Mimicat

Marisa Isabel Lopes Mena (born 25 October 1984), known professionally as Mimicat, is a Portuguese pop and soul singer and songwriter.[1][2] She represented Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song "Ai coração". She had previously participated in Festival da Canção 2001 with the song "Mundo colorido" under the stage name Izamena, but did not advance beyond the semi-finals.[3]

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Lopes and the second or paternal family name is Mena.
Mimicat
Mimicat in 2023
Background information
Birth nameMarisa Isabel Lopes Mena
Born (1984-10-25) 25 October 1984
Coimbra, Portugal
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2001–present
LabelsSony Music

Music career

Born in Coimbra, Mimicat participated in Festival da Canção 2001 with the song "Mundo colorido" under the name Izamena, aiming to represent Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001, but did not advance beyond the semi-finals.[3] In 2009, she graduated from Escola Superior de Artes e Design with a degree in sound and image.[4]

In 2014, she joined the band The Casino Royal, for whom she was the lead singer and songwriter. In the same year, she released her first album as Mimicat, "For You". The lead single from the album, "Tell Me Why", was featured in the Portuguese telenovela Jardins Proibidos.[4] Her stage name, Mimicat, is a combination of Mimi, a nickname for godmothers in her family, and Cat.[5]

She entered Festival da Canção again in 2023 with the self-composed song "Ai coração". The song won both the jury and popular vote in the contest, earning the right to represent Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. She qualified from the first semi final for the final, in which she placed 23rd.[6][7]

Influences

Mimicat has described her musical influences as including soul music, but also "pop hits on the radio".[6] She has named Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles and Jill Scott as influences.[8]

Personal life

Outside of her musical career, Mimicat has worked as a real estate agent.[9] She is married and has two children.[5]

Discography

Albums
Title Details Peak chart positions
POR
[10]
For You —
Back in Town
  • Released: 22 September 2017 (POR)
  • Label: Sony Music
 43

Singles
List of singles, with selected details and chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
POR
[11]		 LTU
[12]
"Tell Me Why" 2014 —— For You
"Saviour" 2015 ——
"Stay Strong" 2016 —— Back in Town
"Gave Me Love" ——
"Fire" 2017 ——
"Going Down" ——
"Feels So Good" 2018 ——
"Going Down" ——
"Tudo ao ar" 2021 —— Non-album singles
"Mundo ao Contrário" (with Filipe Gonçalves) 2022 ——
"Ai coração" 2023 2434
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References
  1. "Casa da Música – Mimicat". casadamusica.com. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  2. ""Back in Town" é o novo disco de Mimicat | MIP Música". madeinportugalmusica.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  3. Bleasdale, Joe (19 February 2023). "Mimicat: "If I Get The Chance To Go To Eurovision, I Will Probably Cry My Eyes Out."". ESC Bubble. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  4. Farren, Neil (12 April 2023). "🇵🇹 Portugal: Who Is Mimicat?". Eurovoix. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  5. 🇵🇹 Mimicat "Ai Coração" INTERVIEW after Eurovision 2023 second rehearsal, retrieved 16 May 2023
  6. "Oh, heart of Portugal: The class and sass of Mimicat". eurovision.tv. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  7. "Eurovision 2023 Results: Voting & Points". Eurovisionworld. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  8. "Last artist found for Eurovision 2023: Mimicat from Portugal". Eurovisionworld. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  9. "Mimicat from Portugal: "We will make a luxurious and glamorous cabaret"". Eurovisionworld. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  10. Hung, Steffen. "portuguesecharts.com – Mimicat – Back in Town". portuguesecharts.com. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  11. Hung, Steffen. "portuguesecharts.com – Discography Mimicat". portuguesecharts.com. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  12. "2023 20-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
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