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Tag: Universal Music

  • Universal Music & Mohit Suri promote young talent

    MUMBAI: Ever since Universal Music Group associated with Mohit Suri to launch EMI Records India, the label has relentlessly promoted new and young talent in India.

    Rahul Mishra, the latest artiste under the tutelage of EMI records, is a music composer and has composed & sung for many feature films in multiple languages. Hailing from the small town of Allahabad, Rahul’s interest in music began when he first joined piano classes and from there on, he discovered a musical side of himself.

    Rahul is known as a talented music composer and has expanded his repertoire by working on films like the Marathi film Mantalya Unhaat & the recently released Bollywood movie Half Girlfriend. The song ‘Tu Hi Hai’ from the Bollywood movie has been composed & sung by Rahul. The music video of the track Tu Hi Hai had a staggering 2 million views on the day of its release itself. It’s hard to believe that an MBA Graduate with such keen interest and passion for music chose to pursue his dreams than a corporate life.

    Along with other interesting projects, Rahul Mishra is currently working on an upcoming Mohit Suri venture.

    Talking about his work, leading director Mohit Suri said,”I love working with new composers and singers. I’m so glad Rahul could be a part of Half Girlfriend. His voice has done full justice to the beautifully written song. I think Rahul has a very promising career ahead of him in this industry”

    Rahul Mishra shared his excitement saying, “I’m thankful for EMI Records India for giving all my ideas & compositions a stellar platform. I’ve been lucky to receive so much love after Tu Hi Hai & I’m already working on some great compositions for my future projects”

    Speaking about the EMI artiste, Vinit Thakkar, Senior Vice President, Universal Music India, said, “Rahul is a great singer songwriter. Rahul’s compositions are absolutely fresh and his ability to write beautiful lyrics does full justice to his compositions and his great voice. His song ‘Tu Hi Hai’ from Half Girlfriend is one of my favorite tracks from 2017.”

  • Universal Music releases ‘Sholay’ music to celebrate film’s 40 years

    Universal Music releases ‘Sholay’ music to celebrate film’s 40 years

    MUMBAI: On 14 August, Universal Music India released a special anniversary collection to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Bollywood’s legendary blockbuster – Sholay. One of the most iconic films in the industry, Sholay has been the first Indian film to have a Stereophonic soundtrack and to use the 70 mm Wide Screen format.

     

    Over the years Sholay has become a cult classic and was the first film to enjoy a 25-week run in over 100 cinemas. In 1975, it became the highest grossing Bollywood film that year. Sholay holds a still-standing record of 60 Golden jubilees (running 50 consecutive weeks at 60 theaters) across India, and was the first film in India to celebrate a Silver jubilee (25 weeks) at over 100 theatres.

     

    The multi-million selling soundtrack (music and dialogues) continues to sell across new formats including on line and mobile. The music from the film has captured the hearts of generations. Who can forget the iconic voices of Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar and R D Burman crooning to classic tunes like “Mehbooba Mehbooba”, “Yeh Dosti”, “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” and “Koi Haseena” among others. 

     

    ‘Sholay: The 40th Anniversary Collection’ includes over two hours of the dialogues and songs of the iconic film chronologically sequenced to take the listener through a fantastic Sholay experience.

     

    Universal Music Group, South Asia managing director and CEO Devraj Sanyal said, “Sholay is one of the most memorable films of our time… with one of the most endearing soundtracks ever. I don’t think there is any other film in the history of Indian cinema where both the songs and the dialogues have become so iconic! And 40 years later, it gives us immense pleasure to present this Anniversary Collection – an album packed with over two hours of music and dialogues to relive the magic of Sholay. This is indeed a collector’s edition, which every cinema enthusiast out there must possess. And to top it all, the album is now available across all digital formats keeping up with changing consumer preferences.”

