Mimicat
Portuguese singer-songwriter (born 1984)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marisa Isabel Lopes Mena[a] (born 25 October 1984), known professionally as Mimicat,[b] 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,[c] but did not advance beyond the semi-finals.[3]
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25 October 1984
- Pop
- soul
- Singer
- songwriter
Mimicat | |
|---|---|
Mimicat in 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Marisa Isabel Lopes Mena 25 October 1984 Coimbra, Portugal |
| Genres |
|
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2001–present |
| Label | Sony 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]
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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] She returned as Portugal's jury spokesperson the following year.[8]
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.[9]
Personal life
Outside of her musical career, Mimicat has worked as a real estate agent.[10] She is married and has two children.[5]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| POR [11] | |||
| For You |
|
— | |
| Back in Town |
|
43 | |
| Peito |
|
— | |
| "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| 25 de abril (Através de dois clássicos revisitados) (with José Calvário and Ângela Silva) |
|
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album or EP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POR [16] |
LTU [17] | |||
| "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 | 24 | 34 | Peito |
| "Vais ter saudades" | — | — | ||
| "Peito" | 2024 | — | — | |
| "Dança comigo" | — | — | ||
| "Agora é hora" (with André Viamonte) |
— | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Agostinho" | 2025 | — | — | |
| "Perfume de mulher" (with Ágata) |
— | — | 50 Anos De Carreira. Ao Vivo No Casino Do Estoril | |
| "Santa" | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. " * " denotes that the chart did not exist at that time. | ||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Album or EP |
|---|---|---|
| "No More" (Naked Affair featuring Mimicat) |
2015 | Non-album single |
| "Generation" (Joana Alegre featuring Mimicat) |
2016 | Joan & The White Harts |
| "Minha vida" (Lūsy featuring Mimicat) |
2019 | Non-album single |
| "Golden Days" (Zinko featuring Mimicat) |
2023 | Fullist |
| "Quase nos 40" (Gandim featuring Mimicat) |
2024 | Non-album singles |
| "Acércate" (Salvadorico featuring Mimicat) |
2025 |
Other appearances
| Title | Year | Album or EP |
|---|---|---|
| "Aqui pintamos todos" | 2024 | Non-album single |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Eurovision Awards | Style Icon | Herself | Nominated | |
| 2026 | International Portuguese Music Awards | Music Video of the Year | "Santa" | Pending | |
| Pop Performance | Pending |
Notes
- European Portuguese pronunciation: [mɐˈɾizɐ izɐˈβɛl ˈlɔpɨʒ ˈmenɐ]
- /ˈmiːmiːkæt/; European Portuguese pronunciation: [mimiˈkat]
- European Portuguese pronunciation: [izɐˈmenɐ]
