Portuguese Salvador Sobral has won the hearts of Eurovision viewers, but not all of them know that his own heart suffers from a serious illness. You can learn about this and many other facts from the life of the 27-year-old singer in this article, reports hyser.com.ua.
16.05.2017 11:37 1 764
Portugal's first ever Eurovision winner
Before the victory of Salvador Sobral, Portugal was one of the anti-record holders of Eurovision. The country has been participating in the competition since 1964, but during this time its best result was 6th place in 1996. Three times she came in last place. Portugal last participated in the Eurovision final in 2010, and its best result in the 2000s was 13th place.
Therefore, the victory of Sobral for Portugal is an event of historical significance. Just imagine that the Ukrainian football team won the European Championship. Everything is exactly the same here.
2. Salvador Sobral does not consider himself a national hero
The summary about football in the previous paragraph appeared for a reason - the fact is that Sobral considers the real national hero of Portugal to be the football player Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I'm not a hero. The characters look different. Cristiano Ronaldo is a hero, but I’m just an artist,” Salvador answered a question from journalists about whether he considers himself a national hero.
By the way, the Portuguese team led by Ronaldo, unlike our team, won the European Championship. Salvador Sobral never mentioned his love for football, but if he remembered the name Ronaldo, then the game of millions is not indifferent to him.
3. The singer has noble roots
This guy’s modesty and shyness in no way reveal him as a descendant of aristocrats, but Salvador is not at all an ordinary resident of Portugal. He belongs to the noble da Silva family, whose history dates back to the middle of the 17th century.
4. Salvador Sobral could have been a psychologist
Since childhood, Salvador has been attracted to music, but after graduating from school he went to study as a psychologist. He was going to graduate from the Lisbon Institute of Applied Psychology and even ended up on a student exchange program in the USA. Only there the craving for music finally won: instead of couples, Sobral preferred to sing the songs of his idols in bars: Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles. During this period, Salvador realized that music was much more important to him than psychology.
5. At home, they learned about Sobral in 2009
In Portugal, Salvador Sobral made a name for himself after participating in the third season of the Portuguese version of the popular British talent show Pop Idol. Although Sobral failed to win (he only took 7th place), the audience remembered him. By the way, two years earlier his sister Louise took 3rd place in the same show. Sobral balanced a little more between music and psychology, but then devoted himself entirely to what he loved. In 2014, Salvador graduated from the prestigious Taller of Musics school in Barcelona. And only in 2016 he released his first album, Exuse Me.
6. Victory song Amar Pelos Dois was written by the musician's sister during the day
The lyrical ballad with which Sobral won the hearts of European audiences was written by his sister Louise. The song was composed in great haste, since there was a day left before the start of the national selection in Portugal, and El Salvador had nothing at all!
As a result, Louise created this romantic masterpiece in one day. Salvador liked the composition literally from the first note. Sobral said that he was offered to change the song and even give it to another artist, but he did not.
“I think I only won because I sang a really great song. Louise is an amazing composer! Buy songs from her, otherwise we spent our entire family budget on Eurovision,” - after the victory, Salvador did not forget to thank his sister and promote her as a composer.
By the way, after the winner was announced, Sobral performed his song as an encore with his sister.
7. El Salvador suffers from serious heart disease
Since childhood, Sobral has been experiencing health problems - he was diagnosed with a heart defect. Literally on the eve of Eurovision, he underwent two operations. In this regard, Sobral arrived in Kyiv as the last of the participants. The organizers accommodated Salvador and allowed him to skip the semi-final rehearsal - his sister then performed instead.
The media write that Salvador needs a heart transplant within a year, but the singer himself does not like to talk about his health and does not comment on this information.
8. The singer takes an active civic position
Sobral closely follows political life in Europe and draws attention to the refugee problem. In particular, he came to the press conference after the Eurovision semi-final wearing a T-shirt with the inscription “S. O. S. Refugees" ("Save the Refugees").