     

    Additionally, Universal Music is also rolling out a multi-pronged campaign to celebrate the 40th year of the Soundtrack. DJ Suketu will be creating a five minute mashup that will introduce the music of Sholay to a whole new generation out there. Besides, riding on the film’s popular dialogues and characters, Universal Music has associated with Dubsmash where enthusiasts will have the chance to create their own videos of Gabbar, Jai, Veeru, Jailor and other casts from the film. While Big FM 92.7 – the official radio partner on the album will reach out to the films core audience through its pan-India presence. The station will run innovative campaigns around the film’s characters and it’s music.

     

    The ‘Sholay: 40th Anniversary Collection’ will see a simultaneous worldwide digital download release on 14 August, 2015 exclusively on the iTunes store. The album will also be available across streaming partners as well as on physical formats.

  • Ariana Grande inks exclusive worldwide deal with Universal Music

    Ariana Grande inks exclusive worldwide deal with Universal Music

    MUMBAI: Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has signed pop superstar and songwriter Ariana Grande to an exclusive, worldwide publishing agreement.

     

    Through the deal, UMPG will represent Grande’s entire catalog, including her No.1 albums, Yours Truly (2013), and her second smash album, My Everything (2014), both of which were released on Republic Records. Grande has scored multiple Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and become one of the brightest new artists of her generation.

     

    UMPG chairman and CEO Jody Gerson said, “Ariana Grande’s global success is a testament to her incredible talent and instincts as an artist and a songwriter. We’re so pleased to be working with her, alongside her management and our partners at Republic, to represent her songs and help maximize opportunities around the world.”

     

    Grande is currently on a worldwide tour scheduled to run through October.

  • Universal Music re-launches EMI Records in India with Mohit Suri

    Universal Music re-launches EMI Records in India with Mohit Suri

    MUMBAI: Universal Music Group has joined hands with Indian film director Mohit Suri to re-launch the EMI Record label in India.

     

    EMI Records India will cut across film and non-film musical genres.

     

    Universal Music and Suri will jointly identify both new and established talent to join EMI Records India.

     

    The label will provide its artists with a multi-faceted platform for creative development, giving them an opportunity to showcase their talent and build a successful career in music.

     

    “We’re immensely proud of our new partnership with Mohit Suri to bring EMI Records back to India. Mohit has been responsible for some of the biggest Bollywood hits of all time and A&R is right at the heart of Universal Music so this collaboration is the perfect platform for blending our complementary strengths and our shared love of music,” said Universal Music Group South Asia managing director and CEO Devraj Sanyal.

     

    “Too often in India there has been a huge gulf between film and non-film music but now with EMI Records India we are creating a new label to bridge that divide and invest in artists across all areas of their careers from mainstream Bollywood cinema through to Universal Music India’s rapidly growing live, branded content, endorsements and merchandising businesses,” he added.

     

    Suri added, “Music and independent artists have been the backbone of my career ever since I started 10 years back. I strongly believe that the music composers, lyricists and singers that I have worked with from all over the world have been the stars of my life. This collaboration with Devraj and his team at Universal Music is the most organic synergy of like-minded people that allows me to continue exploring my love for music on a larger scale.”

     

    EMI Records India will be home to a wide spectrum of musical talent, including singers, musicians and other performers as well as composers, lyricists, producers and DJs.

     

    “Culturally, music has always played an integral role in our lives, particularly through the Indian film industry popularly known as Bollywood. Now, armed with expertise in both businesses – music and film, EMI Records India will soon carve out its own space in the world of music and entertainment,” said Suri. 

  • Universal Music and Ten Sports launch cricket song for World Cup

    Universal Music and Ten Sports launch cricket song for World Cup

    MUMBAI: Music label Universal Music India in association with Ten Sports Network has launched a song that celebrates cricket, titled Heroes (We Could Be).

     

    With the cricket World Cup craze taking over the country; the song echoes the sentiments of a nation reeling with cricket fever.

