The Heart & Hustle of Portugal

Nuno Seixas, 24, grew up in Sintra and attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. When he came back, he didn’t only bring his music: he brought a bench, a camera and a simple request: sit down and share what’s going on in your life. The project “Everyubody’s Going Throug Something” took him through the streets of New York, Pittsburgh or Los Angeles. Nuno believes that behind every face there is a story that needs to be told.
His grandfather hooked him on Frank Sinatra, he took saxophone lessons at 14 and a friend convinced him to submit his application to Berklee. He shared writing sessions with producers that worked with Ed Sheeran (one of his idols), Nina Nesbitt or Shawn Mendes. This year, he recieved the award for Best Videoclip at the IPMA, a notification he recieved in his pajamas, about to go to bed. Nuno is not looking for fame, instead, he is looking for light, hoping that his music reaches someone that needs it. That might be a simple ambition, but it’s the simplest things that touch us more dearly.
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Winning two IPMA awards back to back is reserved only for the best. Mackenzie Arromba has done it at only 25. Even more impressive, her first award was for the very first song she wrote: “hate myself for loving you”. Before the stage, before the photos, before the fame, was a young girl sitting on her bedroom floor turning pain into melody.
Music has been a part of Mackenzie’s life since she was four years old. She recalls how a viewing of “The Phantom of the Opera” turned her into a child who sang everywhere: hockey rinks, grocery stores and, eventually, jazz speakeasies when she was only 7. Songwriting came much later, born after a series of mental health struggles and a relestless search for purpose after leaving university. A chance connection led her to meet Steve Molella, drumme for the canadian band Finger Eleven.
At her core, Mackenzie writes to make people feel less alone — and it shows. She describes herself as a vessel when creating. With the instincts of a true artist and the honesty of someone who has lived through real darkness, Mackenzie Arromba is only getting started.
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He started with a camera, a kitchen, and a mission. Dave, the creator behind “How to Cook Stuff”, has built one of the most-watched Portuguese food and culture channels on the internet by doing something deceptively simple: teaching people how to cook Portuguese food in English, with humor, warmth, and an unshakeable love for his heritage. But what looks effortless online is the result of years of consistency, thick skin, and a clear sense of purpose.
We sat down with Dave at the International Portuguese Music Awards, where he was honored as a representative of Portuguese American culture, a recognition that speaks directly to what he has built. Because this was never just about recipes. It was always about identity.
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A neurocientist walked into a bar in Scotland. She sang fado into an open mic. Everybody loved it. Mariana Arroja’s life changed at that moment: she didn’t plan to become a fadista, but then, the best stories rarely go according to plan.
In this conversation with Tony Gonçalves, Mariana talks about the calçada portuguesa, the stone pavements that dress up every sidewalk and walking path of Portugal’s cities, hidden in plain sight. She explains how looking at them differently, after living abroad for so long, led to a song, then a documentary, then a deep friendship with the stonemasons that are keeping a dissapearing art form alive. Home, inspiration and saudade: all in that order.
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Nelson Sobral’s favourite portuguese dish is sopas. The luso-canadian musician never forgets his roots, just take a look at his guitar. Growing up inspired by Kiss, Nelson has become a voice of his own.
Growing up as a first-generation Canadian in Toronto's Little Portugal, Nelson shared how that community shaped him. His mother is from the Azores and his father from the Algarve, so his roots run deep. After some time away, he felt a pull to return to that same neighborhood to raise his own family. He described it as a place where you can still bump into people from your youth: a rare and cherished experience in a big city. It's a testament to the enduring power of community and the comfort of a shared cultural heritage.
Nelson runs a gym named after his firstborn son, Rain. It's a powerful reminder that our passions don't have to be singular, they can coexist and enrich our lives in unexpected ways. He even has a tattoo of Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child” on his arm: a permanent reminder of the power of music.
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