Rio Music Conference 2012 Arrives

By Laura Madden, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Although the name invokes images of men in suits with briefcases, the Rio Music Conference (RMC) is the antithesis of a typical business meeting. With over sixty attractions including acts from the top names of the digital music world on two stages over the course of ten days, this event will be anything but formal.

The first three days, which have free admission, are dedicated to the official opening of the event with a trade show and job training. The remaining seven days of the RMC, starting February 17th, are devoted to parties and performances by some of the best DJs on the planet. They happen every night from Friday until Tuesday of Carnival, and then again the following Friday and Saturday nights.

“We added these two nights after Carnival because we realized that the city remains full and the audience still has that urge to go out and have fun,” explains Claudio da Rocha Miranda, one of the organizers of the RMC.

This is the fourth appearance of the largest meeting of electronic music and entertainment professionals in the southern hemisphere. The event expects to generate R$30 million in business when it reaches Rio, bringing 40 thousand visitors. The 2012 edition actually kicked off in November, when it began a multi-city national tour.

“After visiting nine cities, it’s time to bring together all the people that make this market happen in Brazil to discuss issues of national importance. There could be no better place for it than Rio de Janeiro, especially during Carnival,” says Rocha Miranda.

Hitting the music scene in the nineties, digital music is much more mainstream today according to Guilherme Borges, one of the organizers.

“[Electronic music] is no longer restricted to clubs or genre-specific parties,” says Borges. “Electronic music is now a means of production that can be used for any genre: from soul to rock, from jazz to funk.”

Events will be held at the Marina da Glória on two stages. A Copacabana stage will host the most well-known artists of the electronic music scene, while the Ipanema stage will present cutting-edge music trends like blending electronica with funk carioca, jazz, hip hop and other styles of music.

A third venue, the new RMC Club, intends to become the hotspot of the season. Located at the old Baronetti nightclub, the space will host workshops during the day, like the chat held by the queen of experimental Techno, Ellen Allen, who will be discussing the female side of the biz. At night, it’s all about the music.

Main attractions for the event include appearances by big international names like Chuckie, Kaskade, Chicago-based Lee Foss and the U.S. preeminent DJ Roger Sanchez. Rio will be represented by The Twelves and Felguk, the duo who sealed partnerships with artists like Madonna, Flo Rida and Black Eyed Peas. Other Brazilian acts include Zegon, DJ Sany Pitbull and Gui Boratto.

Tickets run between R$90 – R$150 per event and can be purchased online or at RMC Club’s official shop on Rua Barão da Torre, 354 in Ipanema, with no service fees.