Oz Acts Chart on Growing Pains 2 Labels' Distribution
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T H E L A T E S T N E W S I E nternatìonaA N D V W S F R O M A R O U N D T H E W O R L D Oz Acts Chart On Growing Pains Spain's GVM Pìeks Up 3 Teen Groups Score Big For Indies; Majors To Enter The Fray BY CHRISTIE ELIEZER Amorosi was discovered by co- keting director of international at 2 labels' MELBOURNE, Australia -As the manager Jack Strom in 1997 as a 15- BMG Australia, "This market is Distribution latest graduates from the Australian year-old, singing in a Russian rest- incredibly receptive to teen acts. You BY HOWELL LLEWELLYN own acts there. annex of rock'n'roll high school make aurant in Melbourne. Strom and his need an AC radio format, and the MADRID -The new powerhouse on Until now, Fonovisa -the Mexican their mark on the music scene down business partner, Mark Holden, [national] Austereo network is perfect Spain's music scene, Gran Vía Musi- label that brought Enrique Iglesias under, the next class of contenders is signed her to their management com- for that. You need receptive TV video cal (GVM), has picked up local dis- to worldwide attention -has been already turning its attention from pany, MarJac Productions, in 1998. shows like [the Ten Network's] `Video tribution rights for two leading Lati- distributed worldwide through Uni- exam results to chart positions. Amorosi is a Transistor Music Hits' and glossy magazines like no labels, Fonovisa and Karen versal. Fonovisa's catalog includes Three of the major artist in Australia and Smash Hits and TV Hits. They're Music. established acts such as Los Tigres domestic breakouts in New Zealand. Her open to new teen acts, because they The deals continue the expansion Del Norte, Marco Antonio Solis, and Australia last year-all debut single, "Have A need to fill their playlists and pages, of GVM, the holding company Los Temerarios, as well as develop- released on indepen- Look," helmed by UK obviously. The right marketing from formed last year by Spain's biggest ing acts like Noelia and Los Moja- dent labels -were rock producer Steve Mac the label is the key." audiovisual conglomerate, Grupo dos. band Killing Heidi (Boyzone, Five, West- The age of these acts is clearly a Prisa (Billboard, Nov 20, 1999). One MuXXic marketing director (Wah Wah Wah/Road- life), was released in key element in reaching their audi- of GVM's five divisions, Gran Vía Domingo García says, "MuXXic show), singer /song- Australia last July and ence demographic. However, radio is Distribución, will distribute the managing director Angel Pecci and writer Vanessa Am- went platinum. The still fairly wary of playing too much Fonovisa and Karen Music catalogs I have just returned from Miami, orosi (Transistor/BMG) follow-up, `Absolutely teen pop in case it alienates older lis- in Spain, while GVM's umbrella where we met Fonovisa executives, and pop duo Sister 2 KILLING HEIDI Everybody," is now in teners. "So, you really need to make record label, MuXXic, will handle and decided that Noelia, Los Temer- Sister (Standard/Mush- the ARIA top 10. sure that radio believes in the act as the marketing of Fonovisa artists. arios, and Solis would be their pri- room). And all three acts were still in Transistor Music marketing dir- much as you do," says John O'Donnell, Karen's existing Spanish office on ority artists for Spain this year." high school when their records first ector Vicki Gordon describes Amorosi (Continued on page 60) the outskirts of Madrid markets its Karen Music was founded 20 entered the charts. as "an old soul in a young body. Her years ago in the Dominican Repub- The latest success for Killing Hei- lyrics are so mature, we believe we lic. Its best known artist is Juan di is "Mascara," its second platinum can cross over that astounding voice Luis Guerra, the merengue/ bachata single (70,000 units), to an audience aged Slay Mores Into Russia With singer who a decade ago became the which topped the Aus- between 7 and 45." first Latino artist to sell a million tralian Record Indus- The singer's album copies of an album in Spain. Karen's try Assn. (ARIA) chart "Power," due in April, Its Wholly Owned Subsidiary other merengue, bachata, and salsa for three weeks will target that wider artists include Hermanos Rosario, through January. The following. BY GORDON MASSON ny set up by Sumin in 1996. A Sony Micky Tavera, and Amanda Miguel. act's flamboyant, out- When Ralph Carr LONDON -Sony Music is taking a spokesman confirmed that the corn - Karen Music now has its head spoken appeal gained shifted from act man- plunge into the economic unknown by pany had acquired selected assets of office in Miami, with other offices in pop, rock, and fashion agement (his main establishing a wholly owned sub- Dana Music for an undisclosed fee. Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Santo media coverage; its client was Sony artist sidiary in Russia (BillboardBulletin, Sony claims to Domingo, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, debut album, "Reflec- SISTER 2 SISTER Tina Arena) to setting Feb. 29). be the first compa- and Spain. It has its own New York tor," was eagerly await- up his Standard Despite a chronic piracy problem ny among the recording studios, named 440 after ed at retail, with advance orders of record label and publishing, he signed and plummeting sales in that country, majors in Russia to Guerra's backing band. 35,000 before its Monday (6) release. sisters Chris and Sharon Muscat (now the company is setting up Sony Music have 100% owner- GVM's concert and tour promotion Band vocalist Ella Hooper and her 14 and 17), devised their image as Sis- Entertainment Russia (SMER). Oper- ship of a Russian arm, Planet Events, will handle all guitarist brother Jesse were 13 and ter 2 Sister, and told them to write ating from offices out of Moscow, affiliate. However, Spanish tours by Fonovisa and Karen 16, respectively, when Wah Wah Wah songs about being a teenager. Their SMER will be headed by managing it is not the first to Music artists. Apart from MuXXic, managing director Paul Kosky caught debut single, "Sister," duly went plat- director Andrei Sumin. He will lead RUSSELL venture into the Gran Vía Distribución distributes them at a Melbourne festival in 1996. inum. "You've got to know the market an operational staff of 14 people, complex world of Disconforme, Eurotropical, Manzana Kosky, who subsequently put the act and the marketing," Carr says. "You including a full A &R department that the Russian music industry. Universal Discos, Romero Records, Tin in development for two years, recalls work out why an audience would, or plans to develop the existing roster of already is heavily involved in the for - Records, Blue Moon, EPF, DMK, that they hardly moved onstage and should, connect with you." local artists as well as sign new and mer Soviet country with its 90% stake Julio's Records, and Bill of Rights. that the band behind them was musi- In the wake of these three mark- established Russian acts. in Universal Music Russia. And, with GVM stressed at a presentation held cally weak. And yet, he says, "they edly different acts, more strong teen Those local artists include Nautilus a goal of tapping into Russian youth, in Madrid last November that the had a raw talent I knew could be artists are emerging on the Aus- Pompilius and Valery Leontyev, who MTV recently established its MTV U.S. and Latin America would be tar- turned into a global appeal." tralian scene. Says Ed St. John, mar- had been with Dana Music, a compa- (Continued on page 80) geted as its prime growth areas. Make sure y people an listen to your catalogue, get your details and eal with you directly Expose your and catalogue to the worldwid- entertainmen industry on To your masters and copyrights: connectí now! keylicensing.com the online B2B music exhibition BILLBOARD MARCH 11, 2000 www.bìllboard.com 49 www.americanradiohistory.com.