     

    The original song of the same name by Grammy-nominated Swedish DJ/producer Alesso featured the vocals of Tove Lo and is a global hit. The Indian version has been sung by Kanika Kapoor, who has sung songs like ‘Baby Doll’ (Ragini MMS2) and ‘Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan’ (Roy).

     

    The song is in Hinglish with lyrics written by Manoj Yadav. Kapoor has also shot a video for the song, which reflects the passion and excitement of the sport and features some great cricket action from the various cricket series that have been telecast on Ten Sports Network.

     

    Kapoor said, “I’m thrilled to be part of this exciting sporting project. It’s unlike anything I’ve done before and in India it can’t get any bigger than the sport of cricket besides the fact that it’s backed by a leading sports network – Ten Sports. I’m extremely grateful to Universal Music for giving me this opportunity as I eagerly look forward to my fan’s reactions to this song and video created for the sport we all love so much – cricket!”

     

    Universal Music / EMI Music managing director South Asia Devraj Sanyal said, “We all know that cricket and Bollywood are considered religions in India and we are ecstatic to bring together the two with Heroes (We Could Be) – a song celebrating the sport of cricket sung by the current #1 female voice in Bollywood playback Kanika Kapoor, who has done an exceptional job on the song by capturing the passion of the sport. And then to have the Ten Sport Network as our partner on this project, who being part of the Zee Network, have an incredible reach pan-India, we are confident that this song will soon become synonymous with the sport of cricket.”

     

    Ten Sports Global CEO Rajesh Sethi added, “Ten Sports Network, leader in sports entertainment with rights of five Cricket Boards believes in exploring innovative and unique ways to reach out to its audiences. Heroes (We Could Be) in collaboration with Universal Music India is one of the initiatives to celebrate the sport of cricket.”

  • Universal Music and Qyuki launch CSR project for Dharavi

    Universal Music and Qyuki launch CSR project for Dharavi

    MUMBAI: Record label Universal Music and multi channel network Qyuki, which is co-founded by director Shekhar Kapur, musician AR Rahman and former Disney India MD – digital Samir Bangara have launched a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative titled ‘The Dharavi Project.’

     

    This one-of-a-kind initiative will fund the expansion of the music and dance schools in Dharavi, Mumbai, which was established by Qyuki in March 2014. The school aims to discover fresh talent from Dharavi and nurture them through the programme and amplify them on a domestic and international scale via digital and traditional media.

     

    Universal Music Group International chairman and CEO Max Hole said, “Music has extraordinary power and I am very proud to be here in Mumbai on behalf of UMG to help give these children an education in all aspects of making music. Whether we produce stars out of the programme or simply a lifelong love of music, we will have succeeded in giving them a start along the path of discovery of this beautiful form of expression.”

     

    Universal Music will deploy funds towards basic infrastructure, rent, utilities and equipment for the students of the school. Through this initiative, the two partners aim to nurture home-grown talent and provide them with a platform to showcase their potential. To further enhance learning and exposure, Universal Music will periodically bring in prominent singers, musicians, choreographers and producers to mentor young artists from Dharavi, while Qyuki will amplify content via its digital broadcast network on a domestic and international scale.

     

    Rahman said, “I am glad that this initiative we started at Qyuki last year is maturing into a platform that provides underprivileged children a level playing field with equal opportunity as their domestic and international peers.”

     

    ‘The Dharavi Project’ went live at a launch event in the heart of Dharavi in the presence of Rahman, Kapur and Hole along with Bangara.

     

  • Universal Music signs deal with `The Art of Living’ to make its repertoire available globally

    Universal Music signs deal with `The Art of Living’ to make its repertoire available globally

    MUMBAI: Universal Music India announced their exclusive association with The Art of Living organization to globally make available it’s audio and video content across categories like Bhajans, Chants, Guided Meditation, Health & Wellness, and Instrumental amongst others. As a part of a multi-phase release plan, Universal Music has just released 51 albums in physical and digital format all over the world except the territory of US.
     
