Portugal was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 with the song "Verão", composed by Pedro Vaz Osório, with lyrics by José Alberto Diogo, and performed by Carlos Mendes. The Portuguese participating broadcaster, Radiotelevisão Portuguesa (RTP), selected its entry at the Grande Prémio TV da Canção Portuguesa 1968.
Before Eurovision
Grande Prémio TV da Canção Portuguesa 1968
Radiotelevisão Portuguesa (RTP) held the Grande Prémio TV da Canção Portuguesa 1968 at its Lumiar studios in Lisbon on 4 March 1968, hosted by Maria Fernanda and Henrique Mendes. Unlike the previous year, no semi-finals where held, returning to the single-night model. Ten songs took part in the final. During the interpretation of her second theme, Simone de Oliveira felt sick and was unable to complete it, being removed from the stage to receive medical attention.[1] Joaquim Luís Gomes conducted all the songs.[2] The results were determined by a distrital jury, composed of three members which each had 5 votes to be distributed among the songs it intended to award, making a total of 15 votes per district.[3]
Grande Prémio TV da Canção Portuguesa - 4 March 1968
On the night of the final Mendes performed 1st in the running order, preceding Netherlands. At the close of the voting the song had received 5 points, coming 11th in the field of 17 competing countries.[4] The orchestra during the Portuguese entry was conducted by Joaqium Luis Gomes.[5]
The national jury which awarded the points from Portugal comprised Maria Helena Oliveira Simões (housewife), Madalena Iglésias (singer), Maria João Aguiar (TV and radio presenter), Isabel Maria Spencer Vieira Martins (college student), António Reis (publishing director), José Joaquim Machado Leite (office secretary), António Moniz Pereira (member of the group Quarteto 1111), Bernardo Manuel Palma Mira Delgado (mechanical engineer), Luís Fernando Cardoso Nandim de Carvalho (university student), and Pedro Manuel Mota Vaz do Castelo (radio presenter).[6]
^Roxburgh, Gordon (2012). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. One: The 1950s and 1960s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 93–101. ISBN 978-1-84583-065-6.
Portugal
