Luca Argel feat. Pri Azevedo – Who was it?
“If you were given three minutes to talk to millions of people, what would you say?”
To complement this message, Luca Argel released a video that accompanies “Quem Foi?” and reinforces the emotional intensity of the song.
The Portuguese-Brazilian singer and composer Luca Argel will take to the stage of the Festival da Canção 2025 with the song “Quem Foi?” (“Who Was It?”), a work that invites reflection on immigration and the way we look at “the other”. At a time when issues of diversity and displacement are at the centre of public debate, Luca Argel uses his music as a vehicle for questioning and empathy.
©Luís M. Serrão – ineews > 2022.06.25
The song was born in transit – written during a flight between Portugal and Brazil, in a moment of introspection about what it means to be an immigrant. “Nobody chooses the land where they were born, but if it was God who gave us feet to walk, who said I can’t stay here?”, sings Luca, confronting the audience with the fragility of borders and the urgency of a more humane look at those who seek new opportunities far from their homeland.
“Quem Foi?” It is, therefore, a poetic manifesto against xenophobia and a tribute to the resilience of immigrants. The inspiration came not only from Luca Argel’s personal experience but also from the stories of friends and acquaintances who face discrimination and integration difficulties daily. “Whatever happens, for me it was worth it. What matters most is winning. If this song can help someone feel less alone, then the mission is accomplished,” shares the artist.
With an intimate and profound arrangement, the song features the collaboration of pianist and accordionist Pri Azevedo, whose choice of accordion instead of piano reinforces the melancholic and engaging atmosphere of the song. The simplicity of the instrumentation, without artifice, brings to the fore the power of the words and the message they carry.
Luca Argel does not see participation in the Song Festival just as a competition but as an opportunity for dialogue with an entire country. “If you were given three minutes to talk to millions of people, what would you say?” asks the artist. On March 1st, in the second semi-final of the festival, Luca Argel’s answer will be clear: immigrants deserve respect.
“Quem Foi?” It is dedicated to all the people who, at some point, heard a “go back to your country” or felt the weight of prejudice and exclusion. On stage at the Festival da Canção, Luca Argel gives voice to these stories, celebrating the richness of diversity and the importance of a more generous view of others.
Lyrics and Music: Luca Argel
Arrangements: Pri Azevedo
QUEM FOI?
Who inherited words that were mine?
Who scribbled all the lines on this floor?
Who was it that smiled at me when I danced but turned away
If I step on the building I helped build?
Whose hands cook what you eat?
And what are their names when they come to your door?
From the songs you listen to to the potatoes and cabbages
Who planted it? Who harvested it?
Whose feet ran for your club’s trophies?
Who entertains their children on YouTube?
From cinnamon in a pastry to a soap opera on the channel
What else do you watch, what sad times
Who forgot their past?
Who saw the evil and whistled to the side?
No one chooses the land where he was born but it was God
Who gave us feet to walk
Who said I can’t stay here?
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