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Meet the ESCXTRA team! Tiago

Tiago Ruas

Hi everyone! My name is Tiago Ruas, I’m 31 years old and I’m from Lisbon, Portugal. And yes, it was amazing being able to fully experience a Eurovision week as a local – something I never expected to witness in my lifetime, but more on that later. My passion for writing made me go for a Bachelor’s and then a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences but after a couple of disappointing years working as a journalist, I decided to change my career into the Financial area. Outside of work, I try to travel as much as possible given the limited amount of holidays per year but I always try to combine my journeys with Eurovision or some national finals, namely Melodifestivalen.

Your first Eurovision memory?

My first Eurovision memory takes me back to 2003. I remember that there was quite a hype behind our entry that year because Rita Guerra had been selected to represent us (she was one of the most popular artists in Portugal back then). Up to that point I didn’t know what Eurovision was but one thing I know is that I got instantly hooked – especially after that thrilling voting sequence – and I haven’t missed a year since then.

Your Eurovision journey?

As the years went by, I started to get increasingly involved with everything related to the Eurovision Song Contest. I’ve started by going through the history of the event, which wasn’t easy before YouTube was around. During that process, I’ve found out that Portugal wasn’t particularly successful in the contest and that our best scoring to date was a 6th place. As such, given our track record and some of our questionable attempts in the 21st century, I had accepted the fact that Portugal was never going to win Eurovision. Thanfully, in 2017 that turned out to be wrong and Salvador brought the contest to Lisbon – and what a week that was!

Why is Eurovision special to you?

Because it allows me to discover artists and songs I wouldn’t ever find out by the normal/commercial means. For me, the Eurovision season starts in the moment we get the first songs of the the first national final. Following each national final is an exciting process as I start to get attached to some of the songs/performances but it can also be heartbreaking when some of my favourites don’t manage to get picked to represent their countries. But that has always been the magic of Eurovision for me: from the burst of joy you get when your favorite song manages to qualify for the Final or even win the whole thing, to the tears of incomprehension as why one of favorite acts did worse than you expected. And the good thing is… there’s always next year!

What attracted you to ESCXTRA?

The fact that ESCXTRA reports everything in a factual and professional manner, combined with a clean and modern interface. When I saw that there were applications open to join the team, I didn’t hesitate and I applied right away – thankfully I was selected to come aboard! It’s amazing having the opportunity to get the chance to write again and especially about a topic that’s so endearing to me.

And finally, your top 5 Eurovision songs of all time?

#5 | Yohanna – Is It True? (Iceland 2009)

#4 | Cornelia Jakobs – Hold Me Closer (Sweden 2022)

#3 | Mørland & Debrah Scarlett – A Monster Like Me (Norway 2015)

#2 | Loreen – Euphoria (Sweden 2012)

#1 | Nuša Derenda – Energy (Slovenia 2001)

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