Iolanda (singer)

Iolanda Costa (born 4 November 1994), known mononymously as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter. She became known for her participation in the first season of the program Uma canção para ti, broadcast by TVI in December 2008. Costa represented Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "Grito".

Early life
Iolanda was born in 1994 in Figueira da Foz, but she moved to Pombal as a child. From an early age she revealed a great passion for music, and her vocation did not go unnoticed by her parents, who sent her to study music at Tecnimúsica, a school in Pombal, and later at the Conservatory. At 17 she moved to Lisbon where she graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP. She tried performing in bars and national talent competitions as a gateway, then moved to London, where she studied songwriting at BIMM University in London, United Kingdom.

Musical career
At the age of 14, Iolanda participated in the first edition of the talent show Uma canção para ti ("A song for you"), broadcast by TVI in December 2008 and was eliminated in the 2nd gala, thus failing to reach the final. In 2012, at the age of 17, she tried her luck again on a television program, this time in the 5th season of Ídolos, on SIC, but did not reach the live gala stage.

In 2014, Iolanda took to the stage of the Blind Tests of the second season of The Voice Portugal, on RTP1, but her performance of "Who You Are", by Jessie J, failed to impress any of the four mentors. In 2022, she made her debut at Festival da Canção, the Portuguese selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, as co-author and co-composer of the song "Mar no fim", performed by Blacci. In 2023, Iolanda released her first EP, entitled Cura, which she wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, Iolanda was selected to compete in the Festival da Canção 2024 with the song "Grito"; on 24 February 2024, she secured her place by in the final, ultimately winning the festival and going on to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. On 29 March 2024, several entrants, including Iolanda, released a joint statement calling for "an immediate and lasting ceasefire" in Gaza, as well as "the safe return of all hostages". Iolanda was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, where she placed eighth out of 16 with 58 points, qualifying to the grand final, where she placed 10th out of 25 with 152 points.