Meet Filipa, singer-songwriter extraordinaire. With an electrifying stage presence and vocals as velvety as they come, she’s on a mission to share her sound with the world.
Pretorian-born Filipa recently competed against Portugal’s finest talent in the country’s Festival da Canção 24, organised by the national broadcasters, RTP.
Festival da Canção is one of Portugal’s most high-profile music events. Not only because it showcases the cream of the country’s artists, but also because the winner of this contest goes on to perform as Portugal’s entry in Eurovision.
It was an enormous honour to have taken part, Filipa says. Her song, You Can’t Hide, was selected as one of 20 finalists. Making her achievement more impressive, is the fact that 16 of these finalists are well-known Portuguese artists who were invited by RTP to write specifically for the event. The other four, including Filipa, submitted their compositions voluntarily and made it out of over a whopping 800 entries. And, she’s excited to announce that she had made it to the semi-finals!
While the final curtain didn’t quite rise for Filipa at the festival, she’s still super grateful for the experience.
“It was absolutely life-changing! Merely making it to Festival da Canção was such a great accomplishment for me as an artist and songwriter… it was exciting, nerve wrecking, but also extremely rewarding.”
Although admitting that she found it daunting to be participating in a global event of this calibre, she is no stranger to competition. Filipa had her first taste of fame a decade ago after she won an international Ryan Seacrest Cover Competition with her version of One Direction’s hit, Story of My Life.
Since then, she has wowed local audiences with songs that have climbed the South African radio charts with her most recent hit, Do Something, reaching number three on the Jacaranda FM Top 20.
She’s also made forays into the US and UK markets, where her songs Good Behavior, I’d Rather Be Single and 7th Floor were very well received. While perfecting her skill as a performer, Filipa has honed her song writing prowess by working alongside international producers and song writers.
“What inspires me most is my favourite artists, and collaboration. As much as I love drawing from my own experiences and writing music in my own space, I just love collaborating with other writers and artists! I enjoy learning from my peers and creating music together. It’s such a humbling and enriching experience. And so, I believe it inspires me to keep being creative and pushing myself to become a better writer and artist.
“I’ve known I wanted to be a performer since I was eight years old and have travelled a long journey of ups and downs since then. All the learnings have been valuable, though, because they have helped me find my authentic voice.”
This is important to Filipa, because she has always been determined to remain true to herself, even as she experimented with her sound. With You Can’t Hide, she believes she has found her true voice. “It’s a great example of the music I love … pop with a twist”.
“It was incredible to have been a part the journey and to know that a song I wrote has impacted people in some way.”
She’s excited to announce that she’s cooking up a storm in the studio, brewing up an EP set to be released in the next few months.
Even though she’s been somewhat of a studio body lately, Filipa’s been itching to get back on stage. And, we can’t wait to see what she’s got in store next. So, you might want to keep a look out on her social media for upcoming gigs.
Details: Follow @filipamusic on Insta and @Filipa on Facebook
Filipa’s top playlist picks
In the spirit of romance, Filipa shares five songs that should top any wedding playlist.
• Shania Twain – When You Kiss Me
• Faith Hill – There You’ll Be
• Marc Anthony & Tina Arena – I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You
• RHODES – You & I
• The Bee Gees – How Deep Is Your Love
