E depois do Adeus — Paulo de Carvalho, 1974
On 6 April 1974, Portuguese singer Paulo de Carvalho performed the song “E depois do adeus” at the ESC in Brighton, coming last. On the night of 24-25 April 1974, the song was played on Portuguese radio at 10:55pm. For a select group of people, the broadcast had a special meaning: it was the first agreed secret signal marking the start of a military uprising against the dictatorship. Precisely because “E depois do adeus” was seen as an apolitical love song and had recently been shown on international television, it could be aired without raising any suspicions.
E depois do Adeus (And After the Farewell), performed by: Paulo de Carvalho, music: José Calvário, lyrics: José Niza, Eurovision Song Contest, 1974
The Carnation Revolution ushered in the democratisation of Portugal and ended the colonial wars that the Portuguese state had been waging since 1961 against liberation movements in Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique.
The lyrics of E depois do adeus came from a collage of letters and postcards sent by the poet José Niza to his wife from the war in Angola.