The world leader in music-based entertainment, Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced the launch of Virgin Music Label & Artist Services in Africa.
Virgin Music Label & Artist Services Africa is said to be the newest division of Universal Music Group’s global network to open its doors, dedicated to providing premium and flexible artist and label services to the world’s most dynamic entrepreneurs and independent talent, and inspired and influenced by the iconic Virgin Records label’s spirit and ethos.
The division will focus on providing disruptive innovation and best-in-class services to the region’s next wave of independent artists, labels, influencers, and entrepreneurs, in order to help its roster achieve global success and further expand the reach of music culture from across the continent to the vast African diaspora, as well as to new fans and audiences around the world.
Virgin Music will launch in Africa under the direction of Guylaine Clery, Universal Music Africa’s current Director of International Development, and Félix Pea, Universal Music Africa’s Head of A&R, who will also serve as co-directors of the new division, which will report to Franck Kacou, Managing Director, Universal Music Africa.
“Our vision for Virgin Music in Africa is based on an observation that African cultural heritage has not yet fully found its place in the digital world and on DSPs globally. Indeed, with some of these services rarely existing in certain territories, this heritage is unequally represented. Our ambition is to make African music, a showcase of all that Africa and its diaspora can offer the world!
“We intend to give new life to forgotten songs, our investigation will go as far as digitizing them to make them accessible to as many people as possible, everywhere in the world. The creation of this label services will make it possible to preserve, distribute, structure, and promote the African musical heritage of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, whilst also providing global distribution services to Africa’s most exciting artists, labels, and entrepreneurs.” – Franck Kacou, MD, Universal Music Africa