Marisa Isabel Lopes Mena (born 25 October 1984), known professionally as Mimicat, is a Portuguese pop and soul singer and songwriter. 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.
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. In 2009, she graduated from Escola Superior de Artes e Design with a degree in sound and image.
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. Her stage name, Mimicat, is a combination of Mimi, a nickname for godmothers in her family, and Cat.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. She returned as Portugal's jury spokesperson the following year. 
Influences.
Mimicat has described her musical influences as including soul music, but also "pop hits on the radio". She has named Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles and Jill Scott as influences.
Personal life.
Outside of her musical career, Mimicat has worked as a real estate agent. She is married and has two children.
References.
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