Spain's Gran Via Musical Buys Into Indie Distributor

Spanish music conglomerate Gran Via Musical (GVM) has acquired a 51% share in El Diablo, the distribution arm of the country's leading alternative-music indie label, Subterfuge Records. The company will be merged with GVM's Gran Via Distribucion (GVD) to form Gran Via Musical-El Diablo.

Apart from Subterfuge?whose roster includes Dover, Sexy Sadie, Mastretta, NajwaJean, Los Enemigos, and Alaska y Los Pegamoides?El Diablo distributes 20 Spanish and 10 international indie labels. The latter group includes U.S. labels Sub Pop, Tommy Boy, and Moonshine Records; the U.K.'s Acid Jazz; and France's Atmospherique. GVD's licensed labels include Mexico's Fonovisa, Miami-based Dominican label Karen Records, MuXXIc, Eurotropical, Disconforme, Blue Moon, Jazz Factory, Dorre Diskak, Tin Records, and Guitar Remember. ?Howell Llewellyn, Madrid









taken Spanish music conglomerate, Gran Via Musical (GVM), has acquired a 51%

share in El Diablo, the distribution arm of the country's foremost

alternative music indie label, Subterfuge Records. The new distribution and

merchandising company, called Gran Via Musical-El Diablo, aims to be Spain's

biggest alternative music distributor. It will use the national and

international channels already operated by one of GVM's companies, Gran Via

Distribucion (GVD). Apart from Subterfuge's catalog that includes Dover,

Sexy Sadie, Mastretta, NajwaJean, Los Enemigos, and Alaska y Los Pegamoides,

El Diablo distributes 20 Spanish and 10 international indie labels. The

latter include US labels Sub-Pop, Tommy Boy, and Moonshine Records, the UK's

Acid Jazz, and Atmospherique of France. GVD's licenced labels include

Mexico's Fonovisa, Miami-based Dominican Republic label Karen Records,

MuXXIc, Eurotropical, Disconforme, Blue Moon, Jazz Factory, Dorre Diskak,

Tin Records, and Guitar Remember. El Diablo director Mikel Sagues said, "We

have come a long way since forming in March 1999, and this deal means a huge

leap forward for alternative and indie music distribution in the

Spanish-speaking world. We have the knowhow, and GVM has the channels to

Latino markets in the US and Latin America." - Howell Llewellyn, Madrid