Os showcases das residências artísticas são um dos grandes momentos originais do Westway LAB porque revelam ao público o resultado de um processo de criação único, originado em Guimarães. Depois de uma semana no Centro de Criação de Candoso – um tempo e um espaço para liberdade total na criação – chega o momento de conhecermos o resultado final deste cruzamento altamente artístico e cultural. Uma experiência incrível ocorrida no seio do festival, da qual já resultaram ligações definitivas que deram origem a projetos de continuidade. Com uma força inesgotável e diferenciadora gerada pelo Westway...

Os showcases das residências artísticas são um dos grandes momentos originais do Westway LAB porque revelam ao público o resultado de um processo de criação único, originado em Guimarães. Depois de uma semana no Centro de Criação de Candoso – um tempo e um espaço para liberdade total na criação – chega o momento de conhecermos o resultado final deste cruzamento altamente artístico e cultural. Uma experiência incrível ocorrida no seio do festival, da qual já resultaram ligações definitivas que deram origem a projetos de continuidade. Com uma força inesgotável e diferenciadora gerada pelo Westway...

O Westway LAB é um ponto de encontro: entre os criadores e o público; entre os músicos e os demais agentes da indústria que participam no festival; e entre todos estes atores e a própria cidade. A Talk que acontece ao final da tarde no Tio Júlio, num ambiente altamente informal, descontraído e generoso, é um dos momentos mais vibrantes do evento, uma espécie de tubo de ensaio artístico e social, impulsionador de novas formas de ligação entre a indústria da música independente e a própria cidade.

Os showcases das residências artísticas são um dos grandes momentos originais do Westway LAB porque revelam ao público o resultado de um processo de criação único, originado em Guimarães. Depois de uma semana no Centro de Criação de Candoso – um tempo e um espaço para liberdade total na criação – chega o momento de conhecermos o resultado final deste cruzamento altamente artístico e cultural. Uma experiência incrível ocorrida no seio do festival, da qual já resultaram ligações definitivas que deram origem a projetos de continuidade. Com uma força inesgotável e diferenciadora gerada pelo Westway...

Os showcases das residências artísticas são um dos grandes momentos originais do Westway LAB porque revelam ao público o resultado de um processo de criação único, originado em Guimarães. Depois de uma semana no Centro de Criação de Candoso – um tempo e um espaço para liberdade total na criação – chega o momento de conhecermos o resultado final deste cruzamento altamente artístico e cultural. Uma experiência incrível ocorrida no seio do festival, da qual já resultaram ligações definitivas que deram origem a projetos de continuidade. Com uma força inesgotável e diferenciadora gerada pelo Westway...

After the remarkable debut in 2015 with the independent "Cara d'Anjo," Luís Severo joined Cuca Monga, the label through which he released his second album, the self-titled "Luís Severo," propelling him to the forefront of annual music and mainstream press rankings, as well as onto the most iconic stages and festivals in the country. In 2019, Luís Severo departs from what he had previously created, always maintaining the core that sets him apart, and releases "O Sol Voltou," an album that reinforces his status as a consensual figure in the songwriting of his generation. "Cedo ou Tarde," the eagerly...

The music of Bardino defies easy categorization, described as a fusion of electronic, rock, and jazz, challenging conventional labels and leading to expressions like krautrock, fusion jazz, or ambient electronica. This profusion of adjectives reflects the innovative nature of Bardino's music, transcending familiar categorizations. The trio's latest album, "Memória da Pedra Mãe," further reinforces their innovative approach. In essence, Bardino thrives in a benign tension between past, present, and future, embracing traditions, navigating the diverse present, and boldly projecting into the future...

Silly, also known as Maria Bentes, is an artist originally from the Azores, raised in Alentejo, and currently based in Lisbon. Her music is a delicate and intricate fusion of intimate pop and futuristic, atmospheric R&B. Her debut album, 'Miguela,' is presented in this scenario, where the partnership with Fred Ferreira (Orelha Negra, Banda do Mar), producer, and drummer, proves to be perfect in enriching Silly's original musicality. The connection between the artist and the audience is evident, transcending words and strengthening through collaborative creation and their onstage chemistry....

