Flor Sakeo Makes History in Chile with the Backing of Uruguay XXI

For the first time in its fourteen editions, La Furia del Libro—Chile’s most important publishing event—chose an official song. And for the first time, that song was Uruguayan. It was composed and performed by Flor Sakeo, an emerging artist born in Montevideo and winner of the 2024 Graffiti Award for Best Female Solo Artist. Her powerful voice, her aesthetic influenced by 60s rock, and her raw authenticity starred in an unprecedented chapter for national culture: the first visible case of gender-focused music export supported by Uruguay XXI, the agency for investment, export, and country image promotion.

Her presence also marked a personal milestone: it was her first plane trip and her debut on stages outside Uruguay. “I’m fascinated. They welcomed me and the band very well. This is unbelievable. I’m very excited and thrilled to be here,” shared the artist, who did not hide her surprise and gratitude for the opportunity. “We might have done it otherwise, but it would have taken much longer. This is crazy because it results from much work, and for Uruguay XXI to tell me ‘you’re going to play at La Furia del Libro’ is wonderful,” she said.

Flor Sakeo’s participation is part of a strategic agreement between Uruguay XXI, La Furia del Libro, and the Premios Graffiti Awards. In 2024, the winner of the Best Female Soloist category received support for an international performance. Sakeo earned this recognition thanks to her album Alba (2023), a project that combines psychedelic rock, lyrical sensitivity, and an aesthetic marked by the sounds of the 60s and 70s.

“It is truly an honor to represent Uruguay at an event like this and to be so lucky and have such support. It is crucial for an independent artist to travel and get to know another country, with all the effort that entails,” said Sakeo.

Her performance at the fair was not only celebrated by the audience, but thanks to this opportunity, Flor Sakeo secured other performances in Santiago and other regions of Chile on a tour that will bring her back to Montevideo in mid-June. “This is like planting a seed and watching it grow. It’s a gesture of confidence in what we do,” added the singer.

A strategy with a national stamp

Sakeo’s participation in La Furia del Libro is part of a strategy by Uruguay XXI to promote creative industries as an export sector, with a special emphasis on gender equality. “We know that for women in all industries, but particularly in music, access to internationalization and shows is difficult. That is why we are proud to be able to accompany and present her performance and give her this support for her arrival in Chile and, hopefully, the rest of Latin America,” said Omaira Rodríguez, a specialist in creative industries at the agency.

Rodríguez explained that this line of action combines institutional support with the artistic endorsement of the Graffiti Awards to promote emerging figures. “The Graffiti Awards have more than 20 years of experience and more than 80 judges, so we thought it was ideal to use this recognition as a platform to support the winning artist with a gender perspective on her international journey,” she added.

“Opening up these spaces and having a singer perform at a book fair greatly enriches the proposal, and I believe it will help in terms of introducing a new musical proposal to Chileans and the more than 60 publishers from different parts of Latin America and the world,” added the specialist.

A platform for continued growth

Galo Ghigliotto, founder of La Furia del Libro, particularly appreciated the synergy achieved with Uruguay. “When we first got to know Flor and her songs, we heard Canción para los planetas, where she talked about fury in a way that made us feel very represented, and we said, ‘Why don’t we have an official song for the fair for the first time?’” he recalled.

“Literature is an art, and where there is space for literature, there is also space for music, film, and the visual arts,” he said. “It is a pleasure when programs promoting culture and the arts, such as those of Uruguay XXI, work and achieve concrete results, as in this case,” he said.

A voice seeking its place beyond borders

Before crossing the Andes, Flor Sakeo had already caught the attention of international figures during Cosquín Rock Uruguay 2025, where curators and programmers highlighted her performance as one of the most promising. “Flor Sakeo caught my attention, with a more aggressive sound, a bit stoner rock, with very refined melodies and vocals,” said Héctor Mora, curator of the Rock al Parque festival in Colombia. Isabela Useche, Colombian programmer for Páramo Presenta, also praised her: “I thought she was making incredible music,” she said. At the same time, Nicolás Ayala of the Spanish production company Last Tour identified her as part of the most innovative crop of national rock artists.

The presence of these programmers was made possible thanks to the joint work between Uruguay XXI and Cosquín Rock Uruguay, which is part of a strategy to attract and promote local musical talent internationally.

This recognition and institutional support have allowed Sakeo to become one of the first artists to benefit from a gender-focused public policy for music exports. “It’s not ‘believing is power’, that would be romanticizing many things. Today, I can’t just say, ‘I’m going to Chile’ on my own, which is why this kind of support is so necessary. I am very grateful to be one of those people who have had doors opened for them and been allowed to travel and schedule new dates,” she concluded.