Santamaria are a Portuguese Eurodance-style band formed in 1998. The band is originally from Santa Maria de Lamas, in northern Portugal. Selling over 1 million copies, the band has already won 21 platinum and two gold records. The group has always been very popular across the country.
The songs are mostly intended for dance, with some ballads. The name Santamaria was the idea of António and Filipa Lemos.
António Fernando de Sousa Lemos and Marlene Filipa de Sousa Lemos are brothers and when they were younger they formed a duo, “Tony e Marlene”, having even edited some albums.
The genesis of the Santamaria was made in 1997 with the inclusion of Américo Luís Soares Marante. Also joining the dancers and backing singers Diná Manuela Pinto Real and Yolanda. The latter would leave shortly after, entering Elisabete Magda de Oliveira Monteiro to take her place.
The group’s first album came out in March 1998, by Vidisco, with the title Eu Sei, Tu És…
In April of the following year, the second album Sem Limite was released, also by Vidisco, containing a duet with the Danish singer Whigfield, in a version, in Portuguese and in English, of the theme “Happy Maravilha”.
At the end of May 2000, still with Vidisco edition, Voar came out.
The following year, 2001, it was the turn of Reflexus, the fourth album to come out with the Vidisco label. This work would have a special edition with three extra themes and an interactive track with various material including song lyrics and “video clips”.
Also in 2001, they received the Golden Globe for “Best Group” in a year in which bands such as Xutos & Pontapés and The Gift were nominated.
After the release of 4 Dance and reaching 5 consecutive years of editing new albums, they decided to take a break. The vocalist, Filipa Lemos, took the opportunity to get married and in 2004 became a mother.
In 2003, the compilation Boogie Woogie was released by Vidisco, with the band’s greatest hits and five new songs. This work includes a DVD with an interview and all the “video clips” of the band.
Santamaria return with a new album, 2Beat, was a work that entered, in the spring of 2005, directly to the 6th place of the Official Top of the AFP, the weekly table of the 30 best-selling albums in Portugal.
In 2006, after eight years at Vidisco, they moved to Espacial publishing house. It released 8, their eighth album and seventh studio album. His previous label released a new Hit Singles compilation that year, accompanied by a DVD with “video clips”.
In 2007 they released Elements, the ninth studio album, which marks the entry of DJ Lucana (or Lucas Junior, or Lucas Jr.), a producer and keyboardist who had already collaborated on several occasions with the group.
In June 2008, again through Espacial, Virtual, the tenth studio album, was released. At the same time, his former publisher, Vidisco, released another compilation, Colecção Platina and later released another compilation, Colecção Romântica.
Completing in this year 2008, a decade of career, they give a unique concert on the 8th of August, on Avenida dos Aliados, in the heart of Porto, for more than 20 thousand people with more than an hour and a half of show still to be edited. this year on the DVD 10 Anos – Ao Vivo, a release that includes a CD.
In 2009, “Xplosion” was released, the eleventh studio album. “Eu Sem Ti… (Alma Perdida)” was the presentation theme of the album. Songs such as “Na Alma Do Amor”, “Vou Write O Que Perdi” and the 1st single were performed live on Portuguese channels.
“Play” is Santamaria’s twelfth album and was released in June 2010. It entered directly into the 25th place of the AFP Official TOP. “Tudo de mim para ti” is the 1st single and was released on Santamaria’s official Facebook one week before the album’s release. “Only a night with you” is the 2nd single that features a videoclip presented the day before on the band’s official Facebook.Quero Sentir teu Amor featuring Lucas Júnior will be the 3rd single from the album.
In November 2011, Tony Lemos and Lucana announced a new single: “Let’s Go To Afrika”. The next album entitled “Let’s Dance” would arrive in March 2012. Several performances were made of this single, one of them at the Final Year Gala of Casa dos Segredos 2, (Secret Story) on TVI. “Let’s Go To Afrika” obtained great national positions having been 4 consecutive weeks on RTP1’s TOP+ program; over 10,000 downloads from the iTunes Store and other operators).
At the beginning of 2012, they announced the departure of Diná Real and the entry of Maria João Valente, who belonged to the Just4Dance group at the time of the “10 Years” concert in Porto.
On November 30, 2013, marking 15 years of existence, Coliseu do Porto was chosen to record a live CD and DVD.
New album and also new single from Santamaria in March 2015.
On October 13, 2020 Tony Lemos, composer and one of the founders of the group, passed away.
On November 6, 2020, the theme “Love, want, believe” is launched, which has an impact on the press.
On December 25, 2020, an acoustic is released available on the band’s YouTube channel.
On June 26, 2021, the band performs live at the Super Bock Arena, for the first show after the beginning of the covid 19 pandemic, as well as, after the early departure of Tony Lemos. The spectacle filled the venue.
On July 16, 2021, they released the album “Eterno”, where you can find the single “Eu fui eu”. The album enters the national top of sales.
