About FMM
Sines
1. Where is Sines and what is it like?
Sines is a town and municipality at the very centre of the Portuguese south-western coast. The town is known as the birthplace of Vasco da Gama, the XVth century sea-commander who found his way to India sailing around South Africa, a deed of civilisation fundamental to the Renaissance’s mental and cultural opening. Vasco da Gama was born in the Castle of Sines, where the majority of the concerts of the festival take place. Inhabited since Prehistory and self-governing since the XIVth century, Sines was mainly a fishing and tourism town until the 1970’s. Since then, it has become a major industrial and port centre in Portugal. The municipality’s southern coastline, preserved almost to its wild state, is protected inside the boundaries of a natural park. Some of the finest Portuguese beaches can be found here. More information on Sines’ Tourism Web.
2. What is FMM Sines – Festival Músicas do Mundo and when does it take place?
FMM – Festival Músicas do Mundo is a music festival in Portugal organized by Sines’ City Council, every year, in July.
3. When was it born and why?
FMM was created in 1999 with the intent of giving a new and fresh use to the town’s Castle. The monument was the birthplace of Vasco da Gama, and the festival, showing the diversity of musical expressions in the world, follows and remembers the intercultural revolution brought about by the navigator’s travels. Today, the festival goes beyond its original physical boundaries and its philosophy is to bring people together through the emotion of discovering new music.
4. What music can we listen to at FMM?
“World music” is quite an ambiguous term, but, yes, FMM falls into that category. From tradition to jazz, from folk to blues, from tango to reggae, from classical music to fusion, this is – above all – a festival without genre boundaries.
5. What is the target audience?
Everyone open to discovering new music. That person can be an old Sines’ fisherman, a young college student or a music expert. Along its history, one of the festival’s defining traits has been the ability to attract people from all ages and walks of life.
Fireworks on the last day of the festival
The festival is held in Sines’ historic centre (the Castle, Sines’ Arts Centre and Beach Vasco da Gama). The Castle holds a maximum of 7,000 people and the Beach Stage 15,000. The stage located in Porto Covo village will not host concerts in 2010.
7. How many people have attended FMM’s concerts?
Since 1999, the total audience of FMM amounts to 412,000 people.
8. How many concerts were held?
200. Taraf de Haidouks, Black Uhuru feat. Sly & Robbie, Hedningarna, Kronos Quartet, The Skatalites, Tom Zé, Femi Kuti, Hermeto Pascoal, Marc Ribot, KTU, Master Musicians of Jajouka, Trilok Gurtu, Toumani Diabaté, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Mahmoud Ahmed, Gogol Bordello, Rokia Traoré, Asha Bhosle, Cui Jian, Orchestra Baobab, Debashish Bhattacharya, Cyro Baptista and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry are some of the highlights. Check the full list.
