Monday 19 February 2018

Portugal 2018 - JP Simões - Alvoroço


Here's a fine little oddity from FDC last night. The first Portuguese show was a joy of understated delights and gentle Sunday night pop. But JP here have us something even more minimal. So laid back he was almost laid on the floor with a big straw hat on, he cooly mumbled through a song that roughly translates as 'Hooligan' (we think - Portuguese is never what it seems, and it could also mean 'Bustle', 'Tumult' or 'Rampage, among many other things), seemingly singing along with himself and hardly stretching a facial muscle.

So far so quiet. But at the two minute mark such a cacophony kicked in that it sounded like a jazz orchestra falling down the stairs - and continued like this until the end. But old JP remained up worried, and scarcely flinched, retaining his disaffected cool until the last racketous beat.

In a staid, sweet and often safe evening of music, this was a revelation of strange, and we wholeheartedly approve. And so did the jury who gave him a pretty decent mark. The good people of Portugal clearly didn't though, and it didn't get a single measly mark from them, missing out on qualification by a mere point. It was probably better that way, but oh what beauty we fleetingly glimpsed...

4 comments:

  1. more tumult or uproar than hooligan.

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  2. No, actually the song title is more like "Rush", NOT Hooligan!!

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  3. And yes, he's a great singer from Coimbra, a university town in Portugal. Been a fan (has faithful ones) ever since he had the coolest band ever, named Belle Chase Hotel. Cult sound.

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  4. ....And was also the boyfriend of one of my professors :-D She was as cool as he is.

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