09
PETE TONG
DJ/Artist/Promoter/Radio
“NEW MUSIC IS STILL GETTING ROAD-TESTED AND SIGNED BASED ON WHAT HAPPENS IN IBIZA”
Since the dawn of Ibiza’s modern musical era, few have done more for the island’s scene than Pete Tong. A voice and visionary of electronic music, he’s a trailblazer who helped shape its global sound—from launching the Essential Mix to reimagining dance anthems with his Ibiza Classics project. A legendary DJ, producer, A&R force, and founder of both the IMS conference and DJ Academy, Tong’s career has been defined not by convention, but by constant innovation.
How does Ibiza influence your work and are you happy with how it’s evolving?
It is the DJs’ Champions League; it’s where you get to test yourself at the highest level. Reputations can be made and broken here. New music is still getting road-tested and signed based on what happens in Ibiza. Let’s hope it stays that way, but the island can’t take it for granted. It’s important that it keeps getting the mix right between the dancefloor and the VIP, and I would say that’s getting more challenging every year.
How do you measure your contribution to Ibiza’s continued success?
Radio 1’s contribution to the island’s music culture has been huge and I’m proud to say I played a part in starting that. The early 2000s were an important time also. Creating Pure Pacha with Danny Whittle and the Urgell family laid a lot of the groundwork for how DJ residencies have evolved and exist today. The IMS was born out of that relationship. As good as Ibiza was, the wider music business in the UK, Europe and America just thought it was a party island and didn’t really understand what was happening on the ground.
Why was Ibiza the perfect location for your annual International Music Summit?
The whole inspiration behind the IMS was to convince the wider world to take Ibiza seriously from a business and creative point of view. You name it – David Guetta, The Swedish House Mafia, Sven Vath & Cocoon, Solomun, Anyma, Black Coffee, Circo Loco – none of this would have hap- pened without the creative spark in Ibiza. I Got A Feeling was made in Ibiza when Will I AM crashed David Guetta’s DJ booth one night at Pacha. Without that song you might not have had the EDM explosion in the US in the late 2000s. And now we celebrate Ibiza’s legacy with the Ibiza Classics project. It’s been quite a journey.
www.petetong-ibizaclassics.com
10
MARILINA YERN
Director of the Santa Eulària School of Music
“MUSIC IS MY WAY OF LIFE, AND EVERY CONCERT IS A THRILL”
The future is created every day – and Marilina Yern Riera helps shape the musical future of the island. As director of the Santa Eulària School of Music, she also teaches percussion and shares her passion, experience and a sense of rhythm that’s essential to Ibiza, where music is lived more intensely than in almost any other place in the world.
What does the music created and produced in Ibiza mean to you? What are its main challenges?
Music is my way of life, and every concert is both a challenge and a thrill. This year, we’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of the school. We’ve seen significant musical growth on the island – especially in Santa Eulària. My main challenge is to bring music closer to all residents in the municipality. We have new facilities that are among the most advanced in the Balearic Islands and, being located in the heart of town, we want to attract new students and enrich the community with more culture. We’re also working to offer more concerts featuring ensembles created within the school, like the Municipal Music Band.
How does your work contribute to the island’s musical evolution?
My goal is to provide music education, develop new courses, concerts and projects that bring music closer to the public. For example, we’ve expanded our educational offerings with music production courses so young people in the community can explore the digital side of music.
What has been your most unforgettable musical moment in Ibiza?
February 3, 2024, when we inaugurated the school’s new facilities and the Municipal Band performed a piece made up of fragments from well-known works from our culture. That fusion made me incredibly happy – seeing this major project come to life and performing a piece that included melodies I listened to as a child.
