Get set for the 9th edition of EXIB Música (Expo Iberoamericana de Música)! Starting tomorrow and going strong until Saturday, the 21st of October, Setúbal will be the vibrant hub of Ibero-American music.

For four days, the streets and squares of this Portuguese city will resonate with the enchanting sounds of Ibero-American music, creating an ideal backdrop for networking, insightful conferences, and a captivating musical journey through the heart of the city. EXIB Música offers a deep dive into the vibrant streams of Ibero-American music, uniting professionals and music enthusiasts in the center of Setúbal. This expo spotlights the musical treasures of Latin America, Spain, and Portugal while celebrating diversity, collaboration, and cultural identity

To give you an inside look and introduce you to the incredible musicians taking the stage, we had the privilege of chatting with Adriana Pedret, Cultural Manager, Event Producer, and Founder and Director of EXIB Música.

And if that’s not enough to get you in the Ibero-American groove, we’ve put together a playlist featuring the artists who will own the stage in Setúbal over the next four days.

Could you offer a brief historical description of EXIB Música‘s trajectory and evolution over the years?

From its inception, EXIB Música was established with the intention of offering alternative perspectives on the genres that constitute the identity of its regions. It began with the aim of fostering a collaborative culture, driven by the motivation to showcase the musical diversity of the Ibero-American region. In 2009, a small group of collaborators founded the Cultural Association EXIB Música, which later expanded to include professionals from various fields and countries, creating a network of collective work. With this initial impetus, the first professional EXPO for music internationalization was established, focusing on connections between musicians and promoters for the circulation and dissemination of live music, rooted in the new tradition of all Ibero-America. This was based on five premises: Momentum, Diversity, Identity, Commitment, and Industry, which served as the framework for a program that invited people to discover sounds, languages, creativity, and new ways of experiencing and feeling the musical and cultural diversity of the Ibero-American region. In 2014, the numerous efforts were rewarded with the first edition of the EXPO in Bilbao, which was repeated in 2015. Since then, seven more editions have been held, completing nine this year, in five cities between Spain and Portugal. Over 230 musical projects from all of Ibero-America have been propelled from their stages, around which countless international promoters and organizations have come together to make collaboration possible.

How did you initially get involved with EXIB Música, and could you compare some thoughts on the experience of being a music programmer for a large-scale event like this?

The impetus to design EXIB Música was the result of a variety of practices, reflections, and professional experiences that found expression in the EXPO. EXIB Música is the sum of human perspectives and the committed efforts of valuable individuals who have accompanied and continue to accompany me in the task of bringing it to life each year. Designing the music program is a commitment that I hold in high regard. Programming each edition is an opportunity to approach the challenge of designing a new experience capable of bringing the musical diversity of Ibero-America closer to Europe. It’s about ensuring that each meeting is a creative exercise where the expectations of the host city coexist with the professional needs of artists and professionals. Every single project selected from an open call contributes to a balanced whole, forming a blend we are proud to defend. This alchemy is a commitment to preserving a criterion of equity that allows each edition to be a small expression of diversity.

What distinguishes EXIB Música from other Iberian and European music expos in terms of its mission and impact?

Our primary mission is to bring the musical diversity of Ibero-America closer while also emphasizing the need to establish pathways for collaboration. Each EXIB is a new laboratory of exchanges that generates genuine connections. We explore new dynamics of professional engagement and innovative and creative alternatives to the well-known business meetings. We work with emotions, memories, and the need for expression, with a touch of intuition. It’s a timeless logic, one that starts anew with each edition but doesn’t end; it thrives with each year of work. That is the EXIB Música experience.

Can you provide a preview of what participants can expect in the upcoming edition of EXIB Música?

The 9th edition of EXIB was designed with a focus on reflection, exploring emotions, and sharing experiences through three entry points:

1. The musical encounter and the countless possibilities of establishing sustainable connections for the artistic mobility of Ibero-American musical projects.
2. The City, Music, and Creation Congress, which seeks to reflect on the challenges faced by cities that promote artistic creation and mobility as an alternative in the construction of paths for sustainable social transformation.
3. The Forum: The Stories Behind the Songs, a collective window to share the stories that inhabit the songs of Ibero-American music. Ten stories told by ten artists who will share a personal story related to their own song or another.

The theme of the 2023 edition is Music for Coexistence. Could you share some ideas about how this theme came about and what discussions or outcomes you expect from the Music for Coexistence Congress?

Music has the potential to bring people together, promote cultural diversity, enrich urban life, and contribute to the development of more harmonious communities in cities. We developed this 3rd Congress within the framework of EXIB Música, which combines the 3rd edition of the Music and City Congress (a project of the exibproject.org organization) and the 13th edition of the Creative Cities Meetings of the Kreanta Foundation. This is an invitation to reflect on the value of collaborations and to assert the centrality of culture for the development and social transformation of cities.

