José Cid

José Cid (born as José Albano Cid de Ferreira Tavares on February 4, 1942 in Chamusca, Portugal) is a Portuguese singer and composer. Over his longlasting career, José Cid has been awarded with 25 Silver, 8 Gold and 3 Platinum records. He is active in music since 1968 as a co-founder of the band Quarteto 1111, the first band to take a new approach to pop-rock music in Portugal, with a modern line-up and instrumentation. Quarteto 1111 was the first symphonic rock band in Portugal and were very successful. The pop inclinations of José Cid led him to found during the first half of the 1970s a 4 piece vocal pop group (Green Windows) in the style of ABBA who were also very successful in Portugal. After the group broke up José made himself a career as songwriter and singer and remains a popular and active musician in Portugal. José Cid participated many Times in the Portugese national final for the Eurovision Song Contest as a singer and as a writer. He tried to represent his country in 1968, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2007 as a singer or songwriter or both.

In 1968 José Cid participated for the first time at he Portugese national final, he came 3rd with the song Balada Para Dona Inês.

In 1974 José took part in the Portugese pre-selection as a solo singer with the song A Rosa Que te Dei (which came 5th) and as a member of the group Green Windows with the songs No Dia Em Que O Rei Fez Anos (which came 2nd) and Imagens (which came 3rd).

In the Portugese final of 1978 were 12 songs and 3 artists. José Cid sang 4 of the songs. O Meu Piano which came 2nd, Aqui Fica Uma Canção which came 5th, Porquê, Meu Amor, Porquê which came 6th and O Largo Do Corêto which came 7th.

In 1980 José Cid participated in the Portugese national final with the song Um Grande Grande Amor. The winning song was chosen by the votes of 22 regional juries and finally José won. He made the song especially for the Eurovision Song Contest although it was originally four minutes which is a minute too long and for the contest in Amsterdam he made a new, shorter version of the song. The chorus consisted only of international words, "Addio, Adieu, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye. Amore, Amour, Meine Liebe, Love of my Life", because José thought that this would make the song sound much stronger and he was right, Um Grande Grande Amor came 7th at the Eurovision Song Contest.

In 1981 José came 2nd in the Portuguese pre-selection for the ESC with the song Morrer De Amor Por Ti.

In 1984 family members of José Cid participated as the group Banda Tribo at the Portugese national final with the song A Padeirinha De Aljubarrota which came 3rd. José Cid was the producer of this song and of the album of the group.

In 1988 José Gonçalo, who is a nephew of José Cid, took part in the Portugese pre-selection with José Cid's song Cai Neve Em Nova-Iorque which came 2nd.

In 1993 Jose Cid, Bragança & Ca. Lda. sang the song O Poeta, O Pintor E O Músico which came 2nd.

In 1995 José Cid wrote the song Plural for Teresa Brito which came 3rd

In 1996 José Cid wrote the song Ganhamos O Ceu for Cristina Castro Pereira which came 4th.

In 1997 José Cid wrote the song Canção Urgente for Os Meninos da Sacristia which came 6th.

In 1998 José Cid participated in the Portugese national final as a member of the group Alma Lusa. They won with José's song Se Eu Te Pudesse Abraçar. The song, an ethnic composition featuring traditional Portuguese musical instruments, came 12th at the Eurovision Song Contest in Birmingham.

The group consisted of vocalist Inês Santos and musicians José Cid, Carlos Jesus, Henrique Lopes, Carlos Ferreirinha and Pedro Soares. Alma Lusa's Eurovision appearance was always intended to be a one-off, and they disbanded after the contest.

In 2007 José Cid was the producer of the song Na Ilha Dos Sonhos sung by Zé P. which came 5th.