Small labels have a go
Jam Music, Lua Discos, Panela Music, Net Records, Acari and many other small companies invade the market with different music styles and alternative distribution methods
Rodrigo Faour
29/12/2000
Year 2000 was very assertive for small labels and recording companies. Jam Music, Lua Discos, Xiclete, InterCD, Acari, YBrazil?, Blues Time Records, Paulus, Instituto Suba, Órbita Music, Thanx God Records, Palavra Cantada, Regata and Net Records are some of the newcomers, not to mention the ones that definitely -established their names this year, such as Dubas, Sesc-SP, Rockit!, Trama, Nikita, Atração and CPC-Umes. AllBrazilianMusic checked out some of these labels to find out the difficulties that they face to remain in the business.
Jam Music, run by singer Jane Duboc and manager Paulo Amorim, released 14 CDs in less than a year, with big BPM names, such as Ãngela Rô Rô, Tunai, Célia & Zé Luiz Mazzoti, Jane Duboc & Sebastião Tapajós, as well as new acts like Bena Lobo, Bukassa, and the group Curupira, among others. And they promise to finish other three until March 2001: Djavan's daughter, Flávia Virgínia's debut album, veteran singer Alaíde Costa (with carnival tunes performed in a slower pace) and a João Nogueira tribute with artists like Beth Carvalho, Emílio Santiago and Zeca Pagodinho. Jane says there's no secrets to explain the success.
"Everybody at Jam is in the business, we all have music running in our veins. With our experience of 300 years (laughs), we know what is true. In less than a year, we became a big family, a lot different from what I have experienced at other labels. Music-wise, we only made right decisions choosing arrangers, musicians, graphic artists...", says a proud Duboc. But she points out two fragile spots: "We want to put a team together to promote our albums; we feel that our artists are able to be on television, for instance. We also intend to perfect our distribution system. Since we carry a number of names that are unknown for the public in general, we face some trouble distributing the albums all over the territory".
Concerned with the artistic quality of his titles, songwriter Thomas Roth started Lua Discos and claims to have plenty of reasons to be happy. After releasing the CDs of Rebeca Matta and Cláudio Nucci, the label anticipates suggestive discs for the next year, from veteran samba artists like Casquinha and Guilherme de Brito to Jards Macalé, Simone Guimarães and Lupa Mabuze. "We privilege the respect for the artists' concepts, allowing them to record what they like, the way they like. That's why we stick to our slogan, Lua Discos - The Soul of the Artist. We are looking for the truth", states Roth.
The producer is sensitive enough to keep the artists in their original hometowns, so as not to disturb the creation process. "Even though we have our own studios, we try to make the artists' projects feasible. Rebeca recorded in Bahia, as she wanted to, with musicians that she chose. She didn't come to São Paulo to be isolated and sad in a hotel room", he says. Just like Jam, Lua Discos faces distribution problems, currently in charge of Azul Music. "It is a small distributing company and the market is not easy. We are satisfied, but still fighting. Each record sold is one more reason to celebrate."
Possible alternatives for distribution
On the other hand, Net Records and Panela Music are winning the distribution battle, pursuing new ways of making their albums get to the consumer. Leonardo Bourbon, director of Net, tells us that the embryo of his company was Lobão's disc A Vida É Doce, which sold 100 thousand copies and was available on newsstands, only. Then, Leonardo structured the company, having released the new Karnak album, Estamos Adorando Tokio, and preparing to launch Kátia B, Vulgue Tostoi, Autolad and Nando Chagas early in 2001. According to him, the main difficulties for alternative labels are management-related. He believes that his peers keep an eye on the artistic side of the label and forget about the laws of the market.
"The idea is to think of our own alternatives. Newsstands are massively alternative. We have more newsstands than CD stores, in Brazil. 20 thousand all over the country. The Internet works as a marketing channel, because its influence is still small when it comes to sales figures", analyzes Leonardo, who has launched the label's web site, netrecords. Nonetheless, he admits that it is very hard to promote newcomers via newsstands.
Pierre Aderne, director of Panela Music, tries to beat the distribution in his own right. Besides having his CD being sold on newsstands and bookstores throughout the country, he also inserts them into newspapers. "This month, I released Oswaldo Montenegro (Escondido no Tempo) inside the newspaper Tribuna do Norte. In one week, we sold 10 thousand copies, which is a lot for a small town like Natal", cheers up the producer, who has signed up deals with 440 newspapers in the countryside and 27 on the capitals to sell the albums released on Panela.
The label even got a golden record for Oswaldo Montenegro’s album, and also sold 50 thousand copies of a Blitz disc. They intend to put out new releases by Leo Jaime, Pierre Aderne and the compilation A Festa da Música Brasileira, with 16 artists that played the festival promoted by Panela Music earlier this year. Their intention is to serve not only as a label, but also as counseling facility for new artists.
