In our third interview leading up toย Festival da Canรงรฃo’s semifinal this weekend, we spoke to the man who’s hoping ‘third time lucky’ will come true. For his third participation, he worked together with Eurovision veteran Marc Paelinck: Rui Andrade! Read what he had to say below!
escXtra.com:ย Hey Rui! First of all, thank you for taking the time to speak to us! How are you feeling, being selected for Festival da Canรงรฃo?
Rui Andrade:ย Iโm very excited and happy of courseโฆ itโs the third time on Festival da Canรงรฃo, but I think this will be my strongest participationโฆ
X:ย For the readers who donโt know you, could you tell us something about yourself?
R:ย I am 29 years oldโฆ I was born in a small city in the north of Portugal, called Amaranteโฆ At the moment, I live and work in Lisbonโฆ I love music, I love my family, I love my friendsโฆ and I love my country, Portugalโฆ
X:ย This will be your third time in Festival da Canรงรฃo, after coming third twice before in 2011 and 2012. What do you like so much in the competition?
R:ย Eurovision is my dream, and my goalโฆ I want to sing on the Eurovision stage and represent the colours of Portugal ๐
X: Your song will be called Ao teu encontro. What can we expect from that song?
R:ย You can expect a very emotional songโฆ a very strong performanceโฆ a beautiful songโฆ
X:ย The song was composed by Eurovision veteran Marc Paelinck. How was it to work with him on the song?
R:ย Marc is an incredible person, and very professionalโฆ he has a lot of experience in the Eurovision world, and I learned a lot of things from himโฆ
X:ย You wrote the lyrics yourself. What was the inspiration for them?
R:ย The entire song talks about dreams, and how to reach those dreamsโฆ of course, the song talks about my own Eurovision dreamโฆ
X:ย What would it mean to you if you would win Festival da Canรงรฃo?
R:ย The victory on Festival da Canรงรฃoย would mean a lot to me: the price of many months of work, and dreamsโฆ and it means I can realise my dream: go to Eurovision representing Portugalโฆ
X:ย Are you a Eurovision fan?
R: Yesโฆ Iโm a Eurovision fanโฆ
X:ย Whatโs your all time favourite Eurovision song?
R:ย My Eurovision dream began with one specific song, so I can call that one like my favouriteโฆ the French entry of 2001, curiously in Copenhagenโฆ Natasha St Pier, Je nโai que mon รขme.
X:ย Do you have a message for the readers of escXtra.com?
R: Thanks for all the support of the Eurovision fansโฆ This is my dreamโฆ help me to reach my dreamโฆ ๐ and I hope of course you like, love and believe in my voice and my song, like I believe in itโฆ ๐
escXtra.com would like to thank Rui Andrade for his answers. We would also like to wish him the best of luck in Saturday’s semifinal.
