Ana Margarida

I was born in Maia on August 7, 1997, into a Catholic family, where my mother, Maria José, my father, Victor Manuel, and my dear sister, Ana Lídia, aged 4, were waiting for me with great anticipation.

I live in the Netherlands, more precisely in Maastricht, where I came to live for professional reasons.

My father comes from a traditional family from Maia, but my mother is from Trás-os-Montes, more precisely from Mirandela, which explains my passion for alheiras, the best of which will always be the ones my great-grandmother used to make. I remember that whenever she went to the village, she would have two bags to give us, the bigger one for me and the smaller one for the rest of the family.

But my great artistic passion is music. I love to sing, and music is essential to my life. I've been a member of the Little Singers of Maia since I was 4 years old, and with them, I've toured Portugal from side to side. Still, the most unforgettable moment was going to Disney to participate in the Magic Music Days Festival, when Euro Disney Paris celebrated its 15th anniversary.

But when it comes to communication, my great passion is radio - I've always loved radio since I was very young. I can't forget my visits to the radio station and the PRIMEIRA MÃO newspaper, accompanying my father, and looking at the atmosphere in the studio and the newsroom, I was fascinated. Maybe that's why it was the place I chose for my internship in my degree in business communication. Now that I'm reviewing what makes me happy, I realize that I enjoy many things that my father also enjoys because, like him, I like music and communication, and we both adore my mother.

As a child, even at a very young age, although I was embarrassed, I would take risks, as happened on vacation in Vila Nova de Mil Fontes, where a chair got in my way to prevent me from climbing some spiral staircases and I went around it, climbing up the outside of the railing. Even then, my resemblance to my mother was revealed: fearless and always ready to face challenges, disguising her natural fears with a sense of humor and positivity.

My mother is a force of nature; when necessary, she drops everything and defends her husband, daughters, and now her granddaughter Clarinha. I inherited this family spirit and sense of mission, which makes us attentive to everything that concerns the family, their well-being, and happiness.

Now, into this family circle, which I care about and strive to ensure that those around me are well, healthy, and happy, Alfredo has joined, and I want to marry him and be even happier, forming a new family unit that will enrich the clan founded by Mizé and Victor.

It was good, perfect, to grow up with an older sister around. A fearless sister who defended me and dared to confront anyone who wanted to hurt me. I learned the meaning of sharing, sisterly complicity, and trust from her.

Professionally, I couldn't be prouder of the path I'm on. I graduated in business communication and did my master's in Intercultural Studies for Business, having developed as my master's project a container for family kitchen waste, which dehydrates it and turns it into valuable fertilizer, a piece of equipment that we should all have at home - the Soil Return. After working as a freelancer for Maia City Council, fate would have it that I ventured to the lands of His Majesty Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands. Where I am the head of marketing of a cutting-edge LiDAR technology company, Aerial Precision.

Throughout my life, creativity has never been lacking. I won an honorable mention for " Triunfo da Liberdade", under the pseudonym Leonor Lapa. I've composed several songs, some of which have already been published, and I'm constantly with music in my head, improvising and creating new themes.

Suppose there's one idea that defines me. In that case, it's that I'm a pragmatic dreamer with a great ability to adapt to new challenges and demands, seeking to generate sensible balances, always thinking about the future, and living the present in harmony with all those I love the most.

Alfredo José

I was born into a family of artists on May 12, 1993, in which my two brothers, Nuno and Afonso, were born after me, the eldest.

It wasn't until I was 15 years old that the creative and musical environment in which I was born and raised began to take on the form of a genuine passion, leading me to genuinely embrace the guitar as the instrument through which I wanted to express my emotions, feelings and my way of being, seeing the world and life. What I sometimes wish to convey to others, if I'm short of words, is that I always have my guitar at hand, and I'm never short of it to help me express what's in my soul.

At this age, I began to learn to play classical guitar. After starting with my father, I learned Flemish, a language essential to making the most of the guitar's expressive resources.

When I was 15, I formed a band with my friends, and we won the Maiact band competition. One of the prizes for the winning band was to play the first half of the Xutos & Pontapés concert.

I played volleyball at Clube Castelo da Maia. I practiced break dancing, scuba diving, and spearfishing, which earned me some beautiful stews that tasted like trophies because they were the fruit of my underwater audacity.

I went to university to study communication design. Later, at age 20, I entered Red Bridge College in the UK, where I graduated in Music Technology.

Thanks to my passion for music, my creative imagination has developed and become more versatile and critically demanding.

I'm persistent and don't give up on my dreams, just as I don't give up on the people I love. For me, family is the most important thing in life. I know I can always count on my family, and they can always count on me. These values are the heritage I bring to my marriage to Ana Margarida, fulfilling our desire to start a family.

One of the activities that gives me peace of mind is a nice walk by the sea. The last one was over 100km.

This year, I decided to give my designs a new home, and together with Ana Margarida, we created Zesty Sphere, our ecological clothing and accessories brand. It's another of our contributions to a more sustainable planet.