[2] Madredeus' first lineup consisted of Pedro Ayres Magalhães (classical guitar), Rodrigo Leão (keyboard synthesizer), Francisco Ribeiro (cello), Gabriel Gomes (accordion) and Teresa Salgueiro (vocals).

In honour of this unavoidable presence in their every performance, they named themselves after the surrounding neighborhood, Madre de Deus (Mother of God), shortened to the vernacular Madredeus.

In 1993, Pedro Ayres Magalhães left the group temporarily and was replaced in live concerts by José Peixoto (classical guitar).

Rodrigo Leão left the group in 1994 to start a solo career, being replaced by Carlos Maria Trindade (keyboard synthesizer).

After the departures of Teresa Salgueiro, Fernando Júdice and José Peixoto, Pedro Ayres Magalhães and Carlos Maria Trindade decide to continue performing Madredeus' music with a new cast of supporting musicians, named A Banda Cósmica.

The collaboration Madredeus & A Banda Cósmica released three albums of original material: Metafonia (2008), A Nova Aurora (2009) and Castelos na Areia (2010).

[5] A 1997 article in The New York Times stated that "Madredeus does to fado what Enya does to Irish traditional music: wrapping folk-rooted melodies in gauzy, portentous new age trappings", and that "in many ways, Madredeus is closer to an international movement of ethereal pop, akin to the Cocteau Twins and Kate Bush, than it is to fado.