“If I am here and Europe is looking at me, then the least I can do is a humanitarian message. People arrive in Europe on plastic boats and are required to provide documents to enter the country. These are not emigrants, they are refugees fleeing death. Don’t make mistakes,” Sobral said at the time.
9. Salvador was not the favorite in the competition
When bookmakers first started accepting bets, Sobral was in fifth place on the list of favorites. Bets were accepted on it with odds of 13:1.
After performing in the semi-finals, Sobral entered the top three, but was still inferior to the Bulgarian Christian Kostov and the main Eurovision favorite, the Italian Francesco Gabbani, who was given a chance of winning with a 2:1 odds. However, Kostov damaged his image with controversial statements about his desire to smash the main award of the competition in Moscow. Gabbani disappointed with a weak number, which was clearly inferior to the sensational video for his competition song Occidentali’s Karma.
10. Collected and sang in one of the Kyiv bars
A Portuguese in Kyiv decided not to get bored at the hotel, but to get a taste of the nightlife of the Ukrainian capital. He visited one of the Kyiv bars and even sang live there. A video of Sobral’s impromptu performance was posted online by visitors to the establishment.
At first, Sobral listened to the music of the Kyiv group Groovin’ High in the bar, and then he wanted to perform several of his songs. The musicians happily played along with their Portuguese colleague, not suspecting that they were sharing the stage with the future Eurovision winner.
Portuguese singer Salvador Sobral– winner at Eurovision V Kyiv V 2017 year. The song he sang Salvador Sobral called "Amar Pelos Dois", this composition sings about a heart that can withstand everything and can love for two. Native sister Salvador Collected by Louise wrote this song for my brother, the fact is that the winner Eurovision 2017 He has been very seriously ill since birth - he has a heart defect. Disease Salvador Sobral so serious that he needs an urgent heart transplant, otherwise the guy risks not living to see 2018 of the year. Salvador Sobral dared and still went to conquer the European public, although you understand, the excitement of being at such a competition is simply off the charts, even a healthy person would have a nervous breakdown. So, for example, I remember how Sergey Lazarev nervously exhausted in preparation for Eurovision, Dima Bilan He also spent a long time recovering his nerves, and it’s clear from everything that he still hasn’t fully come to his senses, although years have already passed since his victory.
But the song Salvador Sobral was lyrical, soothing and relaxing, no shows or jumping around the stage, but how beautiful the Portuguese language is, and she Portugal– one of the most beautiful countries Europe what about the fans Eurovision will be happy to go there 2018 year, especially since Portugal I have never won this singing competition. But nevertheless, I still believe that the jury and the audience were influenced by the sad fate of the story Salvador Sobral, he sang, of course, from the heart, and since he sang, only a person could sing who understands that every day lived on this Earth is unique, and life can end at any moment. The song is simple, uncomplicated and the voice performing it is ordinary, but the soul is invested without reserve. I would even call this composition a swan song; the singer singing it knows something that not every one of us is given the opportunity to know at the end of our life’s journey. But I hope for a heart transplant Salvador Sobral they will do it anyway, but 2018 he will open the year with his performance Eurovision 2018 V Lisbon, and will delight his fans with his sweet, soothing voice for many years to come.
In this photo you see Salvador Sobral standing on stage in Kyiv, this Portuguese singer just realized he won! The award is presented by a Ukrainian singer Jamala- winner Eurovision 2016.
And in these photos you see Salvador Sobral with my sister Louise, it was she who wrote a song for her brother to participate in Eurovision. In case of an unforeseen situation, this brave girl was going to replace her brother on stage!
Take a look at this photo Salvador Sobral, this guy didn’t always have a beard, there were days when he was clean-shaven and in this form, in my opinion, he was much prettier.
And in this photo Salvador He’s still quite young, and I think he’s very cute here.
Portugal's Salvador Sobral won Eurovision 2017 with the song Amar Pelos Dois.
Singer from Portugal Salvador Sobral won the Eurovision 2017 international song contest, the final of which was held in Kyiv.