11
MAXWELL MOYA WRIGHT
Director of the Formentera Jazz Festival
Photo: © Nerea Coll
“GROWING UP IN FORMENTERA HAS BEEN AN ENDLESS SOURCE OF INSPIRATION”
Known for his work with the iconic group Ojos de Brujo – pioneers in the fusion of genres – musician Maxwell Moya Wright grew up in Formentera and has remained deeply connected to the island. That bond inspired him to create the Formentera Jazz Festival, which has become a cultural must-see. More than a decade in, the festival has become an essential event that brings culture and cutting-edge music to the southern Pitiusan island.
What does organizing the Formentera Jazz Festival mean to you, and what are the main challenges?
It’s a project I feel passionate about that brings together my love for music and the magic of the island. From the beginning, the idea was to create a space where improvisation and creativity could flow freely – where musicians from different backgrounds could share their art in a unique setting. It’s a bridge between cultures, generations and styles, always respecting Formentera’s identity. Of course, there are challenges: logistics, funding and balancing growth with preserving the festival’s intimate, authentic spirit. But it’s always worth it in the end.
What’s been your most unforgettable musical moment on the island?
Formentera has been the backdrop for countless magical moments. If I had to pick one, it would be a jam session with Jorge Pardo, Carlos Sarduy, Ganavya Doraiswamy, Irene Atienza and Regis Molina – along with several other incredible musicians – under a starry sky during one of the festival’s early editions. It was a warm night, and the music turned into a borderless conversation where jazz, flamenco, Indian music and Latin rhythms flowed together spontaneously.
How has Formentera influenced your work – and how have you influenced the island in return?
Growing up in Formentera has been an endless source of inspiration – not just musically, but also in how I approach creativity and connect with audiences. The island has a special rhythm, an energy that encourages authenticity, with no rush or outside pressure. I’ve learned that music, like Formentera itself, should flow naturally and without artifice. I like to think our work helps strengthen the island’s cultural scene.
12
JAVIER ANADON
Entrepreneur / Visionary
“WE NEVER SET OUT TO BECOME ANYTHING ‘ICONIC’. WE JUST WANTED TO DO SOMETHING GOOD.”
Few figures have shaped Ibiza’s modern identity quite like Javier Anadon. The visionary behind Café Mambo, he transformed a crumbling finca on San Antonio’s coast into one of the world’s most iconic music venues. Since 1994, Mambo has become a sunset pilgrimage for DJs and music lovers alike, hosting pre-parties, global stars, and unforgettable moments. Grounded in community, family, and creativity, Javier’s passion for Ibiza’s soul—not its hype—has kept Mambo authentic, magnetic, and magical for over three decades.
What parts of Ibiza’s culture did you want Café Mambo to reflect when you first opened in 1994?
Back then, Ibiza still had that raw magic — the kind you could feel in your chest. I didn’t want to compete with anyone. I just wanted to build something that honoured the Bohemian spirit of the island: community, creativity, connection. A place where you could feel the soul of Ibiza in the music, the people, the sunset. That was always the goal. Mambo is built on family — not just my own, but the extended one that’s formed over the years. My sons, Christian and Alan, have worked with me since they were teenagers. Staff who’ve become friends. DJs who’ve become brothers. Customers who return year after year like clockwork. Seeing my sons take the reins and bring their own vision to Mambo… that’s the future. It’s in good hands.
Mambo is now a global symbol of Ibiza’s music scene. How does that feel?
It’s humbling. Truthfully, we never set out to become anything “iconic.” We just wanted to do something good. The superstar DJs came and continue to come because they felt that energy too. We gave them a platform, but they gave us their magic. The fact that Mambo is now part of Ibiza’s story, part of dance music’s history… it still surprises me. But I’m grateful beyond words. We’ve been very lucky to be in the right place at the right moment.
The sunset at Mambo has become a ritual. Why does that resonate so deeply with Ibiza’s spirit?
The sunset is the great equaliser. Everyone — no matter who they are — stops and watches. That light, that sound, that shared silence… it’s spiritual. In Ibiza, that daily pause feels sacred. It’s a reminder we’re very lucky to be here…
