The Largest Gathering of the World Music Community, WOMEX 2022 Opened in Lisbon Last Evening

The 28th edition of WOMEX, the primary conference and networking opportunity for world music (also known as global music) professionals, opened last in Lisbon, Portugal, with an official opening ceremony. The opening gala, called Lisbon Sounds, was held in one of Lisbon’s most historic and beautiful 1920s concert hall, Teatro Tivoli. WOMEX will run October 19-23, 2022.

With more than 1,000 guests in attendance, the concert hall presented live performances by four Portuguese artists: Beatriz Felicio, Club Makumba, Expresso Transatlântico and Júlio Resende.

The evening reception was supported by WHY Portugal, with Produtores Associados curation and AudioGest and Fundação GDA.

The opening speeches were made by António Miguel Guimarães, managing director, AMG Music; Alexander Walter, director, WOMEX; Carla Simões, director, Tourism of Portugal; Pedro Adão e Silva, Minister of Culture, Lisbon; and Diogo Moura, councillor for Culture, Lisbon City Council.

This year’s local partner, António Miguel Guimarães from AMG Music, opened the speeches and thanked and acknowledged everyone involved in bringing WOMEX to Portugal for the second time. He stated: “Initiatives like WOMEX, we are pleased and proud to represent and promote in Portugal: to establish links and to share and communicate experiences from around the world through music. We create dialogues; we create culture; we create hope. WOMEX Lisbon starts here and now!”

Diogo Moura, councillor for Culture, Lisbon City Council, said: “Culture is always a space of dialogue, mutual knowledge and mutual recognition, and we have a chance to start this dialogue…culture is a shared responsibility, and it gives the context for people to be together. The triangle between local authorities, national government and private entities is a virtuous one, and it gives oxygen to creation and culture.”

(headline image: WOMEX 2022 opening at Teatro Tivoli – Photo by Yannis Psathas)

More information at www.womex.com