Brazilian singer Leo Middea, a finalist at the Festival da Canção, said he received several xenophobic insults after performing in the semi-finals of the Portuguese competition.
“The amount of hate speech has increased significantly since Saturday. Know that this only gives me more strength because I fought so hard to come. I love Portugal and there are incredible people who have supported me since the day I arrived,” he said.
Leo Middea, 28, has lived in Portugal for seven years and even says that the Portuguese are one of his main audiences. “My songs talk about Portugal,” he added.
“From January to March this year, 17 concerts were held in five countries, with audiences ranging from Brazilians, Portuguese, Germans, Dutch, Belgians, English, Spanish and Italians. And it was wonderful to see all these nationalities singing on the beaches and in the surrounding areas. of that country (for example, the songs “Banho de Mar”, “Freguesia de Arroios” and “Bairro da Graça”).”
The singer, born in Rio de Janeiro, reached the final of the Festival da Canção with the song “Doce Mistério”.
“Unwanted” and “disgusting accent” among insults
Leo Middea shared photos showing some of the abuse he received. “Do you want to sing with this disgusting accent that will represent your country, that is Brazil,” it says.
“You are not welcome in Portugal”, “I hope you come last” and “absolutely disgraceful”, among other comments received by the artist.
“Singing Portugal to the world is wonderful. Celebrating differences is wonderful! And the love of music is stronger than any attack. Multiculturalism is incredibly beautiful, and the exchange of rhythms and accents is valuable,” the singer replied.
Portuguese singers unite in support of Leo Middea
Leo Middea’s complaint prompted several Portuguese musicians to unite to support the Festival da Canção participant. Among the messages of Janeiro and Mimi Froes, the comments of Caroline Deslandes and the only Portuguese Eurovision winner Salvador Sobral stand out.
“This hate will turn into love and you will still win,” said the 2017 Kansan Festival winner.
Carolina Deslandes pointed out the hypocrisy of xenophobes who do not insult Pepe, a Portuguese international born in Brazil.
“Everyone wants to talk about the Brazilian accent at the festival, but when Pepe played for the Seleção they were all happy. Aren’t these my valley lyricists? They are only from the outside until they are of interest to you. “, he commented.
“They shout from the rooftops that we are pioneers and adventurers, when they invaded they killed. Now what are they talking about? We are all a mixture of all corners. Music is, among other things, a celebration of cultural plurality and it is incredible “Let you be a part of this, Leo. Don’t let hate tarnish what makes you wake up every morning,” the singer added.
View this post on Instagram
Author: morning Post
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.