Lúcia Moniz
Encyclopedia
Ana Lúcia Pereira Moniz is a Portuguese
singer and actress. Moniz represented Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996
and has released three music albums to date. She has also acted in several films, including Love Actually
.
, Portugal
. She is the daughter of two musicians - Carlos Alberto Moniz (a famous Portuguese conductor from the Azores) and Maria do Amparo. Lúcia's musical career began at an early age at the Saint Cecilia Academy of Music in Lisbon.
After completing her sixth year of musical school, Moniz traveled as an exchange student to Minnesota
in the United States, where she attended Eden Prairie High School
. She joined the school's concert choir, where she would go on to be elected best composer at the school for the pieces she had authored during the school year.
Upon returning to Portugal she took a course in design, but due to an ongoing quantity of musical requests she ended up quitting. Now 18 years old, Moniz accepted roles in some Portuguese soap operas and plays, thus opening up a career in acting as well as singing.
" ("My Heart Has No Colour"). She unexpectedly reached the finals, which were held on March 7, 1996. Moniz went on to win first place only four points ahead of the second place winner. She was awarded with representing Portugal
in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996
, where she finished in sixth place amongst 23 contestants - the best ever result for Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest
.
, after the name of the location in the United States where it was recorded. The album includes rhythmic pop songs unlike her Eurovision entry, both in Portuguese and in English. The album was certified gold.
and released by EMI (Portugal) in 2002. The album was named after the number of days it took to complete. It matched her debut by also going gold in her home country.
, taking her place among a stellar cast that included Colin Firth
, Hugh Grant
, Alan Rickman
, Emma Thompson
, Liam Neeson
and Rodrigo Santoro
. Although essentially an English-language film, most of her own character's dialogue was in Portuguese. On the DVD commentary track director Richard Curtis
indicated that, contrary to the effect for her fellow castmembers, her role had been detrimental to her career and image in Portugal, being seen there as perpetuating a negative stereotype.
The year 2007 will premiere "Vingança", a story based in the life of the Count of Montecristo, with Diogo Morgado.
In 2008/2009, she played Cristina in "Olhos nos Olhos" from Rui Vilhena.
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...
singer and actress. Moniz represented Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996
Eurovision Song Contest 1996
The Eurovision Song Contest 1996 was the 41st Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 18 May 1996 in Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway. The presenters were Ingvild Bryn and Morten Harket. Harket, lead singer of a-ha, opened the show with a performance of his single "Heaven's Not For Saints". Eimear...
and has released three music albums to date. She has also acted in several films, including Love Actually
Love Actually
Love Actually is a 2003 British romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. The screenplay delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are shown to be interlinked as their tales progress...
.
Early life
Ana Lúcia Pereira Moniz was born on September 9, 1976 in LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
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...
. She is the daughter of two musicians - Carlos Alberto Moniz (a famous Portuguese conductor from the Azores) and Maria do Amparo. Lúcia's musical career began at an early age at the Saint Cecilia Academy of Music in Lisbon.
After completing her sixth year of musical school, Moniz traveled as an exchange student to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in the United States, where she attended Eden Prairie High School
Eden Prairie High School
Eden Prairie High School is a four-year public high school located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The present high school opened in 1981 and was significantly added to in 1990, 1994 and 1997. Eden Prairie High School has been graduating students for over seventy years. The school was named a Blue...
. She joined the school's concert choir, where she would go on to be elected best composer at the school for the pieces she had authored during the school year.
Upon returning to Portugal she took a course in design, but due to an ongoing quantity of musical requests she ended up quitting. Now 18 years old, Moniz accepted roles in some Portuguese soap operas and plays, thus opening up a career in acting as well as singing.
Eurovision Song Contest 1996
Moniz was still fairly unknown in Portugal when at the age of 19 she performed in the nationally regarded Festival da Canção with the song "O meu coração não tem corO Meu Coração Não Tem Cor
"O meu coração não tem cor" was the Portuguese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996, performed in Portuguese by Lúcia Moniz.Composed by Pedro Osório and with lyrics by José Fanha, the song is a moderately up-tempo number...
