Iolanda (singer)

Portuguese singer-songwriter (born 1994)

  • Fado
  • Pop
  • R&B
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)VocalsYears active2008–present
Musical artist

Iolanda Costa (European Portuguese pronunciation: [juˈlɐ̃dɐ ˈkɔʃtɐ]; born 4 November 1994), known mononymously as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter. She became known for her participation in the first season of the program Uma canção para ti, broadcast by TVI in December 2008. Costa represented Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "Grito".

Early life

Iolanda was born in 1994 in Figueira da Foz, but she moved to Pombal as a child. From an early age she revealed a great passion for music, and her vocation did not go unnoticed by her parents, who sent her to study music at Tecnimúsica, a school in Pombal, and later at the Conservatory. At 17 she moved to Lisbon where she graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP. She tried performing in bars and national talent competitions as a gateway, then moved to London, where she studied songwriting at BIMM University in London, United Kingdom.[1][2]

Musical career

At the age of 14, Iolanda participated in the first edition of the talent show Uma canção para ti  [pt] ("A song for you"), broadcast by TVI in December 2008 and was eliminated in the 2nd gala, thus failing to reach the final. In 2012, at the age of 17, she tried her luck again on a television program, this time in the 5th season of Ídolos, on SIC, but did not reach the live gala stage.[3]

In 2014, Iolanda took to the stage of the Blind Tests of the second season of The Voice Portugal, on RTP1, but her performance of "Who You Are", by Jessie J, failed to impress any of the four mentors.[4] In 2022, she made her debut at Festival da Canção, the Portuguese selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, as co-author and co-composer of the song "Mar no fim", performed by Blacci.[5] In 2023, Iolanda released her first EP, entitled Cura, which she wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7][8]

In 2024, Iolanda was selected to compete in the Festival da Canção 2024 with the song "Grito"; on 24 February 2024, she secured her place by in the final,[9] ultimately winning the festival and going on to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.[10] On 29 March 2024, several entrants, including Iolanda, released a joint statement calling for "an immediate and lasting ceasefire" in Gaza, as well as "the safe return of all hostages".[11]

Iolanda at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Iolanda was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, where she placed eighth out of 16 with 58 points, qualifying to the grand final, where she placed 10th out of 25 with 152 points.[12][13]

Discography

Extended plays

List of EPs, with selected details
Title Details
Cura
Grito
  • Released: 14 June 2024[15]
  • Label: Altafonte
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Olhar p'ra baixo
  • Released: 5 July 2024[16]
  • Label: Altafonte
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

Title Year Peak chart positions Album or EP
POR
[17] 		LTU
[18]
"Cura" 2022 — — Cura
"Assim"
(with Choro and Matheus Paraizo
featuring Inês Marques Lucas) 		— — Avalanche – Volume I
"Contigo"
(with Soluna featuring Luar) 		— —
"Lugar certo" — — Cura
"Juro já nem paro" 2023 — —
"Grito" 2024 42 65 Festival da Canção 2024
"Calma" — — Olhar p'ra baixo
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As featured artist

Title Year Album or EP
"Crying Out"
(Darko featuring Iolanda) 		2015 Overexpression

References

  1. ^ "Iolanda, de Pombal, leva "Grito" ao Festival da Canção". regiaodeleiria.pt (in Portuguese). 21 January 2024. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Biografia: Iolanda - Festival da Canção 2024". Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Ex-concorrente de "Uma Canção Para Ti" concorre ao "Ídolos"". A Televisão (in Portuguese). 29 April 2012. Archived from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  4. ^ Cláudio Garcia (24 February 2023). "Depois do Hot Clube e de Londres, Iolanda entre o fado e a música electrónica". Jornal de Leiria (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  5. ^ Emanuel Filipe (7 March 2022). "[Olhares sobre o Festival da Canção 2022] Quem serão os finalistas da segunda semifinal?". ESC Portugal (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Faixa-a-faixa: Cura de iolanda explicado pela própria". rimasebatidas.pt (in Portuguese). 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  7. ^ Nuno Pacheco (4 April 2023). "iolanda estreia as canções de "Cura" no Auditório do PÚBLICO". Público (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  8. ^ João Pedro Bandeira (24 March 2023). "Iolanda, "Juro Já Nem Paro"". RDP Internacional (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  9. ^ Jonathan Vautrey (24 February 2024). "Festival da Canção 2024: Iolanda and João Borsch among semi-final 1 qualifiers". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  10. ^ "'Grito' wins 'Festival da Canção': Iolanda will represent Portugal in Sweden". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 10 March 2024. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Eurovision: Olly Alexander and other competitors reject calls to boycott over Israel participation". The Guardian. 29 March 2024. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  12. ^ Holdiness, Timothy. "Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final One Qualifiers". ESCXTRA. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  13. ^ Sturtridge, Isaac. "REVEALED: The Eurovision 2024 semi-final and final jury/televote detailed voting results". ESCXTRA. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Cura - Album by iolanda". Spotify. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Grito - EP by iolanda". Spotify. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  16. ^ "OLHAR P'RA BAIXO - EP by iolanda". Spotify. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Iolanda – Grito". portuguesecharts.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  18. ^ "2024 20-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 17 May 2024. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest
2024 		Succeeded by
TBD
  • v
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ParticipationArtistsSongs
  • "Ai coração"
  • "Amar"
  • "Amar pelos dois"
  • "Amor d'água fresca"
  • "Antes do adeus"
  • "Baunilha e chocolate"
  • "Bem bom"
  • "Chamar a música"
  • "A cidade (até ser dia)"
  • "Coisas de nada"
  • "Como tudo começou"
  • "Conquistador"
  • "Dai li dou"
  • "Dança comigo"
  • "Deixa-me sonhar"
  • "Desfolhada portuguesa"
  • "E depois do adeus"
  • "Ele e ela"
  • "Esta balada que te dou"
  • "A festa da vida"
  • "Uma flor de verde pinho"
  • "Foi magia"
  • "Um grande, grande amor"
  • "Grito"
  • "Há dias assim"
  • "Há sempre alguém"
  • "Há um mar que nos separa"
  • "O jardim"
  • "Love Is on My Side"
  • "Lusitana paixão"
  • "A luta é alegria"
  • "Madrugada"
  • "Medo de sentir"
  • "Menina do alto da serra"
  • "O meu coração não tem cor"
  • "Não sejas mau para mim"
  • "Neste barco à vela"
  • "Oração"
  • "Penso em ti, eu sei"
  • "Playback"
  • "Portugal no coração"
  • "Quero ser tua"
  • "Saudade, saudade"
  • "Se eu te pudesse abraçar"
  • "Senhora do mar (negras águas)"
  • "Silêncio e tanta gente"
  • "Só sei ser feliz assim"
  • "Sobe, sobe, balão sobe"
  • "Sol de inverno"
  • "Telemóveis"
  • "Todas as ruas do amor"
  • "Tourada"
  • "O vento mudou"
  • "Verão"
  • "Vida minha"
  • "Voltarei"
  • Note: Entries scored out signify where Portugal did not compete
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