Boa Viagem Lisboa is synonymous with good music and good times and they are quickly cementing themselves as a focal point in Lisbon’s vibrant electronic music ecosystem. Their first event at Wakiki saw Saoirse and DJ Masda take to the sun-kissed beach spot, as well as a live set from Japanese house music luminary, Soichi Terada. As a lovechild of Portuguese party syndicate, Boavista Social Club and London audiophilia institution Giant Steps, Boa Viagem is sure set to be a pedigree musical affair, bringing thoughtful curations of some house music’s finest to Lisbon.
September sees the crew in full force as they start the month off strong, welcoming dance music hero, Mr. Motor City Drum Ensemble, under his true identity, Danilo Plessow, on Saturday 6th.
An artist, who for most needs no introduction, having taken his spot mainstage on the global circuit for the best part of two decades and has amassed a stellar discography that spans some of electronic music’s most influential labels, with his “Raw Cuts” series on MCDE recordings proving themselves timeless anthems on dancefloors all across the world. Danilo exercises new aspects of his sound as he holds a well-revered monthly show, “State of Rhythm”, on Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM, and entertains influences from Krautrock, minimal wave and more in his Vermont project alongside Marcus Worgull, as well as sharing a more intimate side to his musical identity, having welcomed the likes of soul legend Leroy Burgess, and a host of rock and jazz musicians to the fold, both on stage and in the studio.
With the headliner hitting hard, Boa Viagem haven’t missed a trick with the remainder of the curation heading for Caparica’s Waikiki Beach Club party as they call upon local hot shot and 5A club regular Luisa, Indonesian eclectic selector Gero, Boa Vista Social Club resident Dolce Vito, oDYSea series founder and Lisbon-based DJ/producer Penelope and Lisbon mainstay Telma who has made regular appearances at Jardim Sonoro, Waking Life and other such top spots for the best part of the last decade. The full selection of artists tees things off nicely for what is set to be one for the books at Caparica’s idyllic seaside party spot as they party from evening sun until morning sunrise.
Giving an ample few weeks for some downtime and potentially some R&R after the marathon affair at Waikiki, Boa Viagem see out September with an equally tasty affair as they collaborate with fellow Lisbon-based luminaries, Succo artist agency, as the pair present Rainbow Disco Club on the 26th of September at the inimitable Those Who Dance, a 1000sqm spot that boasts state of the art décor and a luscious space that functions as a studio by day and club by night.
Following his first record on Lobster Theremin back in 2013, which landed as a consequence of securing a job in one of London’s leading record shops, Palms Trax had immersed himself in the works of the masters of Chicago house and Detroit techno, with his first forays into production aiming to replicate and reimagine sounds found within such records. With a solid stream of releases since, on the likes of Dekmantel, his own CWPT and a host of solid self-releases, he has worked in tandem holding residencies in Boston, Glasgow and Bordeaux as well as his delectable “Cooking with Palms Trax” show on Berlin Community Radio and a wealth of appearances on NTS and the like. Dusty disco, bubbly underground sounds and rare house bits have been defining indicators of his sound as he performs across the globe at some of the world’s finest venues.
Gabrielle Kwarteng, one of New York’s finer exports in recent years, has been selected as she rightly reaps successes following her Dekmantel debut in 2023 and subsequent appearances at Fabric and the like, sharing the decks with Ricardo Villalobos and Ben UFO amongst other globally renowned electronic music artists. Her sets often take a retrospective look at dance music as she selects slept on 80s and 90s house and disco gems and melds them alongside cutting-edge emotive techno, Black American genres such as disco and house, whilst flying the flag for the queer raving contingent with pride.
Japanese artist, resident DJ and designer for Rainbow Disco Club joins Boa Viagem’s Dolce Vito for a B2B as the duo spin complimentary selections capitalising on the extensive record collections the pair have amassed over the years, respectively.
Anya rounds things off as the Spain-based artist sets the tone for the evening.
Thoughtfully and tastefully curated beginnings for the Boa Viagem crew, definite stepping stones in founding a community of effervescent and undeniably pleasant times, with headsy takes on house music and more at the fore. A strong start for them, we look forward to seeing more from them in future.
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