" ("My Heart Has No Colour"). She unexpectedly reached the finals, which were held on March 7, 1996. Moniz went on to win first place only four points ahead of the second place winner. She was awarded with representing Portugal
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....
in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996
Eurovision Song Contest 1996
The Eurovision Song Contest 1996 was the 41st Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 18 May 1996 in Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway. The presenters were Ingvild Bryn and Morten Harket. Harket, lead singer of a-ha, opened the show with a performance of his single "Heaven's Not For Saints". Eimear...
, where she finished in sixth place amongst 23 contestants - the best ever result for Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
Magnolia (1999)
In 1999 Moniz released her first album, entitled MagnoliaMagnolia (Lúcia Moniz album)
Magnólia is a 1999 album by Portuguese singer Lúcia Moniz.-Track list:#O Tempo Vai #Cheiros De Ti #Perdida Por Ti #Dizer Que Não #A Vida Segue Lá Fora #Cover Me #Try Again #A Dois Passos...
, after the name of the location in the United States where it was recorded. The album includes rhythmic pop songs unlike her Eurovision entry, both in Portuguese and in English. The album was certified gold.
67 (2002)
Magnolia was a very successful platform for her follow-up release, 67, which was recorded in Boston. It was made with her longtime producer and uncle-in-law Nuno BettencourtNuno Bettencourt
Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt is a Portuguese guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for his role as the lead guitarist of the Boston rock band Extreme whose hits include the acoustic ballads "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted"...
and released by EMI (Portugal) in 2002. The album was named after the number of days it took to complete. It matched her debut by also going gold in her home country.
Leva-me Para Casa (2005)
Moniz returned to the music scene in 2005, three years after the release of 67, with the album Leva-me para casa ("Take Me Home"). This album differed from her previous two, being sweeter and softer.Fio de Luz (2011)
After a six year gap Moniz released her fourth album Fio de Luz. With 10 tracks, three of which are sung in English, this album returns to the harder sound of her first two albums.Love Actually (2003)
Moniz's break into the international scene occurred in 2003 when she played the role of Aurélia in the movie Love ActuallyLove Actually
Love Actually is a 2003 British romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. The screenplay delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are shown to be interlinked as their tales progress...
, taking her place among a stellar cast that included Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
, Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
, Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
, Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. Her first major film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy. In 1992, Thompson won multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the British drama Howards End...
, Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson
Liam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les...
and Rodrigo Santoro
Rodrigo Santoro
Rodrigo Junqueira dos Reis Santoro is a Brazilian actor.-Life and career:Santoro was born in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro. He is of half Brazilian and half Italian descent. In 1993, as Santoro was studying Journalism at PUC-Rio, he entered the Actor's Workshop of Rede Globo...
. Although essentially an English-language film, most of her own character's dialogue was in Portuguese. On the DVD commentary track director Richard Curtis
Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...
indicated that, contrary to the effect for her fellow castmembers, her role had been detrimental to her career and image in Portugal, being seen there as perpetuating a negative stereotype.
Sonho de uma noite de São João (2005)
Moniz lent her voice to an animated character in the first animated feature film made in Portugal.Um Amor Próprio (2006)
Moniz starred in this Portuguese short film written and directed by Miguel Tomar Nogueira.Television career
Moniz appeared in several soap operas in Portugal such as her debut "A Grande Aposta", where she played twins; "A Terra Mãe"; "Alves dos Reis"; "Ajuste de Contas"; "Saber Amar"; "Triângulo Jota"; "Aqui não há quem viva".The year 2007 will premiere "Vingança", a story based in the life of the Count of Montecristo, with Diogo Morgado.
In 2008/2009, she played Cristina in "Olhos nos Olhos" from Rui Vilhena.
Discography
| Album information |
|---|
| Magnolia Magnolia (Lúcia Moniz album) Magnólia is a 1999 album by Portuguese singer Lúcia Moniz.-Track list:#O Tempo Vai #Cheiros De Ti #Perdida Por Ti #Dizer Que Não #A Vida Segue Lá Fora #Cover Me #Try Again #A Dois Passos...
|
| 67
RIAA certification In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards... : Gold |
| Leva-me p'ra casa (Take me home)
RIAA certification In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards... : Gold |