June 25, 2013
Press Release
NEW YORK, NY, June 25, 2013 — Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®), a global leader in music rights management, was recently recognized for the strength of its Latin repertoire at the 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards, where BMI songwriters claimed 77 percent of the awards. BMI winners included Don Omar, Prince Royce, Jenni Rivera, Maná, José José, Gerardo Ortiz, Espinoza Paz and Shakira. The Billboard Latin win followed BMI’s triumph at the 2013 GRAMMY Awards, where 100 percent of the awards in the Latin music categories went to BMI songwriters.
Under the leadership of Delia Orjuela, Vice President for Latin Writer/Publisher Relations, BMI has expanded its outreach and service to Latin music. Orjuela said, “We are delighted with this recognition for our growing Latin repertoire. Our team is dedicated to nurturing the careers and increasing visibility for BMI songwriters and the Latin music community overall. BMI Latin offers the best of all worlds, with years of expertise from the licensing and creative side of the business representing key geographical regions and genres of Latin music.”
To meet the growing demand for Latin repertoire, several key team developments were announced. In Puerto Rico, Joey Mercado was promoted to Senior Director, Latin Writer/Publisher Relations. Mercado oversees the day-to-day responsibilities for BMI in both the Puerto Rico and Miami markets. A 17-year veteran of BMI, Mercado has helped develop the careers of many BMI affiliates in Puerto Rico, Miami and the Caribbean, and regularly seeks new affiliates, songwriters and publishers. For several years, Mercado also managed Latin markets for BMI’s Licensing Department, where he built long-term relationships with top executives in the Hispanic broadcasting community and educated them on the value of BMI’s Latin catalogue.
In New York, Carolina Arenas has joined the Latin Writer/Publisher Relations team as Director, Latin Writer/Publisher Relations. Arenas joins BMI from ManageMe Enterprises, a full-service marketing and management firm that focuses on Latin artists, which she founded in 2011. Past positions include Membership Coordinator at the Latin Recording Academy; Strategic Marketing Director at FonoVisa & Disa; and Senior Product Manager, Artist & Repertoire at Machete Music. In her new role, Arenas is responsible for recruiting and developing new Latin songwriters and producers by working with managers, music publishers and the Artist & Repertoire Latin community in New York. She also maintains relationships with existing BMI writers and has an active role in the coordination of local and national songwriter events, showcases and seminars, in addition to assisting affiliates with administrative and creative functions.
Orjuela commented, “The recent team developments in Puerto Rico and New York supplement our dynamic team. Joey and Carolina work closely with Marissa Lopez, our Director, Latin Writer/Publisher Relations in Los Angeles, and the rest of the BMI professionals responsible for cultivating key relationships and signing new talent. Our entire team serves as ambassadors to the Latin music industry.”
About BMI Latin
Since it was founded in 1939, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) has represented Latin songwriters, composers and publishers, understanding the immense popularity and global draw of Latin music. As Latin has emerged as one of the leading and diverse musical genres, BMI continues to represent the most popular repertoire in the industry with 77 percent of the most recent Billboard Latin Music Awards winners. BMI songwriters also topped the list of winners at the XIII Latin GRAMMY Awards, including multiple recognitions for Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Carla Morrison and Don Omar.
About BMI
Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in more than 7.5 million musical works created and owned by more than 600,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI’s repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit bmi.com, follow us on Twitter @BMI or stay connected through BMI’s Facebook page.
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