17 Feb Luca Argel presents ‘Quem Foi?’ at the Festival RTP da Canção 2025 – An Ode to Immigration and Humanity
“If you were given three minutes to speak to millions of people, what would you say?”
To complement this message, Luca Argel released a video to accompany “Quem Foi?” that enhances the emotional intensity of the song.
The Luso-Brazilian singer-songwriter Luca Argel will take “Quem Foi?” to the stage at Festival da Canção 2025. A work that invites reflection on immigration and how we view “the other.” At a time when issues of diversity and displacement are at the heart of public debate, Luca Argel uses his music as a vehicle for questioning and empathy.
This song was born in transit – written during a flight between Portugal and Brazil, in a moment of introspection about what it means to be an immigrant. “No one chooses the land where they were born, but if it was God who gave us feet to walk, who is to say I can’t stay here?” sings Luca, confronting the audience with the fragility of borders and the urgency of a more humane perspective on those who seek new opportunities far from their homeland.
“Quem Foi?” is thus a poetic manifesto against xenophobia and a tribute to the resilience of immigrants. The inspiration came not only from Luca Argel’s personal experience but also from the stories of friends and acquaintances who face discrimination and integration challenges daily. “Whatever happens, it’s already worth it for me. What matters most has already been gained. If this song can help someone feel less alone, then the mission is accomplished” shares the artist.
With an intimate and profound arrangement, the song features the collaboration of pianist and accordionist Pri Azevedo, whose choice of the accordion instead of the piano enhances the melancholic and immersive atmosphere of the piece. The simplicity of the instrumentation, without embellishments, brings the power of the words and the message they carry to the forefront.
Luca Argel does not see his participation at Festival da Canção as a competition, but as an opportunity for dialogue with an entire country. “If you were given three minutes to speak to millions of people, what would you say?” the artist asks. On March 1st, during the second semifinal of the festival, Luca Argel’s answer will be clear: immigrants deserve respect.
“Quem Foi?” is dedicated to all those who, at some point, have heard a “go back to your land” or felt the weight of prejudice and exclusion. On the stage at Festival da Canção, Luca Argel gives a voice to these stories, celebrating the richness of diversity and the importance of a more generous perspective on others.
Lyrics and Music: Luca Argel
Arragements: 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?