Sara Carreira

Sara Carreira (born Sara Marina Araújo Antunes; October 21, 1999 — December 5, 2020), was a Portuguese singer. She was born in Dourdan, on the outskirts of Paris, on October 21, 1999, the daughter of singer Tony Carreira and his manager Fernanda Antunes, and the younger sister of fellow singers David Carreira and Mickael Carreira. Although born into a family deeply involved in the arts, she was always discouraged by her father and siblings from following the same path.

Career

Music career

At the age of 12, she took the stage for the first time alongside her father at the Pavilhão Atlântico. In September 2017, she was studying singing and had begun a degree in Asian Studies at the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon. She would go on to suspend her studies the following February, planning to enter the music scene with the release of a single.

Thus, in December 2018, she released the single "Gosto de Ti" alongside her brother, David Carreira—initially on YouTube and, a few hours later, live at the gala for the talent show "The Voice Portugal" (RTP1)—garnering over one hundred thousand views within the first 24 hours.

In February 2019, she launched her solo music career with the single "Vou Ficar". In September 2019, she released the single "Para Não Chorar", and the following November, the EP Metade was released.

Television career

In September 2019, she was working on the voice-over for the Portuguese version of the animated film Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs.

In early 2020, she participated in the show A Máscara, performing as the "Panther" (Pantera) and being eliminated in the seventh episode.

Sara wanted to pursue an acting career and was set to join one of SIC's 2021 soap operas—specifically, the successor to Amor Amor—but this did not happen due to her death. However, although her first choice was TVI, Cristina Ferreira—the channel's director of entertainment and fiction—"closed the door" on that possibility; consequently, she turned to her second choice, SIC, which granted her request.

Fashion

In November 2018, she was one of the stars of fashion designer Micaela Oliveira's bridal catalog, with whom she launched a clothing collection on November 26, 2020.

Death

Sara died at the age of 21 on December 5, 2020—a Saturday—following a car accident on the A1 motorway (at kilometer 61, northbound-to-southbound direction), between Santarém and Cartaxo. She was traveling to Lisbon with her boyfriend, Ivo Lucas, after a trip to Porto to attend to matters regarding the clothing brand she had launched just a few days earlier. Ivo Lucas survived, but the singer succumbed to her injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The following day, the president of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, sent an official note of condolence to the family.

The singer's funeral ceremonies took place in Lisbon at the Estrela Basilica on December 9, and she was buried at the Prazeres Cemetery.

The final report on the accident identifies excessive speed by the Range Rover driven by Ivo Lucas as the cause. The actor and singer was traveling at a clearly excessive speed on a slippery road surface. It was no longer raining at the time of the crash, and visibility was sufficient to avoid the collision. Consequently, he was named a formal suspect (*arguido*) for negligent homicide.

During the trial, the Public Prosecutor's Office sought the conviction of all defendants responsible for the accident; for the three defendants charged with negligent homicide—namely Ivo Lucas, Cristina Branco, and Paulo Neves—it requested suspended prison sentences.

On January 12, 2024, three of the four defendants involved in the accident received suspended prison sentences. Judge Marisa Dias Ginja ruled that the actions of all these defendants contributed to the singer's death: Paulo Neves, who was driving under the influence of alcohol and below the speed limit; Fado singer Cristina Branco, who collided with Paulo Neves's vehicle; and singer Ivo Lucas. Ivo Lucas received a suspended sentence of two years and four months, while Paulo Neves received one of three years and four months; both had been charged with homicide by gross negligence. Cristina Branco, charged with homicide by negligence, received a suspended sentence of one year and four months.

Discography

Filmography

Television

Voice Acting

External links

• Tony Carreira - Hoje Menina Amanhã Uma Mulher (com Sara) on YouTube, 2014