Canto Djavan, vinyl culture project Discos N’Agulha, and a panel on artist pay: Brazil’s Som Livre makes its mark at SXSW 2026.
Som Livre, Brazil’s leading independent record label, arrives in Austin, Texas, for the 40th edition of SXSW (South by Southwest), the world’s largest innovation and culture festival. From March 12 to 18, the label will be at the SP House with a lineup combining live performances, musical curation, and a strategic panel on the future of the music business.
Canto Djavan makes its live debut
On March 15 at 8 PM, Latin Grammy winner Jota.pê, Melly, and Bruna Black take the SP House stage for the first-ever live performance of Canto Djavan. Directed by Max Viana, son of legendary Brazilian singer Djavan, the project reimagines his iconic songbook through the voices and sensibilities of a new generation. The following night, March 16, Jota.pê performs his acclaimed project Dominguinho on the same stage and later attends a TV Globo private event at the festival.
On March 17, Melly takes the stage at Tropiclub, one of SXSW’s most anticipated showcases for emerging Brazilian and Latin American artists, held at Speakeasy Austin. The performance is an intimate voice-and-guitar set.
Discos N’Agulha brings vinyl culture to Austin
Discos N’Agulha, a project by Som Livre’s slap imprint, celebrates Brazil’s vinyl culture through DJ sets curated from the label’s extensive catalog — spanning samba, MPB, and rare Brazilian recordings. At SXSW, the project runs daily 30-minute sets featuring DJs Vini Azevedo (March 13–15) and Nyack (March 15). Nyack’s set will be featured in a new season episode on Som Livre’s YouTube channel.
The first season of Discos N’Agulha was recorded inside the Som Livre offices. Its debut episode featured Bianca Grácio and Grooves do Toledo on the decks, delivering a DJ set spanning Bossa Nova, Bossa Jazz, and Brazilian Grooves from the 1960s and 70s.
Panel tackles artist pay in the streaming age
On March 14 at 2:15 PM, Som Livre hosts the panel “Who gets paid when everything plays?” at the SP House Business Pavillion. The discussion examines the growing complexity of artist compensation in an age of ubiquitous, globalized music consumption — and asks how technology and regulation must evolve to sustain a viable creative economy.
The session is moderated by Camila Soluri, Marketing Manager at Som Livre. Panelists include Daniel Nogueira, Project Manager at Brasil Música & Arts (BM&A); Isabel Amorim, Licensing & Institutional Relations at ECAD; and Ricardo Rodrigues, partner at agency Let’s Gig.
Being at SXSW is about much more than showing up — it’s about reaffirming Som Livre’s commitment to shaping global conversations about what’s coming next for our industry. Music consumption has broken the audio barrier. The play is just the beginning: today, the industry doesn’t just deliver music, it delivers lifestyle. The current consumer demands image, narrative, and exclusivity, and our role is to create the right connections so Brazilian music gains even more prominence in this new global entertainment landscape — Tatiana Cantinho, Senior Vice President of Som Livre
Schedule
Som Livre at SXSW 2026 — Shows
March 15, 8 PM | Canto Djavan feat. Jota.pê, Melly, and Bruna Black — SP House
March 16, 8 PM | Jota.pê — Dominguinho — SP House
March 17, 9 PM | Melly, voice and guitar — Tropiclub at Speakeasy Austin
Panel
Who gets paid when everything plays? Rethinking value in the age of infinite media
Moderated by Camila Soluri, Marketing Manager at Som Livre
March 14, 2:15 PM — SP House, Business Pavillion
Photo: Press Release/Som Livre
