LOS ANGELES (AgU
Music Group) - AgU
Music Group, a division of AgU Entertainment, was formed in 2003 with a mission of being a quality-minded, artist-driven record label designed for the 25-54 year-old demographic. The new record company, which is also affiliated with the about-to-launch cable channel The Tube
Music Network, has already scored chart-topping success with "Forever, For Always, For Love," Lalah Hathaway's No 1 Urban AC single from her latest album Outrun The Sky.
AgU Entertainment President David Levy commented, "It's wonderful to have achieved such recognition so early on with the Music Group. I give great credit to our VP/General Manager George Nauful and our V.P. of Promotion Ralph Tashjian, it's a pleasure to be working with them."
Hathaway, the daughter of late, great soul legend Donny Hathaway, has had critics rhapsodizing over her talents ever since her self-titled 1990 debut disc. AgU's Outrun The Sky, Lalah's third solo effort, was released in September '04 in a joint venture with Mesa Bluemoon and distributed through Universal Distribution.
The Dallas Morning News' Lorrie Irby wrote that the album, "not only showcases Lalah's unique gifts, but also the fact that his (Donny's) legacy remains in capable hands." Ebony Magazine commented, ""Effortlessly, she pulls listeners into her universe with rich vocals, lush lyrics and full-bodied rhythms."
Hathaway's stirring cover of the Luther Vandross classic "Forever, For Always, For Love" beautifully displays her warm, confident and sophisticated delivery. It marks Lalah's first No 1 single, and in addition to appearing on Outrun The Sky, it's featured on Forever, For Always, For Luther, an all-star tribute compilation to the ailing R&B icon.
Also making waves for AgU Music Group is legendary 7X-GRAMMY(R)-winning vocalist Chaka Khan's new tour de force Classikhan, featuring the diva performing twelve timeless standards - plus her original new composition "I Believe" - backed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The ambitious and sublimely elegant album has been drawing rave reviews, and the current single, Chaka's take on the '60s gem "To Sir With Love," is gaining in spins at MOR and Jazz radio nationwide.
The combination of Chaka's octave-spanning range, symphonic accompaniment and a diverse selection of classics of the popular songbook is a match made in musical heaven, as evidenced on powerhouse tracks including "Stormy Weather," "Crazy," "Round Midnight," and the 007 favorite "Diamonds Are Forever." Released in late 2004 on AgU in association with Sanctuary Music Group and Sony-BMG distribution, Classikhan will be supported by a Spring 2005 tour presenting Khan in concert with the London Symphony Orchestra.
AgU Music Group is led by industry veterans George Nauful, AgU's Vice President/General Manager, and Ralph Tashjian, its Vice President of Promotion. An acclaimed record producer, Nauful's prior accomplishments also include co-founding the Passport Jazz label for Passport Records, and launching the award-winning independent label Mesa/Bluemoon. Tashjian brings over a quarter-century of expertise in promotion to his role at AgU. He has founded many successful companies, including Modern Music Marketing, Riot Records/Management, and most recently, the leading national independent promotion firm Under The Radar.
Formed in 2004, the Music Group is a subsidiary of Fort Lauderdale-based AgU Entertainment, a multi-tiered entertainment company that is developing state-of-the art recording and film production facilities, along with a 6,000-seat concert venue, at its Florida headquarters. In addition to Lalah Hathaway and Chaka Khan, will be releasing other classic and esteemed artists to round out their roster in the coming year. AgU Music will be synergistically and vertically integrated with its highly anticipated cable TV sister division, The Tube Music Network, offering maximum opportunity to additionally market and expose its artists through the mass media reach of television.
