Calema

Origin

Styles

Biography

Calema

São Tomé and Príncipe, June 2019. Two brothers take the stage at the Olympia in Paris. The audience, predominantly Lusophone, discovers a sound unlike anything heard regularly in France — crystalline voices, a rhythm oscillating between Angolan kizomba and the island sounds of the Gulf of Guinea, melodies where Portuguese blends with Santomean Creole. Calema, a duo of brothers from an archipelago of 200,000 inhabitants, has just burst onto the global Portuguese and Lusophone music scene.

In Brief


Group Name	Calema — a name inspired by the undulation of the wind on the African Atlantic coast
Members	António Mendes Ferreira (vocals, born April 5, 1992, in São Tomé) and Fradique Mendes Ferreira (vocals, born March 19, 1987, in Roça Ribeira-Peixe)
Origin	São Tomé and Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea Archipelago
Genres	Afro pop, kizomba — a rhythm originating in Angola blending slow couple dances and subtle sounds, R&B, pop
Signature Works	“A Nossa Vez”, “Te Amo”, “Amar pela Metade”
Awards	Winner of Play Prémios da Música Portuguesa (2023, 2024, 2025), Diamond title for “Te Amo”, UNICEF Ambassadors

Key Dates

Year	Event
1987/1992	Birth of Fradique and António in São Tomé and Príncipe
2008	Winners of the I Concursos Nacionais de Música Santomense; departure for Portugal
2009	Choice of the name Calema — the African marine wave that deposits treasures on the beach
2010	First album Ni Mondja Anguené (meaning let’s go in Santomean Creole)
2011	Move to Paris; creation of a YouTube cover channel and victories at the Lusartist contest in Strasbourg
2014	Release of Bomu Kêlê (in Santomean Creole); discovered by Angolan singer Anselmo Ralph
2017	Release of A Nossa Vez; the eponymous title becomes the most viewed Portuguese-language music video on YouTube for the year
2019	Participation in the Festival da Canção with “A Dois”; first concert at the Olympia in Paris
2020	Album Yellow and release of “Te Amo”; UNICEF Ambassadors for São Tomé and Príncipe
2021/2022	Honors in the BANTUMEN PowerList 100; “Te Amo” certified Diamond in Portugal
2023	Victory at the Play Prémios da Música Portuguesa: Best Group
2024	First 15-year tour; sold out at the MEO Arena; album Voyage (Part II) in French
2025/2026	Mentors on The Voice Portugal; title “Amar pela Metade” certified 5× platinum

Island Origins, European Journey, and Continental Revelation

Fradique and António Mendes Ferreira grew up in the archipelago of São Tomé and Príncipe, off the Guinean coast. Their heritage is that of their people: descendants of Portuguese colonists, Cape Verdean slaves, and Angolares (the first European colonists and their free descendants on the island), they carry within them the cultural mestizaje that characterizes São Tomé. From childhood, they sang together in the choir of the Santa Cruz dos Angolares church in São João dos Angolares. Music was first just a fraternal pastime, but a pastime that followed them everywhere.

In 2008, their victory at the first Santomean National Music Contests triggered a turning point. They joined Portugal: Fradique studied multimedia in Évora, António video production in Lisbon. In 2011, their family settled in France. In Paris, they created a YouTube channel where they broadcast covers of standards — a still innocuous practice in 2011, but which would become a crucial showcase a few years later. Their failed audition on the show The Voice, where none of the coaches turned around, strengthened their determination rather than discouraging them.

A few months later, they won the Lusartist contest in Strasbourg. It was there that they gave themselves a name: Calema, taken from Portuguese, designates on the African Atlantic coast the powerful wave that crashes onto the shore. Their motto, reported in interviews, is summarized thus: when the waves reach the edge of the beach, they always bring something. “Our music too must carry something — smiles, emotions, and the Santomean culture and sun.” (translated from English)

In 2014, Bomu Kêlê, entirely composed by the brothers in Creole and Portuguese, marked the beginning of their professional career. It was a discrete album that remained confidential. The real leap toward recognition came in 2017 with A Nossa Vez (which means Our Turn). The eponymous title exploded online: it became the most viewed Portuguese-language music video on YouTube in 2017, far ahead of Brazilian productions. Calema is now on the map of Lusophonie.

Heritage, Outreach, and Ambitions

Calema has established itself as one of the most successful groups of the Portuguese scene of the 2020s. Their music — which navigates between afro pop, kizomba, and R&B — serves a sonic bridge between Central Africa and the Lusophone Atlantic shores. “Te Amo”, certified Diamond in Portugal with over 100 million views on YouTube for its music video, opened the doors to the general public, relayed by French versions like “Notre Danse” and “Emmène-moi”.

Beyond music, the brothers have engaged as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors for São Tomé and Príncipe, notably during the pandemic. Their album Voyage (Part II) and its sequel marked their entry into the French market, proving that a Santomean duo could conquer venues like the Olympia and the MEO Arena.

Major Works

Work	Year	Why It’s Essential
A Nossa Vez	2017	The album that propelled Calema onto the global Lusophone stage, featuring the most-watched Portuguese single on YouTube that year
Yellow	2020	Contains “Te Amo”, certified diamond, becoming the first non-Brazilian Lusophone track to surpass 100 million views on YouTube
“Amar pela Metade”	2024	Fiftieth track certified 5× platinum in Portugal, symbolizing their enduring presence in the musical landscape
Voyage (Part II)	2024	First album partially in French: a handover to the Hexagonal and European markets