The twenty-third act to feature in our Who Is series for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest is The Black Mamba from Portugal.
The Black Mamba is a Portuguese band consisting of Pedro Tatanka, Miguel Casais, Marco Pombinho, Rui Pedro Vaz, and Guilherme Salgueiro. They released their debut album in 2010 titled “The Black Mamba”, and went on to release two more albums. Their latest was “The Mamba King”, which reached 5th position in the Portuguese charts. The group is known for its concert appearances and festival tours both in Portugal and abroad.
This year, the group took part in the Portuguese Eurovision selection show, Festival da Canção, alongside nine other participants. The Black Mamba won the show after receiving 10 points from both the public and the jury.
The Black Mamba will represent Portugal with their song “Love Is On My Side”. This is the first time that the country has sent a song entirely in English. They will perform in the second half of the second semi-final on May 20th.
Image source: RTP
Portugal debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964 represented by Antonio Calvario, the country finished last scoring nul points. Prior to 2016, the best result of Portugal was 6th place which came in 1996 when Lucia Moniz performed in Oslo. She scored 92 points, receiving the 12 points from both Norway and Cyprus. Since their debut, Portugal have missed a total of five contests. In 2017, Portugal produced a spectacular win when Salvador Sobral took home the crystal microphone with his song “Amar Pelos Dois.” The 2018 contest was held in Lisbon, Portugal for the first time.