"Diabos m’ Elevem," released in 2023, marks Riça's debut in album format. After an EP in 2016 and several singles, the artist now takes us through a carefully crafted universe across 11 tracks, where his own story merges with the Portuguese popular imagery he grew up with: folk songs, proverbs, superstitions, fables, and legends. Accompanied live by Zé Menos and with scenography by Diana Queirós, where masks create a figurative setting for the stories of the album, Riça's show proves to be a purging of the hidden beauty within our demons. A cathartic celebration where traditional music and hip-...

Capicua needs no introduction. A rapper with a distinctive style and a combative attitude, she is one of the prominent figures in Portuguese hip-hop. Capicua, or Ana Matos Fernandes, is undoubtedly the leading female voice in Portuguese music, using her art to promote social and cultural reflection. After recently winning the José Afonso 2021 Award with the album "Madrepérola," writing all the lyrics for fado singer Aldina Duarte's new album, and releasing a children's book, Capicua returns with "Que Força É Essa Amiga" in her own name. It's an adaptation of Sérgio Godinho's original song, featuring...

A true nomad of soundscapes, Remna is now considered, by his peers, an African treasure. Born in Senegal, he is a singer, guitarist, and composer who has lived in Congo, Mali, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, France, Cuba, the USA, and Portugal, where he settled. With his own artistic language, rooted in the fusion of rhythmic, sonic, and stylistic influences from the places he has been, Remna has released several solo works — "Saltana" (2013), "Zona Zero" (2019), and, more recently, "Gaabu" (2022) — and has also composed and produced music for other artists, including Karyna Gomes, Eneida...

Producer and DJ, Sónia Trópicos explores electronic sounds from the Lusophone spectrum, contrasting warm and melancholic rhythms through synths and creative sampling, with vocal elements. With a creative exploration that spanned various artistic areas, it was in 2020 that she started her journey into music production alongside the group Beats By Girlz. Later, she released her first productions and remixes on SoundCloud. In 2022, she won the Pulsar contest, aimed at female producers in electronic music, allowing her to develop her first EP, "Astral Anormal," in the same year. In her latest work,...

Product or the result of a massive creative explosion on the European western coast, Grand Sun emerged in Lisbon in 2016, part of a new wave of indie rock projects aligned with both contemporary international production and connected to Portuguese sonic roots. Their concerts are urgent and electric. Their music delves into themes of existentialism and surrealism. Three years after their debut album, "Sal Y Amore," the band has evolved. In spirit, they are the same kids ready to rock, but they are more adult and mature, prepared to conceptualize new paths on their upcoming album set to be released...

Composed of Chelsea Tolhurst and Grace Bontoft, debdepan is a UK-based band with a dark, melodic sound influenced by Warpaint, Marika Hackman, The Cure, PJ Harvey, and The Big Moon. Released in September 2022, after the pandemic, their debut single, "Darkest Hour," received airplay on U.S. radios and in various European Union countries, entering the Deutsche Alternative Charts. After the release of "Darkest Hour," the band signed a contract with the label Archangelo Music and presented their debut EP "Omen" in 2023. The track "The Goat," included in the EP, was highlighted by BBC Introducing and...

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and lyricist, João Pedro Coimbra has a diverse musical career, having performed in the country's main venues and festivals. As the founder of the project Mesa, he has also collaborated with Três Tristes Tigres, Osso Vaidoso, and Bandemónio, among others. His artistic collaborations span various areas, stemming from his interest in different musical genres, ranging from jazz to pop, from experimental music to stage music and cinema. Currently, he is finalizing the composition of his next album, which features the production and sound mixing of Leo Abrahams,...

Corvo is a Portuguese rapper, born and raised in Madeira, who had his first contact with hip-hop in the early 2000s. His music is heavily influenced by rock, featuring intense lyrics and a unique and acrobatic flow. At the age of 15, he began practicing breakdancing and getting involved with the culture. After releasing "Ponto de Ruptura" (2020), his first original album, he launched "Pedras, Rosas e Velas" in 2023, a record composed of 17 tracks, including "Valium". Mental health and social prejudice are some of the themes present in his repertoire. In a depressing and anxious world, music and...

Melquiades continues his long ethnic-spiritual journey, which intertwines the end of the cosmos with the remotest beaches of Caparica through musical threads and more. His latest incursion features prominent pilgrims such as António Agostinho, Luís Lucena, João Abelaira Nascimento, and Miguel Abelaira.Post-rock, math, and fusion remain romantically involved with ethnic and Latin music. References to cartoons and other audiovisual riches are sharper and more refined, in a more pop-balanced yet simultaneously punk balance, in a constant paradox that reflects the reality of the modern world quite...