    The content is available across leading music stores and also popular e-commerce portals like Flipkart and Amazon as well as digitally via sites like You tube, Google Play, i-tunes, Hungama. The content is also available on streaming sites like Saavan, Gaana, Wynk, Vodafone Music, Guvera and Beats.
     
    Over the last 30 years The Art Of Living organization has released Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s discourse and music in both Video and Audio formats with the sole purpose of spreading his message to as many people as possible. And now, over 20000 hours of this content will be made available worldwide for the first time through the global presence of the Universal Music Group.
     
    Says Devraj Sanyal, Managing Director, Universal Music Group, South Asia“I am very pleased with this particular association as Sri Sri is someone who is not just a global spiritual leader but an epitome of goodness, kindness and peace at large. His followers and his vast organization stand testament to the fact that alternate thinking can change you, your life and your surroundings and help take you to the next level. We are proud partners in this journey with Gurudev as we aim to take his message across the globe. The Art of Living will continue to influence massive change and we will do our utmost to help deliver this across all local and global platforms.”
     
     
    Commenting on the association, Prasana Prabhu, Trustee, Sri Sri Publications Trust says, “We are extremely happy to be associated with a major record label like the Universal Music Group who will ensure that the message of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar reaches out to a global audience through their large network. With their might, we will be available widely across all digital and physical platforms thus spreading the message of living well and with peace. We look forward to working closely with Universal Music in not just releasing existing content but also in creation of fresh content from `The Art Of Living’ and present it in innovative ways to the world out there”.
     
    Also on the anvil is a prestigious Home Video release next month from Universal Music of a unique symphony – titled “Venunaad” – where 4000 flutists, will simultaneously perform on a gigantic 30,000-ft stage on 12th January, 2015 in Nasik. This performance is under the guiding baton of renowned flutist, Pt. Ronu Mazumdar, while the revered exponent of the instrument, Hariprasad Chaurasia, will be the guest of honor. The symphony is one of two major events to mark the two-day visit of The Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, to Maharashtra.
     
    Founded in 1981 by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, The Art of Living is one of the largest voluntary organizations in the world. Inspired by its founder’s vision of creating a stress-free mind and a violence-free society, the organization is dedicated to creating peace and fostering human values.

     

  • Teaser of the film ‘MSG – The Messenger of God’ is hit online

    Teaser of the film ‘MSG – The Messenger of God’ is hit online

    NEW DELHI:  The teaser trailer for the upcoming film ‘MSG- The Messenger of God’ has achieved instant popularity on release online.

     

    The film is said to explore the conflict between the vested interests who feel stung by Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insan’s humanitarian campaigns and his vision for making the world better.

     

    The outcome is a fast paced, edge-of-the-seat entertainer since Saint Insan caters creatively to over 50 million followers, predominantly amongst the youth.

     

    ‘MSG – The Messenger of God’ is a film with fresh faces playing different characters and it extends a social message to its audience.

     

    Guruji is an established musician and vocalist who has performed over 100 Rock shows. He has been honoured twice by the famed record label Universal Music by a Golden Plaque for his achievement of having sold 10 million plus CD’s of his music. The music and the film will travel across several genres to bring high drama and entertainment without an air of preaching. Guruji is known to promote 104 social causes.

     

    Shot entirely with 4K cameras, the teaser features Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan making a style statement. One hears his voice “Koi hamein Sant Kehta hai, koi kehta hai farishta,  koi kehta hai Guru toh koi kehta hai bhagwan, lekin hum toh hai, ek Insan”, which has gone viral online.

     

    Saint Ram Rahim ji and his larger than life rock star avatar will definitely make viewers intensely curious, for here is spirituality dashed with the colors of Bollywood.

     

    Watch the teaser at MSG – The Messenger of God here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4OTT9T1Px4

     

    The movie has been produced by Sony Music and co-directed by Jeetu Arora. The film is set to release on January 16, 2014.