Vaughan Willmore tells how two songs helped overthrow Portugal’s 40-year dictatorship and signalled the start of the Carnation Revolution.
And after love, and after us;
Saying goodbye, staying alone………
The words of a lost love swept across the airwaves into the homes and workplaces of families throughout Lisbon, resonating with many as a song of beauty and regret. Little did they know that just a few minutes later, military tanks would be rolling over the Salazar Bridge into the heart of Lisbon. The revolution had begun.
The 1974 Eurovision Song Contest is best known for catapulting ABBA to international stardom, with their dancefloor-filling winning song, ‘Waterloo’. The Portuguese entry, ‘E Depois do Adeus’ (And after the Farewell), gained a meagre three points. Languishing in last place along with entries from Switzerland, Norway, and Germany, it gained little international recognition. In Portugal, however, the song has iconic status.
Written by José Calvário and José Niza and popularised by the singer Paulo de Carvalho, ‘After the Farewell’ tells of a man facing the end of a relationship, expressing to his lover how he feels through words of regret, aided by a beautiful melody. However, the significance of the song is not its lyrics, but that it was used as one of two secret signals alerting rebel captains and soldiers to begin what has become known as The Carnation Revolution.
Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho was the chief strategist of the 1974 military coup. Together with his co-conspirators, he wanted a signal that could be transmitted nationwide to signify the start of their mission to seize control from the Estado Novo dictatorship. Otelo’s initial idea was to transmit a different song but João Paulo Diniz, a radio host who took part in the plan, convinced him that it was not a good idea since the song was forbidden by censors and its airing would raise suspicion within the ruling government.
Otelo and his allies in the Movimento das Forças Armadas (Armed Forces Movement) eventually decided on two secret signals; the first one told the military rebels to ‘stay alert and be prepared.’ The second instructed them to ‘take action.’ The military coup had begun.
‘After the Farewell’ was chosen as the first signal because it was mainstream and well known at the time, so its airing wouldn’t seem suspicious. The second song titled ‘Grândola Vila Morena’, (Grândola, Swarthy Town) by singer/songwriter Zeca Afonso was chosen for exactly the opposite reason. Afonso’s songs were banned from the radio, so this obvious sign of disobedience was a clear signal for the rebel soldiers to take action.
‘After the Farewell’ aired at 22:55 on 24 April 1974. Just a few hours later, ‘Grândola’ was aired in the early hours of 25 April 1974. After their broadcasting, rebel soldiers and their leaders in the Armed Forces Movement occupied strategic points in Portugal. The military coup was successful and, for the most part, peaceful, garnering widespread support from the public. It overthrew the Estado Novo regime and marked the beginning of the transition to democracy in Portugal and freedom for its colonies. It is still celebrated today, with 25 April now known in Portugal as Freedom Day or Liberation Day and celebrated with a national holiday.
Paulo de Carvalho had no idea his song would become so famous and a symbol of the revolution. In recent years it has enjoyed a new lease of life, being reinterpreted for younger audiences and featuring several times in the final stages of The Voice, Portugal. To many Portuguese, however, it is Paulo Carvalho’s version that is the definitive one.
Carvalho’s 1974 Eurovision Song Contest performance:
More information on the Carnation Revolution and the significance of the two songs:
