Yahoo Lifestyle Music Industry Moves: WK Records Names Azucena ‘Azu’ Olvera General Manager
WK Records, founded and led by Walter Kolm, has hired Azucena “Azu” Olvera as general manager of the label.
Olvera will work across talent relations, A&R, global marketing and strategic partnerships to “further WK Records’ mission of cultivating groundbreaking music and elevating Latin artists on a global scale,” per a press release issued Thursday. She will also work across WK Entertainment, a U.S.-headquartered management and artist services company widely dedicated to Latin acts.
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Olvera joins WK Records from SiriusXM and Pandora, where she served as senior director of Latin Talent and Industry Relations. She helped establish the SXM Miami studio.
“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Azu to WK Records,” said Kolm. “Her proven leadership and deep understanding of the Latin music landscape will be invaluable as we continue to grow our roster and elevate Latin talent globally. Azu brings a fresh perspective and an innovative spirit that aligns perfectly with our vision for the label.”
+ Peermusic has signed three artists — AQUIHAYAQUIHAY, Un León Marinero and Foudeqush — to exclusive, worldwide publishing deals as announced by Elizabeth Rodda, president of Latin America and Global Society Relations for Peermusic. The deals were signed by peermusic Mexico and encompass existing song catalog and future works.
Rodda commented, “Mexican music has long had an immeasurable cultural impact locally and across the region but even more so in the last few years, as it has proven its ability to sit on the top of popular Latin and international music charts, by paying respect to its traditional roots while incorporating modern influences to blend and create new genres. AQUIHAYAQUIHAY, Un León Marinero, and Foudeqush have all created their own lanes, making them incredibly unique, while championing the sounds that makes the Mexican music scene so revered, multi-layered, and multi-generational. We could not be happier to welcome these truly one-of-one talents to our peermusic global roster, and to continue with this tradition of protecting and advancing Latin songwriters.”
AQUIHAYAQUIHAY — comprised of members Jaylee, Nelson, PHYNX, Zizzy, and Nehly — are known for their impact in R&B. Un León Marinero is a folk Mexican singer-songwriter hailing from the city of San Luis Potosí. Foudeqush is a Mexican artist, composer, performer and producer.
+ Anthem Entertainment and Wax Records, a Canadian record label, have announced a creative partnership. This collaboration will provide either company with resources to encourage artist autonomy, according to a statement. They will jointly introduce initiatives like international song camps with a network of resources.
“I’m thrilled to welcome the Wax team — and their exceptional roster of artists — into the Anthem family,” said Anthem CEO Jason Klein. “Jamie and Ron have built an extraordinary label, with a creative and agile approach to artist discovery, development, and marketing that transcends conventional limitations. This partnership will allow Wax to elevate their outstanding work with additional resources and infrastructure, and introduce an exciting new creative pipeline for Anthem’s songwriters. The possibilities for global success with this partnership are limitless.”
“The global music marketplace is an ever-changing adventure. Through countless hours of dedication and hard work, we strive to cultivate a vibrant entrepreneurial culture that supports and provides globalization opportunities for our community,” shared Wax Records President and Head of A&R Jamie Appleby. “We are excited for the next evolution of Wax Records, and have tremendous admiration for Jason and the exceptional team at Anthem. This new venture will expand our ongoing commitment to our incredible artists, venture partners, and sub label groups.”
+ The estate of Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel has partnered with Los Angeles-based fashion brand Born x Raised. They will introduce a streetwear collaboration inspired by a mural painted by Gustavo Zermeño Jr, available to view at Silverlake Lounge in Los Angeles until February next year.
“The mural not only anchors the collection visually but offers a dedicated space for fans to honor JuanGa’s memory — a vibrant tribute that’s set to remain through February 2025,” said the brand in a statement. “This location, already a cultural landmark, is expected to draw longtime fans who have embraced everything the estate has shared in the past, from limited-edition releases like the JuanGa Barbie to iconic concert recaps.”
The full collection will be available to shop Nov. 8 on bornxraised.com.
Monday, Nov. 4
Rapper Freddie Gibbs has signed a deal with AWAL, aligning with the label for the surprise drop of his new album, “You Only Die 1nce.” He joins a roster that includes Laufey, JPEGMAFIA, Little Simz, Djo and more.
