Dance Music Festival Returns to Rio During Carnival

By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Considered Latin America’s biggest electronic dance music event, the Rio Music Conference (RMC) will return for its eighth edition on Wednesday, January 27th and will continue through Tuesday, February 9th. The event, which overlaps with the annual Carnival celebration, is a welcome juxtaposition for many in the city of samba.

The events of the RMC will once again be separated into three main sections, the Atividades Acadêmicas e de Negócios (Academic Activities and Business) which will feature three days of workshops, panels, and networking events; a Club Week with shows in venues throughout the city; and the Festival Rio Music Carnival with performances by some of the biggest names in national and international dance music including Axwell, Vintage Culture, Dennis of the Baile do Dennis parties, Alok, Kolombo, The Martinez Brothers, Kill the Buzz, and Hardwell.

This edition of the conference will host the Academic Activities and Business in the Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR). This section of the conference will begin on January 27th and continue on the 28th and 29th.

Events will include over four dozen discussions, presentations and workshops that range from talks about the Brazilian music industry, entrepreneurship in the nightlife scene, bar management, the history and growth of Carioca funk, and women in the dance music industry, in addition to workshops focused on sampling, music theory, beat making, and Ableton tutorials, among many others.

The conference’s Club Week will begin on the same day as the Academic Activities and Business and continue through February 9th. Featuring events with national and international guest DJs in twenty-four venues and clubs throughout the city, Club Week gives conference attendees a chance to experience Rio nightlife firsthand.

Entry to Club Week events is free or discounted for registrants of the conference and all of the events are open to the public as well. Venues hosting events include 00, Antonieta, Audio Rebel, Bar Semente, Carioca da Gema, Casa da Matriz, CAVE, Espaço Acústica, Fosfobox, Gilda no Cantagalo, Alto Vidigal, La Esquina, La Paz, and Teatro Odisséia, among others.

The Festival Rio Music Carnival will run concurrently with the main celebrations of Carnival on February 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th. Headlining opening night on the 5th will be Swedish DJ and producer, Axwell. Also performing on opening night will be the Naza Brothers, Rodrigo Vieira, and Rafael Delgado.

The duo, Vintage Culture will headline the second night with Dutch producer Bakermet, and DJs Amanda Chang, Ananda and Reezer also performing during the night.

On the 7th, DJ Dennis’ popular Baile do Dennis party will headline the night and Valesca, MC Guimê, Omulu, and the duo of Marginal Men and Rodrigo S. of the popular Wobble parties, will spin.

Belgium DJ and producer Kolombo will headline the night of the 8th and Alok, Gabe, Dan, Lypher and Fran Bortolossi will also spin during the night.

For the final night of the festival, Dutch DJ and producer Hardwell will headline and Kill the Buzz, Johnny Glöver, Raul Mendes, and Jakko will spin. RodrigoSha and Carol Legally will also spin a special back to back set.

For Charlie Crocker, a British expatriate, electronic music enthusiast and owner of Van West Property in Rio, the annual event is much anticipated. “The RMC is a fantastic event. it is perfectly timed over Carnival meaning that everyone is off work and in full holiday mode! a couple of years ago I went to see Fat Boy Slim at Marina da Gloria and it remains to be one of the best nights I’ve ever had in Rio. This year I am looking forward to The Martinez Brothers and Kolombo.”

To find more information about the Festival Rio Music Carnival, Club Week and the Rio Music Conference events, see the official website.

Additionally, stay with The Rio Times for upcoming interviews with some of the performers scheduled for this year’s edition of the Rio Music Carnival.

What: Rio Music Conference (RMC)
When: Rio Music Conference – January 27th through February 9th, Festival Rio Music Carnival – February 5th through February 9th, Club Week January 27th through February 9th.
Where: Rio Music Conference – Museu de Arte do Rio, Praça Mauá, 5 – Centro. Festival Rio Music Carnival, Av Infante Dom Henrique, s/n Marina da Glória. Club Week – various venues.
Entrance: R$90 + for Rio Music Carnival shows. Prices for conference, debates, clubs and festival vary. Packages are available. See more information on the website and here for the Rio Music Carnival.