Rabat – American music corporation Universal Music Group (UMG) has opened its first office in Morocco with the aim of discovering and promoting new talents.
In addition to setting up shop in Casablanca, UMG also opened its first office in Tel Aviv, Israel, with the objective of expanding its network in the North Africa and Middle East (MENA) region.
The inauguration in Morocco comes one month after UMG opened its first Southeast Asia office in Singapore.
UMG Executive Vice President Adam Granite expressed the Group’s commitment to signing and developing domestic and regional talent, while “helping the entire regional music ecosystem grow.” He added that the new inauguration will accelerate the company’s ability to support local artistry and talent in Morocco and surrounding countries.
Owned by the French mass media conglomerate Vivendi since 2000, after its detachment from Universal Studios in 1998, UMG is present in over 60 countries around the world.
Granite said that UMG’s intention is to offer “real support” on the ground and give local artists the best opportunity to reach new audiences around the world.
Serena Safieddine, who had already been working for UMG MENA, will lead Universal Music Morocco.
Universal Music MENA CEO Patrick Boulos highlighted the “wealth of untapped artist talent” within Morocco and its immediate neighbors” and said that the group is excited to introduce “these unique sounds” to global audiences, platforms, and partners.
Morocco is known for its diversity of traditional musical genres and has made significant achievements in the field of music throughout recent years. These achievements shine through in the forms of widely popular Moroccan singers and musicians as well as the organization of renowned music festivals.
Morocco has organized the Mawazine music festival under the theme “Rhythms of the World” since 2001.
The festival features both famous singers from around the world of all genres, including Sting, The Scorpions, Shakira, BB King, Bruno Mars, Julio Iglesias, and more, and popular regional artists such as Hamid El Kasri, Hoba Hoba Spirit, and Tinariwen.
The festival regularly gathers millions of music enthusiasts from around the world.
One of the many successful Moroccans in the field of contemporary music is two-time Grammy Award winner and music producer Nadir Khayat, also known as RedOne, who has worked with iconic musicians around the world such as Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga.