The main prize of the competition was presented to Sobral by last year's Eurovision winner, Ukrainian singer Jamala, who had previously been given during her performance. After this, the Portuguese once again went on stage and performed his composition for an encore.
The second place was taken by the representative of Bulgaria of Russian origin with the song “Beautiful Mess”, he received 615 votes. In third place was the group from Moldova Sunstroke Project with the song “Hey Mamma”, gaining 374 votes.
Let us note that it was Sobral who was called by the bookmakers the main favorite of the competition. The odds shifted in his favor during this week: before that, bookmakers gave preference to Italy.
The representative of Italy, considered one of the favorites, took only sixth place. Ukraine is in third place from the bottom, beating only Germany and Spain.
27-year-old Portuguese Salvador Sobral admitted that he did not immediately realize that he had won. He stated this at a press conference following the competition. According to Sobralu, the realization came to him only after one of the members of the Portuguese delegation told him about the victory.
At the briefing, journalists congratulated the singer on his victory and predicted the status of a national hero for him, since thanks to Sobral, Portugal became the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time.
The Portuguese performer shared his plans for the future and thanked everyone for their support. In addition, Salvador announced a tour of his native country.
"I'm happy if I can bring something new, make some change with my song. If I can contribute to even the slightest change in music, I will be very happy," he added.
Salvador Sobral - Amar Pelos Dois
The winner admitted that the song that won the hearts of Europe was actually the creation of his sister Louise. According to him, she wrote the lyrics to the song on the last day before the Eurovision selection.
“When I thought about this song, it seemed to me that people would be attracted to its simplicity. And my brother could sing “Happy Birthday” in such a way that it would be incredible,” Louise said.
Salvador Sobral performed the lyrical song Amar Pelos Dois. In it, the singer sings about a wounded heart and about the beloved who abandoned him.
In the song, Sobral asks his unknown lover to return and promises to love her as much as he can. Such a love story literally melted the hearts of the world's viewers.
As part of the competition, Sobral also received another award - the Marcel Besançon Prize in the category "Art Prize" (for the highest artistic achievements). His sister also received this award for best composer.
Let us note that long before the festival it became known that the singer had suffered from a heart defect since childhood. Due to illness, the Portuguese could not take part in the stages of the competition on an equal basis with other candidates.
Biography of Salvador Sobral
Salvador Sobral was born on December 28, 1989 in Lisbon, but lived for a long time in the United States and then in Barcelona.
Music has always played a big role in his life, so the guy dropped out of his studies at the Lisbon Institute of Applied Psychology and entered one of the most prestigious music schools in Spain, Taller de Músics. During his studies, Salvador wrote many songs and also tested his talent in various genres of music.
According to the site, Salvador’s popularity came after participating in the famous Portuguese talent show “Ídolos”. The performer took seventh place in the third season of the project. It is noteworthy that in Salvador’s family his sister Louise also sings. She is also one of the winners of "Ídolos".
The performer is a member of the group "Noko Woi", playing in the indie pop style.
The band's debut album was released in 2014, and in 2016, Salvador Sobral recorded the solo album "Excuse Me".
The participant from Portugal at Eurovision 2017 was determined during the national selection, which took place as part of the Festival da Canção 2017.
Due to illness, Salvador became the last Eurovision 2017 participant to arrive in Kyiv. He missed rehearsals and arrived only on May 7, for the grand opening of the competition.
Eurovision 2017 winner Salvador Sobral will take the crystal microphone to Portugal. Hromadske reveals 5 main facts about the musician who celebrated in Kyiv.
Salvador and family
Salvador Vilar Braamkamp Sobral is no ordinary Portuguese. He is a descendant of the noble da Silva family, whose roots go back to the mid-17th century. Salvador has a sister, Luisa, also a singer. It was she who wrote the song “Amar pelos dois”, which the musician performed at Eurovision. Interestingly, after the result was announced, Salvador performed an encore song with his sister.
