"Se eu te pudesse abraçar" ("If I could embrace you") was the Portuguese

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998

Eurovision Song Contest 1998

The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The presenters were Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson...

, performed in Portuguese

Portuguese language

Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...

 by Alma Lusa.

The song is a ballad, with the band singing about the fact that the Portuguese diaspora is to be found worldwide. Lead singer Inês Santos directs her lyrics towards these overseas Portuguese and tells them that she wants to "embrace" them and talk about their experiences.

The song was performed fourteenth on the night, following Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

's Dawn Martin

Dawn Martin

- Eurovision Song Contest :In 1997 Martin appeared on The George Jones Show on BBC Radio Ulster and was heard by Gerry Morgan in which Ryan invited Martin to perform his song Is Always Over Now?. She won the right to represent Ireland with Is Always Over Now?...

 with "Is Always Over Now?

Is Always Over Now?

"Is Always Over Now?" was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, performed in English by Dawn Martin.The song is a ballad, sung from the perspective of a woman at the end of a relationship...

" and preceding Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

's Mălina Olinescu

Malina Olinescu

Mălina Olinescu is a Romanian singer who represented her country at the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 with the song "Eu cred" and came 22nd with 6 points, all points from Israel....

 with "Eu cred

Eu cred

"Eu cred" was the Romanian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, performed in Romanian by Mălina Olinescu.The song is a ballad, with Olinescu addressing a former lover. She tells him that she is still waiting for his return, and that she believes she is listening to him - thus the song will...

". At the close of voting, it had received 36 points, placing 12th in a field of 25.

It was succeeded as Portuguese representative

Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest

Portugal has entered the Eurovision Song Contest 45 times since its debut in the 1964 contest. Portugal has missed only three contests since the country's debut in 1964....

 at the 1999 contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1999

The Eurovision Song Contest 1999 was the 44th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 29 May 1999 in Jerusalem, Israel after Dana International won the contest the previous year in the United Kingdom. The venue for the contest was the International Convention Center...

 by Rui Bandeira

Rui Bandeira

Rui Pedro Neto de Mello Bandeira is a Portuguese singer best known for representing his country in the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Como tudo começou. He placed 21st with 12 Points.-References:...

 with "Como tudo começou

Como Tudo Começou

"Como tudo começou" was the Portuguese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999, performed in Portuguese by Rui Bandeira....

".