As everyone’s favourite music event makes a return for 2022, Eurovision fans are all wondering who will make it to the top of the leaderboard.
Following Italy’s win in 2021, they are playing host in Turin and it promises to be a night full of spectacular performances.
Among the hopefuls taking to the stage in the coming days will be Portugal’s artist MARO.
Read on to discover more about the young singing sensation who is carrying Portugal’s hopes on her shoulders after she was selected by her country.
Who is representing Portugal at Eurovision 2022?
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Name: MARO, real name Mariana Brito da Cruz Forjaz Secca
Age: 27
Instagram: @maro.musica
Twitter: @itsameeemaro
MARO, whose full name is Mariana Brito da Cruz Forjaz Secca, was born in Portugal to a musical family.
After initially thinking she wanted to be a vet, MARO soon realised she was going to continue in her nearest and dearests’ footsteps and pursue a career in music, and learnt how to play piano and guitar.
She jetted off to the United States of America and enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, before moving to Los Angeles to further hone her craft.
While there, she made quite the impression and even opened for the likes of Jessie J.
Now, she’s focusing her efforts on representing her country at Eurovision.
What is Portugal’s Eurovision 2022 song called?
Gentle ballad Saudade Saudade is extremely close to MARO’s heart as it’s dedicated to her late grandfather.
MARO wrote the song with one of her contacts from her time in the US, John Blanda, and it includes lots of emotional and poignant lyrics.
It’s already had huge success, reaching number 1 on the country’s Viral 50 on Spotify for several consecutive weeks.
Where did Portugal come in the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest?
In the lead-up to Eurovision 2021, nobody was taking much notice of Portugal’s entry The Black Mamba.
But when the band took to the stage, it became an instant hit around the globe and they placed 12th overall in the competition, earning 153 points.
When is Eurovision 2022?
The Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final will take place on Saturday 14th May 2022 in Turin, Italy.
BBC One will be broadcasting live coverage of the event, while you can also listen to the performances and commentary on BBC Radio 2.
The semi-finals will be held on Tuesday 10th May 2022 and Thursday 12th May 2022, and are available to watch on BBC Three.
Which countries are taking part in Eurovision 2022?
Here are the other countries competing in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest – click on each one to find out more.
Semi-final 1
- Albania
- Armenia
- Austria
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Greece
- Iceland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Moldova
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Slovenia
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
The 2022 Eurovision Song Contest will air on the BBC from Tuesday 10th May to Saturday 14th May – listen to all of this year’s Eurovision songs on TIDAL, while the full album of tracks is available on CD and vinyl now.
You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision here. If you’re looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide.
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