"Since we receive over 50 CDs every month, from all over Brazil, independently on whether we will release them or not, we show them how to make their work noticeable." In 2001, Panela shall probably develop partnership with other labels, such as Elba Ramalho's Ramax. They also intend to launch a download center in their homepage within the next few days. The alternative artists are slowly getting a place in the sun.
Jam Music, run by singer Jane Duboc and manager Paulo Amorim, released 14 CDs in less than a year, with big BPM names, such as Ãngela Rô Rô, Tunai, Célia & Zé Luiz Mazzoti, Jane Duboc & Sebastião Tapajós, as well as new acts like Bena Lobo, Bukassa, and the group Curupira, among others. And they promise to finish other three until March 2001: Djavan's daughter, Flávia Virgínia's debut album, veteran singer Alaíde Costa (with carnival tunes performed in a slower pace) and a João Nogueira tribute with artists like Beth Carvalho, Emílio Santiago and Zeca Pagodinho. Jane says there's no secrets to explain the success.
"Everybody at Jam is in the business, we all have music running in our veins. With our experience of 300 years (laughs), we know what is true. In less than a year, we became a big family, a lot different from what I have experienced at other labels. Music-wise, we only made right decisions choosing arrangers, musicians, graphic artists...", says a proud Duboc. But she points out two fragile spots: "We want to put a team together to promote our albums; we feel that our artists are able to be on television, for instance. We also intend to perfect our distribution system. Since we carry a number of names that are unknown for the public in general, we face some trouble distributing the albums all over the territory".
Concerned with the artistic quality of his titles, songwriter Thomas Roth started Lua Discos and claims to have plenty of reasons to be happy. After releasing the CDs of Rebeca Matta and Cláudio Nucci, the label anticipates suggestive discs for the next year, from veteran samba artists like Casquinha and Guilherme de Brito to Jards Macalé, Simone Guimarães and Lupa Mabuze. "We privilege the respect for the artists' concepts, allowing them to record what they like, the way they like. That's why we stick to our slogan, Lua Discos - The Soul of the Artist. We are looking for the truth", states Roth.
The producer is sensitive enough to keep the artists in their original hometowns, so as not to disturb the creation process. "Even though we have our own studios, we try to make the artists' projects feasible. Rebeca recorded in Bahia, as she wanted to, with musicians that she chose. She didn't come to São Paulo to be isolated and sad in a hotel room", he says. Just like Jam, Lua Discos faces distribution problems, currently in charge of Azul Music. "It is a small distributing company and the market is not easy. We are satisfied, but still fighting. Each record sold is one more reason to celebrate."
Possible alternatives for distribution
On the other hand, Net Records and Panela Music are winning the distribution battle, pursuing new ways of making their albums get to the consumer. Leonardo Bourbon, director of Net, tells us that the embryo of his company was Lobão's disc A Vida É Doce, which sold 100 thousand copies and was available on newsstands, only. Then, Leonardo structured the company, having released the new Karnak album, Estamos Adorando Tokio, and preparing to launch Kátia B, Vulgue Tostoi, Autolad and Nando Chagas early in 2001. According to him, the main difficulties for alternative labels are management-related. He believes that his peers keep an eye on the artistic side of the label and forget about the laws of the market.
"The idea is to think of our own alternatives. Newsstands are massively alternative. We have more newsstands than CD stores, in Brazil. 20 thousand all over the country. The Internet works as a marketing channel, because its influence is still small when it comes to sales figures", analyzes Leonardo, who has launched the label's web site, netrecords. Nonetheless, he admits that it is very hard to promote newcomers via newsstands.
Pierre Aderne, director of Panela Music, tries to beat the distribution in his own right. Besides having his CD being sold on newsstands and bookstores throughout the country, he also inserts them into newspapers. "This month, I released Oswaldo Montenegro (Escondido no Tempo) inside the newspaper Tribuna do Norte. In one week, we sold 10 thousand copies, which is a lot for a small town like Natal", cheers up the producer, who has signed up deals with 440 newspapers in the countryside and 27 on the capitals to sell the albums released on Panela.
The label even got a golden record for Oswaldo Montenegro’s album, and also sold 50 thousand copies of a Blitz disc. They intend to put out new releases by Leo Jaime, Pierre Aderne and the compilation A Festa da Música Brasileira, with 16 artists that played the festival promoted by Panela Music earlier this year. Their intention is to serve not only as a label, but also as counseling facility for new artists.
"Since we receive over 50 CDs every month, from all over Brazil, independently on whether we will release them or not, we show them how to make their work noticeable." In 2001, Panela shall probably develop partnership with other labels, such as Elba Ramalho's Ramax. They also intend to launch a download center in their homepage within the next few days. The alternative artists are slowly getting a place in the sun.