
27 Jan Luca Argel presents “Quem Foi?” at the Festival RTP da Canção 2025 – A Call for Empathy and Reflection on Immigration
The singer-songwriter Luca Argel will take the stage at the Festival RTP da Canção 2025 with the song “Quem Foi?” (“Who was it?”), a work rich in meaning that explores immigration and the often distrustful or fearful gaze cast upon “the other.”
The song offers a profound reflection: “No one chooses the land where they were born, but if it was God who gave us feet to walk, who said I couldn’t stay here?”. Through provocative and poetic verses, Luca questions prejudices and reveals how the experience of immigration is present, even invisibly, in our daily lives.
“Quem Foi?” confronts us with the challenge of seeing “the other” as an equal, reminding us that at some point, we have all been – or could be – in the position of a “foreigner.” Speaking about the creation of the song, Luca Argel shares:
“I had just finished recording sessions for last year’s Festival da Canção and was heading straight to the airport to catch a flight to Brazil. It was there, in the air, flying over the Atlantic, that I wrote this song. It reflects the experience of being an immigrant, of sometimes being seen with distrust and fear. That’s very sad. I believe that exchanges and the coexistence of differences are what help us grow as individuals and as a society. But for that to happen, we need to look at others with more generosity – the same way we would like to be seen.”
With delicate yet assertive phrases, “Quem Foi?” provokes reflection, questioning the boundaries of intolerance and celebrating the role of immigrants in building a richer and more diverse world. The message is clear: recognize in others the same humanity that exists within us.
The song also features the essential collaboration of pianist and accordionist Pri Azevedo, Luca Argel’s long-time partner, who is responsible for the song’s arrangements. “Quem Foi?” comes to life as a small melancholic waltz, where voice and accordion engage in an intimate and emotional dialogue, creating an atmosphere that amplifies the reflective message of the lyrics.
As with his previous projects, Luca Argel, a Portuguese-Brazilian musician and poet, brings to the Festival RTP da Canção 2025 more than just a song. It is a message that reflects the universality of human experience, at a time when immigration and diversity are key topics in public discourse. On the Festival RTP da Canção stage, Luca Argel will invite us to see “the other” as a reflection of ourselves.
Lyric and Music: Luca Argel
Arrangements: Pri Azevedo
Quem foi? (Who was it?)
Who inherited words that were mine?
Who scribbled on the ground all these lines?
Who smiled at me when I danced, but turns the face
If I step into the building that I also helped to raise?
Whose hands cook the food that you eat?
And who takes it to your door, what are their names?
From the music that you hear, to the potatoes and cabbages
Who planted it? Who harvested it?
Whose feet have run for the trophies of your club?
Who entertains your children on YouTube?
From the cinnamon on the pie, to the channel’s soap opera
You like to watch… These are sad times.
Who forgot their past?
Who saw the evil, and shrugged it off?
No one chooses the place one is born
And if it was God who gave us feet to wander
Who can say that I cannot stay here?
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