The line-up of invited music producers for the 2008 Festival da Canção is now complete. The names of the ten producers and also three singers are known. Ramon Galarza dropped out due to a busy work schedule in the coming weeks.
Last week, esctoday.com broke the news that new Director for Programs on RTP, José Fragoso, gave the green lightfor the continuationof Festival daCanção 2008. The nationalfinal willbe composed by 10 songs made by musicproducers invited by the Portuguese public broadcaster.
Thefinal version of the songs has to be ready before 22nd February and it will be up to the producers to choose the singerswho will perform on stage. Themain criteria demanded by RTP is that the artists have to be new-comers but with enough experience in order to assure a good performance.
The names invited by RTP are a mix of experienced producers and new blood. Here are the names on alphabetical order:
- Carluz Belo Taking part on the forthcoming Festival da Canção will be the biggest step on his short career. He spent his childhood surrounded by the sound of the Portuguese guitar, used to play fado, which belonged to his grandfather. During is graduation in Desing, he enlistedin severalworkshops in order to perferct his vocal and dancing skills. He alsocompleted a course on music production.His songwas written specifically for Festival da Canção.
- Carlos Coelho It is the first time this producer and Eurovision fan is invited by RTP. He was responsible for two songs that took part in the Lithuanian national finals in 2004 and 2005. In 2004, he was asked by the Latvian duo Fomins and Kleins to write a version in Portuguese of their Eurovision Songcontest entry Dziesma par laimi. Since then he has worked withartists from several european countries.
- Donna Maria Also new-comers to Festival da Canção. The group popped to theportuguese music scene in 2006and releaseda secong album in 2007 Musica para ser humanohighly praised by the critics.The chosen singer for their song is Joana Melo, a participant at the first edition of Operação Triunfo. You can visit their myspace site here
- Elvis Veiguinha His song Coisas de Nada sung by the girl band Nonstop wone the 2006 Festival da Canção and got the ticket to represent Portugal in Athens. Last year heproduced the song for the band Luis e a Lata, whcih placed eight.
- Fernando Martins He was the producer behind last year's runner-up "Ai de quem nunca cantou" sung by Teresa Radamanto. The version in Spanish of this song got several high scores in various Songwriting Contests.He was responsible for the arrangements of Libertangoand Hanky Panky for the Portuguese participation at the 2007 eurovision Dance Contest.You can visit Teresa Radamanto's myspace here
- Gimba A new-comer to this kind of competition. His work consists mainly on writing and composig songs with a comedic and also juinglesa and music bits for radio shows.
- Jan van Dijk He was one of the lyricits of Sempre (há sempre alguém) sung by Nucha at the 1990 Eurovision Soncontest.
- Ménito Ramos Ménito Ramos is a 29-year-old singer-songwriter who is back to the Portuguese national final. Hecomposed and wrote the lyrics for one of the songs sung by Rita Guerra in 2003. His songs are highly featured on tv series ans soap operas and he also has worked with many portugueseartists such as Adelaide Ferreira, Rui Bandeira, Non Stop. You can visit Ménito Ramos website here
- Nuno Feist The duoHenrique Feist and Vanessa came thirdin 2007 with the song Além do sonho".Henrique Feist and his brotherNuno are experienced composers, singers andsongwriters, having started their careerat very early ages. They have worked for musical plays, tv shows and alsodisbney.The duo came third at the 1985 Festival da Canção with the song "Meia de Conversa".
- Renato Júnior He was the producer of the the song Sei quem sou (Portugal) which came join first place in 2006 with Non Stop Coisas de Nada. However, the song by Non Stop had more douze points than Vania. Renato Júnior invited Ricardo, the runner-up of the last edition of Operação Triunfo, to perform his song.
The date for Festival da Canção 2008 is 9th March and the venue will be Teatro Camões in Lisbon.