The Portuguese government will honor Simone de Oliveira with the Cultural Merit Medal during a ceremony on Friday, World Theatre Day, at the Casa do Artista in Lisbon.
In a statement, Culture Minister Margarida Balseiro Lopes praised Simone de Oliveira’s career as one marked by “emotion, intensity, and truth.”
“She knew how to interpret like few others: giving body to songs, voice to stories, and transforming the stage into a space where art connects with people. Her work is a living legacy that will continue to inspire artists and audiences for many years,” the minister said.
With this distinction, the government aims to honor not only the singer or actress, but an artist whose career goes far beyond her songs, performances, and roles.
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In 1969, Simone de Oliveira won the Festival RTP da Canção for the second time with the song Desfolhada Portuguesa, representing Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest in Madrid.
Despite a repertoire of more than 400 songs, she is especially remembered for that performance during the Estado Novo era, when she sang the controversial line “whoever has a child does so out of love.”
Later that year, she lost her voice and temporarily shifted to journalism, radio, and television work, including hosting Miss Portugal and performing at the Casino Peninsular in Figueira da Foz. She eventually recovered her voice, recorded new music with José Cid, and returned to the Festival RTP in 1973 with “Apenas o meu povo,” winning the Interpretation Award.
In 2022, she was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
