The Central America Music Market (CAMM) celebrated its third edition over the weekend in Panama City, with more than 800 attendees, 89 invited Central American artists, two nights of showcases, and business meetings with industry executives, solidifying its position as a strategic hub for music in the region.
The Central American event aims to strengthen the musical dynamics among participating countries by connecting emerging talents with producers, record labels, programmers and international media.
Over the course of two days, CAMM offered educational talks, workshops and a songwriting camp organized by Sony Music Publishing Colombia, which was presented Saturday during the programming workshops. The event also featured educational sessions with notable figures, including Panamanian producer, songwriter and singer Alberto Gaitán of Gaitanes; Iván Sergey of Unión Musical Guadalajara; Nathaly García and Camilo Vega of Altafonte; Alfredo Zayas of Upper Sound Guatemala; Juan Carlos García of Aginpro; Jackelin Reyes and Pedro Meléndez of MUSICARTES and Henry Alonzo of Adarga Entertainment Group.
During the opening night panel discussion, titled “Beyond Streaming: How Rights, Global Networks, and the Industry Are Making Central America Profitable,” and moderated by Billboard’s Ingrid Fajardo, participants emphasized the need to stop perceiving the region as isolated from global musical movements. The panelists, including Norma Buendía from PANAÍE, Luis Carlos Pinzón from Sony Music Publishing, Camilo Vega from Altafonte and Noemí Planas from WIN Worldwide Independent Network, highlighted the importance of unity among Central American countries to strengthen and monetize the growing impact of their music on the international stage.
Once again, Panama reaffirms its status as the epicenter of regional musical exchange, showcasing the cultural and symbolic impact music has on the region.
Here are the five most exciting moments from the third edition of CAMM.