Nelly Furtado's "Forca" has been selected as the official theme for this summer's Euro 2004 soccer championship. The Canadian singer of Portuguese descent will perform the song at the championship game on July 4th in Oporto, Portugal.
Furtado wrote the song especially for the sixteen-nation tournament and then included it on her latest album, Folklore. "They asked me to write a song for the football championship," she says. "I'm a flag-wearer and I'd do anything for Portugal so I was like, 'Yeah. Cool. Here's my chance to throw some Portuguese in there.' The chorus is fully Portuguese."
Along with writing partners Brian West and Gerald Eaton, Furtado wrote the song, whose title means "strength" in Portuguese, in ten minutes. "It's inspired by watching my cousins cry when their football team loses," she says.
The song features Portuguese accordion, and American Bela Fleck guests on banjo. "It has a real international vibe," Furtado says.
Before she heads to Portugal, Furtado will tour U.S. theaters. "It's going to be pretty stripped down from my last tour," she says. "These new songs are a lot easier to play. The melodies are more simple, and I'm less tied down to samples and spastic rhythmic changes."
Nelly Furtado tour dates:
4/30: Chicago, Vic Theater
5/1: Ann Arbor, MI, Michigan Theater
5/3: Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
5/5: New York, Town Hall
5/6: Red Bank, NJ, Count Basie Theater
5/7: Somerville, MA, Somerville Theater
5/9: Glenside, PA, Keswick Theater
5/11: Atlanta, Coca Cola Roxy Theater
5/12: St. Louis, The Pageant
5/14: Denver, Paramount Theater
5/17: San Francisco, Palace of Fine Arts
5/18: Sacramento, Crest Theater
5/19: Los Angeles, The Wiltern
KAREN BLISS
(April 6, 2004)