Born in
Barreiro,
Portugal, Guinot released two
EPs, "La mère sans enfant" and "Balada do negro só" in the late 1960s, then took a long break from the music industry. She returned in 1981 performing a song, "Um adeus, um recomeço", in the Portuguese Eurovision selection,
Festival da Canção, where she finished third. Her second attempt in
Festival da Cançao came in 1984, when her song "
Silêncio e tanta gente" ("Silence and So Many People") emerged the winner. Guinot went forward as the Portuguese representative in the
29th Eurovision Song Contest, held in
Luxembourg City on 5 May. "Silêncio e tanta gente", a reflective ballad with Guinot accompanying herself on
piano, was performed last in the running order, and provided a low-key ending to the contest. It finished in 11th place of the 19 entries. Following her Eurovision appearance, Guinot continued performing and composing. She has released three albums, and has often collaborated on projects with other musicians. In 2010 she suffered three strokes and stopped playing the piano. Maria Guinot died on 3 November 2018 from a lung infection at the age of 73. ==Albums discography==