Sony Music’s RCA Records label hosts a family of global superstar
artists and a catalog of music, which includes some of the most
important recordings in history. The signing landmarks a historic
moment, which sees Africa’s number one superstar artist D’Banj join
Africa’s number one music and entertainment company Sony Music.
“Partnering with D’Banj is a seminal event for us at Sony Music
Entertainment Africa. We’ve always admired his talent and to be able to
assist with bringing D’Banj’s music to millions of fans, established and
new, across the continent is an honour for us. There are still so many
to whom an artist like D’Banj has so much to offer that we can see a
brand new era emanating from this phase in his career. We are
veryexcited about being a part of it. ” Says Managing Director of Sony
Music Entertainment Sean Watson.
“Partnering with the leading music company in Africa is a natural
fit for me and DB Records to ensure my music can be available to my fans
across every corner of Africa and in countries where they’ve never been
able to access my music in a legitimate way, instantly as its released
anywhere else in the world. It’s a new era for Africa, the birthplace of
music and I’m excited about this very powerful partnership with Sony
Music through which we will give birth together to a new era with
endless opportunities for my fans, producers, artists and the start of a
new time for a revolution in music from Africa. Nothing is impossible!”
says D’Banj
D’Banj (born Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo) signed to a Pan African
multi-album deal with Sony Music’s RCA Records. He has also concluded an
exclusive management deal with Sony Music and strategic partner
ROCKSTAR4000 for the continent. Under the deal D’Banj will join Sony
Music’s Pan African RCA Label in the family of such superstar artists as
Usher, Chris Brown, R Kelly, Alicia Keys, P!nk, Christina Aguilera,
Pitbull, Britney Spears, Jamie Foxx, Justin Timberlake, Ke$ha, T-Pain
and Miguel.
“We are really excited to be partnering up with DBanj and his DB
Records label. DBanj is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in Africa
who continues to deliver world-class hits. What we’ve seen from DB
Records so far is an energetic mix of hot new sounds and great new
artists like Kayswitch, who we believe will impact right across Africa.
The recent launch of iTunes in Africa means that Nigerian fans and those
elsewhere on the continent will now readily be able to access this
amazing music as soon as it comes to market.” Noted Spiro Damaskinos,
Director of RCA Records Africa
“Since the first time I met the incredible talent that is D’Banj in
Lagos a few years ago, headlining the first of many shows we did
together, I knew he was destined for musical greatness. Indeed D’Banj
went on to smash all expectations around the world. He has always flown
the Nigerian and African flag higher and higher and broken down the
barriers for many of Africa’s great talent to follow through. We are
thrilled to now have D’Banj in the family with Sony Music and RCA
Records and to represent him across the African continent. Together we
can take his amazing music and talent to even greater heights and new
audiences, as well as launch emerging new stars such as Kayswitch
through this landmark partnership” says Jandre Louw, FOUNDER and CEO of
ROCKSTAR4000
DBANJ (a stage name that is a combination of the first letter of
his first name and part of his last name) is an extremely talented
Nigerian-born, singer-songwriter-musician who has become an
International Superstar blending sounds from AfroBeats, AfroPop and
AfroFusion music genres. D’Banj literally broke contemporary sounds and
music from Africa onto the mainstream Global stage recently with his
smash-hit ‘Oliver Twist’. ‘Oliver Twist’ has sold more than 11 million
copies worldwide to date. The single debuted at number 9 on the UK
National charts just behind the likes of Rihanna and Tulisa.
D’BANJ’s musical mentor and influence is the late Afrobeat Maestro –
the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti and like him, he performs in Yoruba,
English and Pidgin English.
As an energetic, crowd-pleasing live entertainer, D’BANJ has
performed alongside many international artists on stages all over the
world from the 1st Edition of the MTV Africa Music Awards to the ‘Koko
Concert‘ LIVE in London at the O2 Arena amongst others.
As a recording artist and performer D’BANJ has won a whole host of
awards including Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007,
Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009, BET Awards of
2011 for Best International Act, Best African Act – (MOBO Awards 2012),
Most Gifted Male Video of the Year (Channel O 2012 MVA’s).
D’Banj has also established himself as a television celebrity on Nigerian TV’s “Koko Mansion”.
In 2011 Kanye West penned a deal with D’banj onto his G.O.O.D.
Music label in the USA. D’Banj also signed with Mercury in the UK. Over
the course of his career D’BANJ has worked with Snoop Dogg, Kanye West,
Jay Z, Kid Cudi, LA Reid, Tinie Tempah and Rio Ferdinand. A
humanitarian at heart, D’BANJ is the founder of Koko Foundation for
Youth and Peace Development. He is also Nigeria’s first United Nations
Youth Ambassador for Peace.
“The Sony Music / D’Banj strategic partnership is the key catalyst
to change the business and face of Music across Africa, especially in
the key areas of quality, distribution and content management”, says the
Chidi Okeke, Managing Director of MComm, leading West African music
Distribution Company and strategic partner to Sony in the region. “This
deal represents a major breakthrough in achieving our vision of
delivering quality music across the continent on diverse platforms. The
immediate benefits include the improvement in the distribution value
chain, quality control and direct economic benefits to individual
parties and the continent at large. We are positioned to create the
necessary support platforms and initiatives to drive this partnership to
the maximum, and the long-term plan is to fully penetrate the
significantly untapped African market for music and content in general”
he added.
D’Banj’s passionate drive, coupled to his talent and creativity,
regularly delivers appealing music productions and entertaining live
performances ensuring his continuous relevance in the music market. He
remains one of the most celebrated superstars from Nigeria and the
African continent to break into the
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