Univision Music Group Forms Joint Venture With Rudy Perez To Create New Latin Record Label.

Univision Communications Inc. announced that the Univision Music Group (UMG) has formed a joint venture with international music industry veteran, Rudy Perez, to create a new record label, Rudy Perez Enterprises (RPE).

RPE will feature today’s top talent from the increasingly popular Miami music movement and will be Univision’s fourth music label, complementing its Univision, Fonovisa and Disa labels.

“Univision Music Group is delighted to partner with Rudy Perez, whose unparalleled talents as a producer and songwriter of Latin and international hits have made him one of the most celebrated and sought-after creative minds in the industry,” said Jose Behar, President and Chief Executive Officer, UMG. “Not only is Rudy an extraordinary musician, he is a trusted, long-time personal friend. With Univision Communication’s extensive promotional network, the strength of our global distribution agreement with industry powerhouse, Universal Music and Video Distribution, and now with Univision’s potential merger with Hispanic Broadcasting, the nation’s leading Spanish-language radio broadcasting company, RPE is positioned to explode onto the Latin and international music scene with the hottest sounds from the Miami music movement.”

“Partnering with Jose Behar and the Univision Music Group is a tremendous opportunity,” commented Rudy Perez. “Jose has long been at the forefront of the Latin music crossover movement, and clearly, his expertise, coupled with the superior resources of the Univision Music Group — including Univision Communication’s three television networks, new cable and satellite networks, Univision.com and Univision’s proposed merger with Hispanic Broadcasting — will provide an unmatched creative and promotional network for RPE’s artists to become global stars. RPE will be the first label to focus on the
largely untapped Miami music scene, which is ripe with sophisticated artists and its own unique sounds. This exciting musical niche, combined with UMG’s support and Jose’s guidance, will propel RPE to the forefront of the popular Latin and international music
industries.”

RPE’s first signed artist is “Area 305,” a group of four young men, whose remarkable talent as vocalists and as musicians is highlighted in their self-titled debut release, “Area 305,” which will be in stores this August. “Area 305’s” style mirrors the Miami music scene from which their music was born: a melting pot of bilingual, multicultural, American, mainstream, pop, ethnic, pride, passion and above all, real talent.

Rudy Perez has long been one of the most renowned creators of international pop music and one of the most sought-after and talented producer/songwriters in the music industry. During the last 25 years, he has composed more than 600 songs and has written and produced numerous top ten hits in English and Spanish for international artists such as Julio Iglesias, Christina Aguilera, Michael Bolton, Luis Miguel and Marc Anthony, among many others. Rudy’s work has been nominated for and won numerous awards in many countries, including Dove Awards, Univision’s Premio Lo Nuestro awards, Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.