mema.: 'Claro como água' is a very intimate and personal song for me.

Photo: Ramon Freitas

One of the most beautiful things about Eurovision is getting to discover great artists and our next guest is a very lovely discovery for me. I heard some of her songs while I was editing this interview and let me tell you something: I'm in love with her music!. It's time to get to know more about one of my fav acts from FDC 2021, here are mema's answers:

Name: mema.

Birthday: 26th February

Height: 1,62m

Favorite color: Blue

What’s your strangest talent? I rather not say. It's too weird. 

What is the strangest thing you have in your room? This weird wood percussion instrument shaped like a mouse (I think it's a mouse)

What are you really good at? Music. 

What are you really bad at? Dancing.

Childhood memory: My mom singing me to sleep with Zeca Afonso's "Canção de Embalar"

Celebrity crush: haha! this is embarrassing... They change every month. Currently Masterchef Australia's Melissa Leong.

Who would you cast to play you in a movie about your life? Rachel Weizs just because she's an incredible actress and super versatile. 

What would the title of that movie be? Stuck on You (or Trapped in Your Mind)

Favorite movie: Parasite by Bong Joon-ho

Favorite TV series: Queen's Gambit. I absolutely loved that show. 

Dish/Snack/Beverage/Candy we should try if we ever visit Portugal: Ovos moles (from my hometown, Aveiro)

Can you recommend us a song (old or new) from a Portuguese artist? I'll give you two that I love: Madredeus - Ao Longe o Mar; Pedro Mafama - Lacrau

Can you teach us some interesting words in Portuguese? There's nothing more interesting than food, so I'll teach you some common food words we have here: caldeirada (like "caldeirada de enguias" - eel stew), chanfana (i.e. "chanfana de borrego" - lamb stew, typically cooked in a clay pot), feijoada, lagareiro (i.e. "polvo à lagareiro" - an octopus dish you definitely have to try!). 

Hi mema, welcome to the Eurovision universe. How are you doing? 

I'm doing great! Excited about Festival da Canção and getting ready for my performance! I can't wait.

How would you describe yourself as an artist? 

Introspective, intimate and curious are three adjectives that describe my artistry quite well. I make electronic pop with a touch of traditional Portuguese sounds. I am in constant search for a new, fresher sound, at the same time that I look for reconnecting with my roots. It's an approach I tried with my first record out, my EP "Cidade de Sal", and that I plan to continue pursuing in the future. My music is that affirmation of who I am, together with my view of the world and life questions. There's a lot of honesty in what I do and put out in my music. I get personal, because I believe other people might relate to it too. 

Stereossauro was one of the composers that RTP invited to take part in FDC 2021 and he chose you to be the singer of the song. How did it all begin? 

I met Stereossauro shortly after releasing my EP "Cidade de Sal". He had been following my releases for a while, and invited me to work on a track together. This was in late October last year. Almost at the same time, RTP announced they were opening applications to Festival da Canção, and a lot of my friends were encouraging me to apply on my own. But since I was already working with Stereossauro, I decided to ask him if he wanted to join forces. To my surprise he had just received an invite by RTP to be part of the festival as an author, he said "yes", and there it began! We immediately started working on song options the next day, and soon after "Claro Como Água" was born. 

"Claro como água” is the title of your song, what's the story behind it? 

The title means “as clear as water” in Portuguese, and it mainly speaks of purpose, self-acceptance and striving through hardship. We had a very tough year in 2020, so we wanted to write a more positive, uplifting song. We wanted to break the cycle of bad news and melancholy somehow. So, when we were happy with the instrumental, I started trying to write the lyrics. I was a bit stuck on it, because I'm used to writing sad songs, in a way. But when I finally managed to kick-it off, it just flowed. It’s a very intimate and personal song for me. When you understand what keeps you moving forward, your reason for being here, that little light within that pulls you through, and when you accept yourself as you are, then you find a certain peace. It's that turning point where your biggest inner questions start fading away, and things get as clear as water. That's what "Claro Como Água" is all about. 

Can you describe for us the day you all started working on the song? 

Yeah. The day after we decided we'd go to Festival da Canção together, Stereossauro immediately sent me a bunch of beats he had prepared, so we could start choosing the type of sound we wanted for it. I remember I was on a train, going back home, when he sent me those. He's such a hardworking guy! He would send me new stuff every day, until we found the one! 

How do you feel about the reaction your song has been getting from the fans? 

It's been unbelievable. I wasn't expecting such a heartwarming reaction! I was a bit afraid of what the fans would think, because the song is a bit more upbeat and positive when compared to my previous works. So, I was really happy to see how positive the comments and messages were, and coming from all over the world. 

What can we expect to see on stage for the performance? 

We're keeping it a secret until the week of the semifinal. 🤫 All I can say is that we're in very good hands style wise, we're working with the amazing Alexandra Moura. Her clothes are incredible and I'm so lucky to be able to wear them on stage at Festival da Canção! As for the performance itself, I can say we're giving you something minimalistic, unique and heartfelt. I'm very excited about it and I can't wait to show you what we've got! 

Have you heard any of the other songs in the competition? Any favorite? Yes, of course! We've got a very strong selection this year, but my favourites so far are "Saudade" by Karetus & Romeu Barios, and "Volte-Face" by EU.CLIDES (and Pedro da Linha). 

The use of prerecorded backing vocals in the Eurovision performances will be allowed this year and that has set some kind of debate since some find it great but others think it could hurt the contest, as a singer what are your thoughts on this topic? 

I actually think it's great. With the constant lockdowns due to the pandemic, it gets really hard to rehearse properly. Having the possibility of using prerecorded backing vocals removes that friction from the equation. Besides that, it opens new possibilities on what you can do outside of your lead vocal line. I think it's great, especially given our current context. 

What do you like about Eurovision? 

I love the atmosphere, and how we all put differences aside and just celebrate together. I think that's what Eurovision represents. That feeling of togetherness and celebration. It's a beautiful thing. And I love how cultural elements pop in many of the songs. 

What do you dislike about Eurovision? 

I think sometimes there's too much focus on the lights, props and outfits, and not in the songs themselves. I feel like the performances are also very similar each year. I'd love to see more originality in both the composition and the performances

Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:

Tree: green

Screen: work 

Blackout: dark

Rain: soothing 

Live music: happiness 

Is there anything you want to say to close the interview?

Thank you so much for having me on your blog. It's been fun! And thank you to all Eurovision fans who have been supporting our song. Your messages are so heartwarming, and they really mean a lot. Thank you!

Thanks to mema. for the interview!

Facebook: memamusicpt

Instagram: sofmema

Twitter: sofmema