Salsa laced with rap, rock-edged blues, Andean countryside music played with drums and electric guitars, a symphony orchestra, and a singer of folk/rock fusion whose moves overshadow Shakira's. It was an eclectic group of performers who took the stage before an audience of more than 1,000 as part of the 2014 Bogotá Music Market, a dynamic two-day event that brings together up-and-coming Colombian acts with key international executives and music promoters.

All told, more than a dozen acts alternated their performances with conferences and panels by the likes of Shapiro-Bernstein A&R vp Eric Beall, PCB Productions and PCB Entertainment CEO Keith Arem, Believe Digital CIO Stephen King and Glastonbury Festival programmer Malcolm Haynes.

The energy was palpable in Bogotá's Chamber of Commerce, where the event was hosted Sept. 10 and 11, with more than 103 international buyers and bookers -- including reps for SXSW, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza Chile and The Orchard -- meeting with hundreds of acts pitching a broad array of musical genres.

All told, more than 700 acts presented their music for consideration to this year's BOmm. A curating team of seven chose 240 artists for meetings while 14 acts showcased during the event.

"It's amazing to see all these artists take their craft so seriously," said Fernan Martinez, owner of Fernán Martinez Communications, the marketing/promotion/management firm that is hired by Bogotá's Chamber of Commerce to produce the event. BOmm took new relevance last year when Martínez, a veteran music industry insider who famously managed Juanes and Enrique Iglesias, took over an event that was very local and limited in scope. Martínez, who is regarded as a rainmaker in the Latin music world, and who boasts his own celebrity status in Colombia (he has over 230,000 Twitter followers), revamped BOmm by bringing in international names, expanding the market component and hosting a broad casting call for acts to submit their demos for showcasing consideration.

Seven curators -- including prominent Colombian radio programmers Alejandro Marín (La X) and Alvaro Gonzalez (Señal Radiofónica), radio personality Gustavo Gómez and Berklee College of Music assistant director of global initiatives Luis Santaigo -- sorted through the more than 700 submissions and provided feedback during a morning panel.

Indeed, the end objective of the event was to bring new business opportunities to artists who might not otherwise have them.

"It's not every day that music from our Pacific Coast gets a chance," said Junior Jein, a showcasing act who blends salsa with folklore from Colombia's Pacific Coast. While Jein has nascent popularity in Colombia, he was hoping for a slot in an international stage.

Boom kicked off with inspirational performances by Colombia's Symphony Orchestra and a rare interview with iconic folk performer Toto La Momposina. But it quickly went to the nuts and bolts of business with a presentation by Beall, who dissected the elements needed in hit-making and the essentials needed to breed local music industries. A key component, he said, was collaboration, of the type being fostered at BOmm.

The practicality of the business was also a focus point of a digital market panel that featured King, the CIO of Believe Digital, a digital distribution company for indie acts. While digital platforms are booming in Latin America, many independent acts are unaware of the opportunities available through digital distribution or even how to obtain that distribution.

Joining King in the discussion were Mathieu Le Roux, managing director for Deezer in Latin America, and Jose Luis Galán, music director for mobile music service Tigo Music in Latin America. Tigo and Deezer are partners in Colombia, with Tigo offering Deezer as part of its growing subscriber service. Tigo is also in the process of launching multiple new platforms and services for new artists in Colombia.

While panels alternated with artist performances during the first day, those acts that didn't perform were able to get their chance the second day with one-on-one meetings with promoters and buyers.

"Money is not an important thing for these acts," said Martinez, at one point. "It's the only thing."