Salvador and Pop Idol
In his homeland, Salvador has been known since 2009, when he took part in the third season of the Portuguese equivalent of the British show Pop Idol. True, he did not become a winner, but was content with only seventh place. His sister Louise turned out to be the best at this - in 2007 she took third place in the first season of the same competition.
El Salvador and music
After the Pop Idol show, Salvador did not remain in the music industry, but continued to study psychology. True, not for long. Over time, music prevailed and the guy entered the prestigious music school Taller of Musics in Barcelona, from which he graduated in 2014, after which he actively began performing. The following year, Sobral appeared at the Vodafone Mexefest and EDP Cool Jazz festivals. In 2016 he released his debut album Exuse Me.
El Salvador and citizenship
Sobral is actively interested in political life and closely follows refugee issues. He came to the press conference of the semi-final winners wearing an “S. O. S. Refugees" ("Help Refugees"). He declared:
"If I'm here and Europe is looking at me, then the least I can do is a humanitarian message. People arrive in Europe on plastic boats and they are asked for documents to get into the country. These are not emigrants, they are refugees who are fleeing from death. Make no mistakes. There is a lot of bureaucracy in the Greek, Turkish and Italian refugee camps and we must create legal and safe routes from these countries to their final destinations."
El Salvador and Eurovision
Portugal missed Eurovision in 2016. Salvador won the national selection, although due to chronic heart problems (he has had a heart defect since childhood), he did not know until recently whether he would be able to take part in the final competition. The Eurovision organizers made an exception for the musician and he was able to skip the semi-final rehearsals. Sobral successfully completed the qualification, after which he scored a victorious 758 points, beating the Bulgarian performer.
Eurovision, together with Salvador Sobral, flies to Portugal.
Photo: www.ctv.by/novosti-ukrainy
Portuguese singer Salvador Sobral declared the winner of the Eurovision 2017 music competition, which took place on the night of May 14 in Kyiv. This is Portugal's first victory in the history of the competition. We tell you what you need to know about the singer who charmed the whole of Europe.
Who is Salvador Sobral?
Little is known about the young man. He was born on December 28, 1989 in Lisbon, where he subsequently spent most of his life. However, Sobral lived in New York for some time.
At the age of ten, Sobral took part in a television show Bravo Bravissimo, by the age of 20 he became one of the finalists of the Portuguese version of the famous program Pop Idol - there he took seventh place in the third season of the project, performing songs Stevie Wonder And Leonard Cohen.
Sobral studied psychology at the Institute of Applied Psychology in Lisbon. After leaving the University of Lisbon, he entered the prestigious music academy in Barcelona, where he completed his studies in 2014. He began his major musical career as a member of the indie pop group Noki Woi, which he left by 2016. In the same year, Salvador released his first and quite successful solo album called Excuse me.
Salvador has a congenital heart defect, he is forced to live in a gentle regime, so he prepared for his performance at Eurovision and rehearsed not as actively as the other participants. He is often accompanied by his sister Louise Sobral, who wrote a song for him Amar pelos dois, with which he won the competition. According to some reports, the sister could have replaced Sobral if his health condition had not allowed him to go on stage. As Western media write, the three-minute journey to the main stage of the competition was beyond Sobral’s strength, and he sang while standing on a small platform in the middle of the hall.
This year, the representative of Portugal won quite confidently. In the competition, which, thanks to last year’s triumph of the Ukrainian singer Jamals took place in Kyiv, 26 applicants competed for the crystal microphone. Unlike most previous competitions, the results of the jury voting of the participating countries were announced first, and the results of the audience voting were announced at the very end.
The main competitors of El Salvador were representing Bulgaria Christian Kostov and Italian Francesco Gabbani. But in the end, Christian took second place, and Francesco finished sixth. The representative of Portugal scored 758 points, the Bulgarian – 615, and the Moldovan group came third Sunstroke Project- 374. Thus, the next Eurovision song contest in 2018 will be held in Portugal. It is curious that the Russian singer Yulia Samoilova, not allowed into Kyiv by the Security Service of Ukraine, was delighted with Sobral’s victory.