To understand a bit more about the impact of the exhibition on local communities, how has EXIB Música influenced the economic and cultural landscape of the cities where it is held and how does it contribute to the promotion of local cultural identity?

Our version of sustainable cultural management involves coexisting with different cultures and identities on equal terms, promoting respect for tangible and intangible heritage, reflecting on the rights of traditional music, and activating the creative industries of the space that hosts us. Setúbal has been the hub from which we have promoted and nurtured the value of creating sustainable connections for musical artistic mobility over the past five years. Today, it is the place where we will reflect and establish synergies around the importance of artistic creation, aiming for emotionally enduring and peaceful societies.

EXIB Música focuses on both traditional and contemporary music, both Iberian and Latin American. Can you highlight one or two artists or projects from the upcoming edition that exemplify this blend of ancient and modern music?

It’s difficult to single out just one or two because our lineup as a whole is very representative of this blend of roots, present, and future that characterizes us.

Could you explain EXIB Música‘s role in providing a platform for lesser-known or underrepresented artists from the region and how this contributes to their global recognition?

The artistic mobility of traditional and new tradition music is an exercise that requires careful consideration. Thinking about how to address practices and approaches to ensure that this mobility is inclusive, diverse, and that their proposals and rights are properly valued is a reflection that occupies and drives me. Each edition of EXIB Música is an important step in bringing this music closer to other cultural environments. Twenty Ibero-American projects are presented each year, and more than 230 projects have already been shared from the stages of the EXPO. Each of these projects that circulate through the connections generated at the EXIB meeting is a network weaver. They cross stories and identities, languages and imaginaries, exposing an infinite horizon of possibilities.

Are there specific artists or musical acts that you have enthusiastically booked in the past and would love to see on the stages of EXIB Música in the future?

Rather than specific artists, I would like to revisit the collaborative concerts of the early editions, which became a hallmark of the EXIB Música scene in its early years.

The exhibition also emphasizes the importance of networking and professional meetings. How have these interactions among music industry professionals enriched the exhibition experience and contributed to the overall music landscape?

Our challenges lie in meeting the professional needs of attendees (musicians and promoters), ensuring that musical projects are well received by most participants. We propose coexistence events that invite people to have an experience beyond the stage and professional meetings, allowing direct contact with the richness of the traditions of the host territory. As I mentioned earlier, each EXIB is a new laboratory of exchanges to generate genuine connections where we explore new dynamics of professional engagement and innovative and creative alternatives to the well-known business meetings. We value working with emotions, memories, and the need for expression, sharing walks, embracing heritage, tasting local products, and creating memories worth remembering. That’s our networking proposal.

Looking back, could you share some personal highlights or memorable moments from your time with EXIB Música?

Without a doubt, the most memorable memory was the only two live concerts that were part of the EXIB Música Live program in 2020 (during the pandemic), held at the Municipal Forum Luisa Todi in Setúbal. I remember sitting in a booth next to my son (beside the sound booth). From the top of that beautiful room, the image of people separated by empty seats, wearing masks, and subject to complex security measures was overwhelming. I am still moved by the audience’s reciprocal reaction to the stories shared by Salvador Sobral on stage or to the chords played on Yamandú Costa’s guitar. Those were days of uncertainty and vulnerability, and there we all were (in person and via streaming), insisting on keeping hope alive through music.

Considering the future, how do you envision the evolution of Iberian and European music expos and festivals in the region? Are there emerging trends, new directions, or innovative approaches that you foresee shaping these events in the coming years?

We need to bet on close encounters, with manageable scales that allow us to get to know each other and connect. We must foster cooperation between administrations and cultural management that is part of the fabric of cities and territories. We should prioritize the inclusion of artists from different origins, genres, ethnicities, and ages. We should develop spaces that are more in line with the times we live in. We should manage to evoke emotions and inspire.

Besides EXIB Música, what is the most memorable festival performance you have personally experienced as an attendee at festivals, and why did it leave a strong impression on you?

I can’t mention one above the others, but undoubtedly, they will always be those where I feel like part of something that mobilizes and inspires me, where I am surprised. Those that do not adhere to recipes and take risks to create a unique path to share collective synergies.

In a few words, how would you present EXIB Música to someone who is new to the exhibition and its mission?

EXIB Música is a space full of opportunities with many points of access. It is a necessary experience for Ibero-American artists interested in connecting with professionals to find new paths for their artistic proposals and to discover other artistic perspectives that inspire collaborative creation. It is an effective and human coexistence for professionals looking to connect and build lasting relationships over time. It is also, and no less importantly, a unique opportunity for the citizens of the host city to experience and be moved by the diversity of Ibero-American sounds.

- You can find more info on EXIB Música project and its 9th edition HERE -