Calema

Calema is a music duo from São Tomé and Príncipe, composed of two brothers Fradique and António Mendes Ferreira, born in 1987 and 1992. As many Santomense people, they are descended from Cape Verdeans, Portuguese and Angolans, carrying with them a diverse cultural heritage that has inspired their passion for music.

The brothers attended primary school in São João dos Angolares, the capital of the caué district, where they were part of the choral group of the Church of Santa Cruz dos Angolares. In 2008 they came to Portugal to pursue their professional degrees on the music industry. Fradique pursued a degree in Multimedia in Évora and António, a degree in Video Production in Lisbon. This began their musical journey and in 2009 they formed their group naming it Calema. Calema is a word with African origins, and references the large, long waves one finds on the west African shore. The duo found a poetry in that name, as when the waves reach the beach, they always seem to bring something. The brothers wanted their music to also bring something - smiles, intense emotion, culture, and the Santomense sun. Their motto was "A winner's secret is to believe in victory and destroy barriers with faith."

Angolan singer Anselmo Ralph noticed the duo in the early 2000’s and helped them enter the Portuguese music scene. Calema then produced the album "A Nossa Vez". The song reached the top of the charts, being the most viewed music video on YouTube sung in the Portuguese language in 2017. In February 2019 Calema participated in the prestigious Festival da Canção and in In 2021, Calema was featured in a song by Moroccan superstar Saad Lamjarred.

Alongside the warmth the duo hopes their music will bring, they also seek to make positive social change recognizing the importance of family, and community support. Through their work, they were appointed UNICEF goodwill ambassadors to São Tomé and Príncipe.