become my number 1 of 2017 and the very first Portuguese entry I can say I LOVE this decade. As Lisbon was hosting this year, I actually didn't expect anything because host entries are hit or miss (rather miss than hit by the way), and based on the comments left on the forum, I was ready to not care at all about "O Jardim". I discovered the song during the grand final and... damn, I was SHOOK! The quality of the composition is insane: the production and arrangements are super modern (which was surprising and fresh coming from Portugal), the melody is very dreamlike and mysterious, Isaura played with dissonances, which reinforce the strange yet otherworldly atmosphere going on. I won't go into detail, but the balance between the piano, guitar, electronic beats and synths is masterful imo: it is solid and it works. Lyrically, it's different, meaningful and touching, which is always a huge plus in my book. If I remember correctly, this year we had three entries dealing with passings in their own way, and "O Jardim" is the one I feel presented this subject best by using the metaphor of the garden, which could either be an actual garden or our "secret garden": that is our mind where flowers (or memories) of the deceased person need to be taken care of... Unlike "Amar Pelos Dois", I loved "O Jardim" from day one, it truly touched me and amazed me. To me, this is a 10/10, I had no idea Portugal would be coming for me and my edges while they were hosting. Fantastic pick guys! I'm glad Europe was able to hear this wonderful piece of music.
Voice: As I said, I loved this song instantly without knowing anything about it, so Claudia's voice was right up my alley, it sounded so soft and fitting for the composition. Her interpretation was on point, althought "O Jardim" is very slow-paced, she managed to captivate me and make me feel what needed to be conveyed. Perfect amount of emotion and she hit them high notes as if she was saying hello! Nothing more to say about it, I was here for it.
Staging: I don't recognise RTP, like seriously! I found the staging super nice as well! First, they used a very unusual colour scheme: dark-ish intense green and golden orange aren't seen very often, and this mix of coldness and warmth visually worked like a charm while being symbolically reminiscent of the lyrics. The little spotlights, although a very simple idea, created an interesting setting and structured the stage a bit, and their presence is open to interpretation: are they stars? Candles? Lanterns? Sunrays piercing through the darkest corners of the mind? We'll never know. Also, the camera work was rather simple but efficient with a succession of close-ups and midway shots that allowed to make the most of the stage while retaining this spiritual dream-like atmosphere. Fashion-wise, Claudia looked both classy and sexy in her long black dress, while Isaura was an understated match: she didn't distract from the main interpret. I don't know how much work and thought has been put into their staging, but it sure was a convincing final product to me.
Results: "O Jardim" came LAST with 39pts... Can we talk about this disgrace for a second? :? The fact it didn't do well with televoters is explainable insofar as the song was not the most instant and accessible one on offer, and it's difficult sometimes to stand out among acts doing the most with flashing lights and tits on fire. However, the fact juries - who supposedly know the songs, aren't affected by the running order and so on - let this one bomb is another proof to me that they don't know what they should support in this contest. Instead of stating the obvious and mainly pushing mainstream pop songs that are ironically less likely to pass unnoticed, they should be there to make room for songs that actually offer something solid and different from the rest, and whose results are logically much more unpredictable. The only compensation for me is that it thankfully was the host entry, otherwise it probably would have stayed in the semis, which would have been such a shame. In my personal ranking, "O Jardim" was my third favourite of 2018 (behind Estonia and Slovenia) Portugal did THAT! Not many host entries are that great imo. I hope this result won't prevent you from keeping experimenting and focusing on quality: since your last comeback, I'm definitely seeing you differently, for the better! Thank you for the wonderful 2018 edition! RTP did a fantastic job! Fingers crossed for next year! 