Franek Warzywa and Młody Budda are a duo from Poland that went viral on TikTok and gained notoriety among a broader audience after an explosive performance at the OFF Festival. In 2023, they released their first EP, "Wykopki," which caught the attention of the well-known American YouTuber Anthony Fantano. Franek Warzywa and Młody Budda create comedic and surreal pop. Their themes revolve around school, extraterrestrial life, and, most notably, healthy eating, accompanied by stunning visuals and a variety of musical genres that make their melodies highly captivating. After performing in Groningen...

"Trigaida" is the latest musical phenomenon to emerge in the small but vibrant contemporary electronic scene in Bulgaria. "Elate," the band's debut album, is a unique fusion of traditional Bulgarian folklore and electronic music, enriched with influences such as drum 'n bass, dubstep, trip-hop, with flavors ranging from contemporary jazz to world music and neoclassical. This diversity is attributed to collaborations with a multitude of world-renowned musicians who contributed to the album, allowing the trio to add even more nuances to their already innovative musical palette. They were part of...

Julia Mestre, the lead singer of Bala Desejo, one of Brazil's sensation bands, has also been forging a promising solo path. Following "Geminis" (2019), her debut album, she released "Arrepiada" (2023), her latest work, a luminous pop album with echoes of Rita Lee, widely praised by critics. "Arrepiada" features collaborations with various Brazilian composers from her generation and a duet with Portuguese singer Maro on the track "Sonhos & Ilusões." In a moment of artistic maturity, Julia Mestre has already announced that she will release a new project later this year, drawing influences from...

Conferência Inferno is a trio from Porto consisting of Raul Mendiratta and Francisco Lima, later joined by José Miguel Silva. After releasing their debut LP, "Ata Saturna" (2021), the band recently unveiled their second full-length album, "Pós-Esmeralda" (2023). Infused with the growing energy of punk and the rhythmic epilepsy that new wave has always invoked, the Porto ensemble paints new dark songs after consulting the book of Saint Cyprian to create the astrological map of post-punk. All planets were in retrograde, all ascendants in Saturn, and only they know in which hell the moon is. "Pós-...

UTO is a Parisian duo, consisting of Neysa Mae Barnett and Emile Larroche, that seems to come from outer space. Their music can hardly be reduced to vague notions of electronic or pop. It belongs to both styles, with additional flavors including trip-hop, dream-pop, techno, and synth-pop. Chic, alien, and phantasmagoric, UTO thrives on contrasts and embraces paradoxes. The duo's debut album, "Touch The Lock" (2022) – described by Pitchfork as "prismatic" – is a perfect introduction to the wonderful and strange world of Neysa and Emile. "Touch The Lock" is an incredible record of imagination and...

Unsafe Space Garden is a band from Guimarães that, in just five years, has released four musical works: the EP "Bubble Burst" (2019), the LP "Guilty Measures" (2020), the LP "Bro, You Got Something In Your Eye - A Guided Meditation" (2021), and their latest, "Where’s the Ground" (2023). This impressive output is complemented by a torrent of performances nationwide, including appearances at festivals such as Tremor and Primavera Sound Porto. The years 2021 and 2022 served as a period for Unsafe Space Garden to blossom into a musical garden capable of communicating and connecting with an audience...

For Julie Dawson, the singer and guitarist of NewDad, music has always been a refuge to express what she finds challenging to communicate otherwise—a space to explore deep emotions. Influenced by The Cure, Pixies, Wolf Alice, and Just Mustard, NewDad has undergone a sonic evolution since their early releases. The new album, "Madra" (2024), produced by Chris Ryan, delves into festive melodies that span dream-pop, post-punk, and shoegaze. It's a cathartic journey, offering listeners the opportunity to transform emotional struggles into something transcendental. After selling out venues throughout...

This year, Westway LAB invites everyone to join in a final moment of this edition at a Closing Party at the Black Box of CAAA (Center for Arts and Architecture Affairs), featuring a DJ set program with confirmed appearances by A Boy Named Sue, Rodrigo Areias, and Jorge Quintela. The cost of access to this celebration moment is 5 euros for Festival wristband holders and 10 euros (including a drink) for everyone else.