Gibbs has collaborated with Pusha T, Killer Mike, Anderson .Paak, Tyler, the Creator, Gucci Mane, Young Thug and Kanye West, among others. As an independent artist, Gibbs has also contributed music to video game franchises, such as “Grand Theft Auto,” “Max Payne,” and “NBA2K.”
Of the signing, AWAL CEO Lonny Olinick noted, “It’s refreshing to partner with talent the caliber of Freddie as we expand our roster within the realms of hip hop and R&B. Excited for what’s to come!”
Gibbs added, “Happy to be where they want me…I feel celebrated. I’m AWAL Shawty! I love the freedom. We’re able to create at our own pace and it feels good at this stage in my career.”
+ Empire Publishing, the publishing arm for Empire, has entered a partnership with Billy Ray Cyrus.
Cyrus joins a roster that currently boasts breakout country star, Shaboozey, in addition to producers James Maddocks and Yung Lan who collaborated on Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping album “One Thing At a Time. The publishing arm is led by Al Mclean and Vinny Kumar, while Empire Publishing A&R, Eric Hurt, helped secure Cyrus into the deal.
“Empire is a record company that harnesses the power, beauty and healing element of music – made and shared for the pure love of it and honestly believes music changes everything,” said Cyrus.
Cyrus is set to release a new single co-written with James Slater dubbed “Remember Why You’re Here” on Nov. 22.
Pictured (L-R): Scott Adkins (Adkins Entertainment), Eric Hurt (Empire), Vinny Kumar (Empire), Billy Ray Cyrus, Al “Butta” McLean (Empire), Jack Johns (Empire), Derrek Kupish (Adkins Entertainment) (Photo Credit: Adkins Entertainment).
+ Atlantic Music Group has tapped Alana Dolgin for the newly-created position of president of digital marketing at the company. She will drive digital strategies across the labels within the company, including Atlantic Records, 300 Entertainment and 10K Projects.
Dolgin will report to chief operating officer Zach Friedman and general manager Tony Talamo. The addition of Dolgin to the team is the first new hire at AMG under CEO Elliot Grainge.
Dolgin will also continue in her role as president of Homemade Projects, a talent management, merchandise, touring, and digital marketing company with a roster including Jake Shane, Anna Shumate, Track Star/Public Opinion, Emma Brooks McAllister, Zack Lugo, Zoi Lerma, Baron Scho and Zachirific.
“Over the years I have witnessed Alana’s remarkable ability to drive results and inspire teams through innovative thinking and exceptional leadership,” said Friedman. “She is the best digital marketer in music and is already making an impact on artist campaigns across Atlantic Music Group.”
+ Musixmatch has appointed Rio Caraeff and Marco Paglia to the roles of co-presidents. Under this new leadership structure, Paglia and Caraeff will report to Max Ciociola, Musixmatch founder and CEO.
Caraeff has 30 years of leadership experience in music, media and technology. He became chief business officer at Musixmatch in 2023, and in his expanded role, Caraeff will continue to oversee business and commercial functions in addition to the legal and licensing teams.
Caraeff was the founder, president, and CEO of Vevo, which he formed in 2010 as a global partnership between Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and YouTube. Before this, Caraeff served as executive VP at Universal Music Group, overseeing strategy, licensing and new business development.
Paglia has spent the last 5 years leading product, design, content, AI and front-end development at Musixmatch. Paglia will now lead the entire engineering team in addition to his oversight of product management and design.
+ Empire has hired Jeffrey Yoo to senior VP of East Asia. In this role, he will focus on signing and developing artists in Asia and across the diaspora further highlighting the labels commitment to global markets.
The first signing is G-Dragon, who is credited with bringing K-pop to the mainstream with his start in the boy band BIGBANG.
“I am excited to be joining the team at Empire and I feel like my years in the music business have led me to this opportunity,” said Yoo. “Ghazi has done an amazing job of creating a company and a culture of authentic diversity. I especially appreciate his understanding and commitment to not only investing in Asian Artists, but also Asian executive talent”.
“The goal at Empire has always been to bring music and culture to a global audience, so further establishing our footprint across the Asian market reinforces our commitment to that,” said Ghazi, CEO/Founder of Empire. “Jeffrey’s knowledge and respect in the music business is unmatched and he is the perfect fit to spearhead our efforts across the Asian region.”
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