When Portugal made its Eurovision debut, the country was still under harsh dictatorship and its first ten entries were all products of the totalitarian regime and its cultural rules.
Since you were not allowed to speak your mind, the domestic poets tried to sneak their lyrics past the strict censorship of the national broadcaster and win a place in the national song contest.
Ary Dos Santos played this game very well, he wrote the lyrics for no less than four winning songs, some of which had critical messages between the lines. "Tourada" being a very fine example of this.
The song is not exactly your typical pop hit, but it has a very persistent chorus that is catchy in its own little way.
Fernando Tordo - Tourada (Portugal 1973)
This lyric doesn't stand out as particularly dangerous to me but apparently it contains blistering criticism of the country's leadership as well as the double standards of a society that puts up with being controlled.
And somehow you can hear how scornful it is. It sounds really cheeky, obnoxious and arrogant in a refreshing way. Hearing it today, I'm sure it would still annoy the life out of somebody. Fernando Tordo is also a very likeable performer, almost as cheeky as the song itself.
It was also given quite an amusing preview clip, I must say.
Fernando Tordo - Tourada (Portugal 1973 preview clip)
Not only did it result (surprisingly) in one of Portugal's better placings, it is also (less surprisingly) a real evergreen on home ground. When covered by another of my favourite Portuguese ESC performers of recent years, it recieved a very enthusiastic response from the audience.
Rui Drumond - Tourada
Well Tobias the lyrics have double meaning. Supposedly about bullfight...but it's obvious it's harsh criticism of the regime saying it's rotten and it's time for a new life.
ReplyDeleteWell, yes, I understand that much, but the metaphors are too Portuguese for me to really get them. I take your (and other sources') word for it, and either way it is still a masterpiece.
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