Art has the extraordinary power to bring us closer together without the need for complex means or sophisticated tools. It allows us to appreciate the richness of diversity and otherness, inviting us to relate to one another in a more understanding and harmonious way. Music, in particular, is the perfect embodiment of these ideas. All it takes is a voice or a beat.

In 2026, MANTA embraces this notion of universal sharing through art and music, seeking to open pathways toward geographies that offer us different perspectives on the world we inhabit. We present four singular artists from distant places, sharing their art, music, and song.

Mar Pujol comes from Catalonia, on the Mediterranean side of the Iberian Peninsula; Leo Middea brings Brazil in his heart; Bongeziwe Mabandla, from South Africa, sings in a language we will probably not understand, yet one that will move us in a spiritual and deeply emotional way. Milhanas occupies a place rooted in the power of words, travelling from ancient songs to fado and the new Portuguese urban music. All of these artists come to Guimarães with new recordings, recently released or soon to be published.

MANTA is therefore a place of encounter, marking the opening of another programming season at the Centro Cultural Vila Flor. We want it to be a celebration with open doors. On Saturday afternoon, there will be a programme designed for families, where the celebration belongs to the youngest visitors. And after the concerts, we will move our bodies to the sound of carefully selected musical impulses by Corleone Jr. and Not Fritzen.