The Atlantic Music Expo (AME) kicks off today in the city of Praia, bringing together music professionals from around the world, with more than twenty public performances taking place in the heart of Cape Verde’s capital.

Today’s program includes conferences, an opening session, and from Tuesday to Thursday, new bands and singers from 12 countries will perform on various stages across Plateau — including the Palace of Culture, the Pedestrian Street, and Luís de Camões Square — as part of the so-called showcases.

Tuesday’s lineup features Leroy Pinto (Cape Verde), Roberta Campos (Brazil), Zuleica Barros (Cape Verde), Fattu Djakité (Guinea-Bissau), Isabel Novella (Mozambique), Ary Mar (Cape Verde), Cjey Patronato (Cape Verde), and Sahad (Senegal).

On Wednesday, the performances include Yacine Rosa (Cape Verde), Raquel Kurpershoek (Spain), Rumba de Bodas (Italy), Karyna Gomes (Guinea-Bissau), Fábio Ramos (Cape Verde), Eliana Rosa (Cape Verde), Voz Sambou (Canada/Haiti), and Tasuta N-imal (Morocco).

The final day’s lineup features Mariaa Siga (Senegal/France), Taresa Fernandes (Cape Verde), Danças Ocultas (Portugal), Throes + The Shine (Angola), Queency Barbosa (Cape Verde), and Dieg (Cape Verde).

The AME has grown beyond national borders, and in 2025, it has attracted 400 registered professionals to take part in activities that, every April, fill the capital with sounds from around the world and help launch new artists.

“Between national and international participants — delegates, journalists, and artists — the number is close to 400 people,” said Benito Lopes, the event’s director-general, noting this figure surpasses last year’s total.

“AME is a market, not a festival,” emphasized Lopes, describing it as a platform increasingly used to promote new works.

Brazil remains one of the countries most eager to participate in AME, while there is also growing interest “from several African countries” seeking connections that could open doors to new opportunities. Europe has been a consistent presence since the beginning, thanks to AME’s collaboration with WOMEX, the international project supporting and developing world music.

“Cape Verdean artists have also realized they can use this platform to go international,” Lopes concluded.

AME is organized by Cabo Verde Cultural, a non-profit association, and supported by both the government and private sector, a partnership that has been crucial to the event’s growth and vitality, according to Lopes.

As is tradition every year, on Thursday, the final AME concert precedes the start of the Kriol Jazz Festival, also held in downtown Praia. The three-day jazz festival will feature headliners such as Bonga (Angola) and Sona Jobarteh (The Gambia).