The Portuguese band have spoken about the inspiration for Love is on my side: a conversation with a sex worker in Amsterdam in 2018.
During The Black Mamba’s press conference following their Eurovision rehearsal in Rotterdam, lead singer Pedro Tatanka recounted the story and said that the band are keen to meet the woman again during their time in The Netherlands.
The Dutch newspaper Het Parool has reported on the story and has decided to find out what happened to the woman in question.
The Black Mamba spoke to the woman during their stay in The Bulldog Hotel in Amsterdam in 2018. She told The Black Mamba her life story and the band used this as inspiration for this year’s Portuguese Eurovision song, Love is on my side. Pedro told the press conference:
She said that she was once a young woman with dreams, but that life turned out differently than she thought. She had become addicted and ended up in prostitution. She said that despite everything she had always felt that there was love with her.
He added that whilst the woman was from Eastern Europe, he couldn’t remember which country. The Portuguese act for the contest features graphics of a woman walking against an Amsterdam skyline, telling the story behind the song and bringing the story back to the Netherlands, where it began:
Her story went to Portugal and it now returns to the Netherlands via the Eurovision Song Contest.
The Black Mamba will perform their song for Portugal in the second semi-final of Eurovision 2021 on 20th May live from the Rotterdam Ahoy. They’ve already completed their first rehearsal which received a warm response in terms of bookmakers’ odds. Portugal are now expected to reach the grand final of the contest, based on the odds.
Source: Het Parool
Image source: EBU/Thomas Hanses
Who Are The Black Mamba?
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.
Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest
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.
