Warner Music Group (WMG) and Tuff Gong International Caribbean Distributors have come together for a new licensing agreement, which will see Tuff Gong distributing WMG products throughout English-speaking Caribbean islands.
The deal, effective immediately, will cover both new and catalogue releases. The record label will also deal with local synch, licensing and live performance rights in the new agreement. Tuff Gong will now distribute albums by Wiz Khalifa, Bruno Mars, Flo Rida, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton, Estelle and many others through the license.
Warner’s extensive back catalogue is said to include releases by legendary artists such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Eric Clapton.
Founded by Bob Marley, Tuff Gong International Records was established in 1965. Today, the Tuff Gong brand includes the imprints Rita Marley Music and Ghetto Youths International, a state-of-the-art recording studio located in Kingston, Jamaica. Tuff Gong also handles the Caribbean distribution of Universal Music Group and the Disney Music Group.
Warner Brothers’ Executive Vice President Stu Bergen spoke on the new agreement and gave his thoughts on Tuff Gong CEO Cedella Marley’s achievements on behalf of the company.
“Cedella Marley and her team at Tuff Gong are proven experts in the Caribbean music market; thanks to their unparalleled local knowledge and marketing expertise they will provide a first-class service for the distribution of Warner’s diverse repertoire across the region,” he said via press release. “We see this agreement as a great way of introducing our artists to new markets and fans, as well as another step towards our goal of making our extraordinary music available as widely as possible around the world.”
Marley, who was appointed Tuff Gong International CEO in 1993, was very pleased about the new partnership.
“We are looking forward to a partnership that will allow us to bring a new dimension to the already vibrant Caribbean music industry,” she stated in the press release.
Cedella is the eldest child of the late Bob Marley but carved out her own music career as a backup singer with The Melody Makers throughout the mid 80s to mid 00s. The band toured internationally and went on to sell millions of albums, earning three Grammy Awards throughout their run.
Source: Billboard
