One of SXSW's most endearing qualities is the fact that the festival and conference draws musicians and music business professionals from literally all over the world to Austin's small downtown area. With a wealth of clubs all within walking distance from the Convention Center - the epicenter of it all - it's inevitable that you will cross paths with people from places that you may have never expected to hear modern music.

Below is a SXSW story from Canja Rave, a rock duo from Porto Alegre, Brazil.

"We traveled to SXSW with support from Ministério da Cultura (Brazilian Government) and had two official showcases at The Rio for Brazilian Night, and at Lamberts with bands from around the world. There were so many options of shows all around Austin, and we were very glad that there were lots of people to see us, especially at Lambert’s. It is not everyday you have bands from Brazil, Japan, UK, USA, Spain and Ireland on the same stage, so for us it was a great experience to play this gig and watch the shows of these other bands, who gave us positive feedback about our work. The most amazing thing about SXSW is the cultural diversity and the interest of the public in meeting new artists, no matter how big they are like Devo, Ben Harper or a new independent band like Canja Rave."

Canja Rave - Porto Alegre, Brazil