Jornal de Leiria – iolanda: “I learned that talent is 10 percent and work is 90”

With connections to the municipality of Pombal, where she grew up, and to the Louriçal cavaquinho group, in which she played, iolanda currently lives in Lisbon. She made her television debut at just 14 years old, on the program A Song for You, from TVI. Shortly afterwards she started singing in bars. After progressing through the Idolsparticipation in the The Voice, in which she didn’t pass the blind test, convinced her to move to London, where she studied songwriting. She returned to Portugal during the Covid-19 pandemic and in March this year won the Song Festival with the theme “Scream”, with which she will represent Portugal in the Eurovision contest, in Sweden, which takes place between the 7th and 11th of May.

The 29-year-old singer and songwriter studied singing at the Hot Clube de Portugal, in Lisbon, and piano at the Coimbra Conservatory, and released her first EP in 2023, titled Cureconsidered one of the national albums of the year by Expresso/Blitzin which it mixes fado and other genres of traditional Portuguese music with popelectronics and R&B. He has already performed on the stage of NOS Alive, Paredes de Coura (Sobe à Vila) and Festival F. At the next Festival A Porta, in June, he will give a concert in Leiria.

Was giving up music ever an option?
No, never. There were many “no’s”, it is a difficult career, obviously, there were moments when I doubted that it was a career that would bear fruit for me.

What made you doubt?
All the “no’s” I received, which weren’t that many, because, in truth, I got far in the programs I was in. At the Idols I reached the 15 finalists, the only one I didn’t pass was the The Voicewhich gave me more strength to go to London to study music and also to pursue the things I’m doing now.

Are you willing to transform less good moments into doors that open?
I think so. At least, taking into account the journey I’ve been taking, I think I can say that I’m a fighter.