Calema at Rockhal

Calema take their name from the big rolling swells of the Atlantic, an image of movement that suits the two brothers: born in São Tomé and Príncipe, raised between Portugal and France, and singing mostly in Portuguese.

Calema play the Rockhal Box on Saturday 14 November. Doors at 19:00.

António and Fradique Mendes Ferreira are brothers from São Tomé and Príncipe who grew up between Portugal and France, and they write in Portuguese over a mix of afrobeat and pop. They sell out arenas across Europe, which makes the room they are playing here the surprising part.

The Box is the smallest of the Rockhal’s spaces, so this is close. Standing. Artemas is in the Club the same night.

Who are Calema?

Calema are two brothers, Fradique and António Mendes Ferreira, born in São Tomé and Príncipe and raised between Portugal and France. Their name comes from the big rolling swells of the Atlantic Ocean, an image of movement and migration that runs through their songs. They sing mostly in Portuguese and mix pop, Afro and Latin rhythms with a touch of fado-style melancholy.

Their story starts at home: in 2008 they won a national music competition in São Tomé, then moved to Portugal to study. The singer Anselmo Ralph helped them into the Portuguese music scene, and they also tried their luck on The Voice in France. Rockhal counts them among the most streamed and celebrated Portuguese-speaking artists today, and in January 2025 they played the Accor Arena in Paris to mark 15 years of music.

Their records

• Ni Mondja Anguené (2010), their first album.
• Bomu Kêlê (2014).
• A Nossa Vez (2017), which reached number 3 in Portugal.
• Ao vivo no Campo Pequeno (2019), a live album.
• Yellow (2020), a number 1 album in Portugal.
• Voyage (2024), the album celebrating 15 years of the duo, with several songs in French.

Songs to know before the night: “Te Amo”, “A Nossa Vez”, “Vai”, “A Dois”, “Onde Anda”, “Maria Joana” and “Emmène-moi”.

Milestones

• 2019: they wrote and sang “A Dois” for Portugal’s Festival da Canção.
• 2022: “Te Amo” became a summer hit in France, was certified diamond there and was the 7th most-played song on French radio that year. Its video has passed 82 million views on YouTube.
• 2023: nominated for French-language Breakthrough of the Year at the NRJ Music Awards.
• 2026: they played the main stage of Rock in Rio Lisboa.

On tour

Belval comes in the middle of a busy run. After Luxembourg, their French Tour 2026/2027 goes on to Le Cannet and Lyon in late November, then to the Zénith d’Orléans and the Arkéa Arena in Bordeaux in April 2027. Expect a big singalong: at Rock in Rio Lisboa in 2026 they closed with “Te Amo”, with fire effects and a shower of confetti.