Calema

The Calema duo was formed in 2011 by brothers António Mendes Ferreira and Fradique Mendes Ferreira in the island state of Sao Tomé and Principe, west of Central Africa. Practicing kizomba, a musical genre originating in Angola, the two brothers, who have been singing together since childhood, made their professional debut when they arrived in France in 2011, after spending three years in Portugal and recording a demo in 2010, Ni Mondja Anguené . They then created their own channel on a video platform, on which they broadcast covers of standards. They then released their first proper album, Bomu Kêlê, in 2014, which failed to break through. But it was with the next, A Nossa Vez, released three years later, that the duo achieved recognition. It reached third place in Portugal, buoyed by the title track, which was widely viewed on online video platforms. This was followed two years later by a live album, Ao Vivo No Campo Pequeno, which also reached third place in Portugal. A few months later, the duo presented a new studio album, Yellow, which reached number one. The brothers appear as guests on a track by Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred, "Enty Hayati", performed in Arabic, Portuguese and English. In 2022, the track "A Nossa Vez", released in 2017, passes the 100 million views mark, a first in Portugal, and appears in the country's charts at number 183. Two years later, "Emmène-moi" became another viral hit in Portugal, France and other European countries, followed by"Dis-le moi" and "Amar pela Metade (Aimer à moitié)", as a prelude to the Voyage album.