Tag Archives: Virgin Music Group

Rubén Blades Signs Global Partnership Deal with Virgin Music Group

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Rubén Blades has a new deal…

The 76-year-old Panamanian musician, singer, composer, actor, activist and politician has signed a global partnership with Virgin Music Group.

Ruben BladesThe indie artist, who releases music under his own label Rubén Blades Production, was previously with AWAL.

This new deal with Virgin sets him up for the “next chapter in his legendary career,” states a press release.

One of the most influential and revered Latin artists of all time, Blades – whose career spans over five decades – is known for music that is both poetic and socially conscious and rooted in storytelling.

A key figure in the New York salsa revolution during the 1970s, Blades has dedicated his career to propelling Afro-Cuban music.

The “Pedro Navaja” singer was honored with the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year award in 2021, he also won album of the year award for SALSWING! at the Latin Grammys that year.

“Rubén Blades has built an incredible legacy in Latin music as a trailblazer, pushing artistic boundaries and cultural change. We look forward to working with him on the next phase of his illustrious career and furthering his legacy with new audiences around the world,” Víctor González, president of Latin America and Iberia for Virgin Music Music Group, said in a statement.

Overall, Blades – also an actor who played the role of Daniel Salazar on Fear the Walking Dead – has won 12 Grammy Awards and 11 Latin Grammys. This year, he’s a two-time nominee at the 25th annual Latin Grammys where “Aún Me Sigo Encontrando,” his collab with Gian Marco, is up for song of the year and his latest album, Siembra: 45° Aniversario (En Vivo en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico, 14 de Mayo 2022), is up for best salsa album. The ceremony takes place Thursday (Nov. 14) in Miami.

Carín León Signs New Deal Between His Label Socios Music & Virgin Music Group

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Carín León has a new deal…

The 34-year-old Mexican Regional Mexican singer-songwriter, known for his soulful yet big-voice, has announced a new partnership between his label, Socios Music, and Virgin Music Group and Island Records.

Carin LeonThe deal is unique in that both Virgin and Island will distribute and market León’s product under Socios Music, the label León formed in partnership with his manager, Jorge Juárez.

Virgin will distribute and market everywhere for the U.S. Latin market as well as global markets, while Island will work the U.S. mainstream market.

The agreement encompasses parts of León’s back catalog as well as new material, including León’s most recent album, Boca Chueca, Vol. 1 (released May 30), which debuted at No. 5 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart and No. 8 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart.

To date, León has placed 16 songs on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, including three in the top 10, and six No. 1s on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart.

The hits include numerous collaborations with major Mexican music acts like Grupo Firme, as well as pop acts like Maluma, Camilo and Kany García.

León has also raised eyebrows (in a good way) with his forays into the country music market. “The One (Pero No Como Yo),” his bilingual collab with country star Kane Brown, peaked at No. 46 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, and he played Stagecoach this spring in addition to making his debut at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

“Carín León has established himself as one of the most exciting and creative artists in the world today,” said JT Myers and Nat Pastor, co-CEOs of Virgin Music Group, in a statement. “He has also assembled around him a world-class team and together we are already building upon the amazing work they’ve done throughout Carín’s incredible career.”

“Carín León is a true outlier,” said Justin Eshak and Imran Majid, Co-CEOs of Island Records.  “He transcends not only stylistic and sonic boundaries, but also cultural boundaries. We’re thrilled to work with Carín and manager Jorge Juarez via this new partnership with Virgin Music Group and Socios Music.”

León first appeared on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as a soloist in 2019 with “Me la aventé” and, during the pandemic, scored a major hit with his cover of Latin pop song “Tu,” recorded as a live session during lockdown. Initially signed to indie Tamarindo Rekordsz, in December 2022 he began working with Juárez, a veteran concert promoter and manager.

Juárez negotiated last year’s tour with AEG Live and León’s publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (he was signed by Yadira Moreno, MD of Universal Music Publishing Mexico with support from UMPG’s global team), as well as the new deal with Virgin and Island.

“We are proud to have assembled an incredibly collaborative team at both Virgin Music Group and Island Records to work alongside us to take Carín’s career to even greater heights,” said Jorge Juarez, Leon’s manager and business partner at Socios Music. “We are already seeing huge benefits from this new partnership and are excited for the future.”

In support of the new music, Carín’s forthcoming Boca Chueca Tour 2024 kicks off July 22 in Paso Robles, California, with stops in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Nashville, Houston and Toronto, as well as a landmark performance at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

See the complete list of dates and tickets here.

Espinoza Paz Signs Global Deal with Virgin Music Group

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Espinoza Paz has a new global deal…

The 42-year-old Latin Grammy-nominated Mexican musician and composer has signed a global deal with Virgin Music Group.

Espinoza PazBorn Isidro Chávez Espinoza in Sinaloa, Mexico, the prolific singer-songwriter is known for his deep and emotional songs penned for other artists – such as Jenni Rivera and Banda MS – and for himself.

“What I value most about this music company, Virgin Music, is that they respect my artistic vision and my career,” Paz said in a statement. “From the first moment, I was certain that they not only believed in my music, but also in my ability to create, grow and evolve as an artist.”

After spending years as songwriter for regional Music artists, he released his first album as a singer in 2008 and since, he’s scored a total of five No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart. And five top 10 hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including “Lo Intentamos,” “Un Hombre Normal,” and “El Culpable.”

“Espinoza Paz has proven for more than a decade to be one of the most prolific Mexican singer-songwriters of the genre. Being able to have his entire catalog and his future projects within Virgin Music represents having a large part of the history of the Regional Mexican genre of the last 15 years,” added Victor González, president of Virgin Music Group Latin America & Iberian Peninsula. “We are very proud to be part of this new stage in his career where he will undoubtedly continue to surprise us with his talent.”

In 2021, Paz released three back-to-back albums titled Que Te Duela Más Que a Mí, volumes one, two and three.

Most recently, he’s released collaborations with Memo Garza (“La Sonrisa Obligatoria”), Luis R Conriquez (“Ciega Por El”) and Pipe Bueno (“El Original”).