Song: To speak plainly, since I followed the contest from 2009, Portugal has never been on my radar. However, I have the utmost respect for the Portuguese for always leaning against the wind and sticking to their own language no matter what, which is what Eurovision means to me. Since 2009, I really liked "Vida Minha" only (because fado is life), and I found some of their efforts really cute and underrated ("Todas As Ruas Do Amor", "Quero Ser Tua", "Há um mar que nos separa") but I never loved any of these to death... I don't know what happened in 2017, but RTP was replaced by an actual skillful and involved broadcaster
and "Amar Pelos Dois" happened. Not a case of love at first sight, I liked this song well enough but it eventually grew on me to become my number 1 of 2017 and the very first Portuguese entry I can say I LOVE this decade. As Lisbon was hosting this year, I actually didn't expect anything because host entries are hit or miss (rather miss than hit by the way), and based on the comments left on the forum, I was ready to not care at all about "O Jardim". I discovered the song during the grand final and... damn, I was SHOOK! The quality of the composition is insane: the production and arrangements are super modern (which was surprising and fresh coming from Portugal), the melody is very dreamlike and mysterious, Isaura played with dissonances, which reinforce the strange yet otherworldly atmosphere going on. I won't go into detail, but the balance between the piano, guitar, electronic beats and synths is masterful imo: it is solid and it works. Lyrically, it's different, meaningful and touching, which is always a huge plus in my book. If I remember correctly, this year we had three entries dealing with passings in their own way, and "O Jardim" is the one I feel presented this subject best by using the metaphor of the garden, which could either be an actual garden or our "secret garden": that is our mind where flowers (or memories) of the deceased person need to be taken care of... Unlike "Amar Pelos Dois", I loved "O Jardim" from day one, it truly touched me and amazed me. To me, this is a 10/10, I had no idea Portugal would be coming for me and my edges while they were hosting. Fantastic pick guys! I'm glad Europe was able to hear this wonderful piece of music.Voice: As I said, I loved this song instantly without knowing anything about it, so Claudia's voice was right up my alley, it sounded so soft and fitting for the composition. Her interpretation was on point, althought "O Jardim" is very slow-paced, she managed to captivate me and make me feel what needed to be conveyed. Perfect amount of emotion and she hit them high notes as if she was saying hello!
Nothing more to say about it, I was here for it.Staging: I don't recognise RTP, like seriously!
I found the staging super nice as well! First, they used a very unusual colour scheme: dark-ish intense green and golden orange aren't seen very often, and this mix of coldness and warmth visually worked like a charm while being symbolically reminiscent of the lyrics. The little spotlights, although a very simple idea, created an interesting setting and structured the stage a bit, and their presence is open to interpretation: are they stars? Candles? Lanterns? Sunrays piercing through the darkest corners of the mind? We'll never know. Also, the camera work was rather simple but efficient with a succession of close-ups and midway shots that allowed to make the most of the stage while retaining this spiritual dream-like atmosphere. Fashion-wise, Claudia looked both classy and sexy in her long black dress, while Isaura was an understated match: she didn't distract from the main interpret. I don't know how much work and thought has been put into their staging, but it sure was a convincing final product to me.Results: "O Jardim" came LAST with 39pts... Can we talk about this disgrace for a second? :? The fact it didn't do well with televoters is explainable insofar as the song was not the most instant and accessible one on offer, and it's difficult sometimes to stand out among acts doing the most with flashing lights and tits on fire. However, the fact juries - who supposedly know the songs, aren't affected by the running order and so on - let this one bomb is another proof to me that they don't know what they should support in this contest. Instead of stating the obvious and mainly pushing mainstream pop songs that are ironically less likely to pass unnoticed, they should be there to make room for songs that actually offer something solid and different from the rest, and whose results are logically much more unpredictable. The only compensation for me is that it thankfully was the host entry, otherwise it probably would have stayed in the semis, which would have been such a shame. In my personal ranking, "O Jardim" was my third favourite of 2018 (behind Estonia and Slovenia)
Portugal did THAT! Not many host entries are that great imo. I hope this result won't prevent you from keeping experimenting and focusing on quality: since your last comeback, I'm definitely seeing you differently, for the better! Thank you for the wonderful 2018 edition! RTP did a fantastic job! Fingers crossed for next year! 
Mainshow
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I agree with tuorem. I actually agree with the televoting results because the entry wasn't instant, catchy at all and not really accessable to the general public. However, the juries should have favored it a bit more because the entry was a quality one.
However, I gave it 5 pts in the poll, since I do like it and see it's brillance in terms of compositions but I don't find this one to be very much appealing.
However, I gave it 5 pts in the poll, since I do like it and see it's brillance in terms of compositions but I don't find this one to be very much appealing.
I don't know if it was announced here but the composer, Isaura, has been battling breast cancer. She came public with it in February.
Being diagnosed at the age of 30 is mind-blowing and really put shit into perspective. I'm 31.
Being diagnosed at the age of 30 is mind-blowing and really put shit into perspective. I'm 31.
lasse braun
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this was the most bizarre,weird,strangest last place in ESC-history!