Latin Music Moving Far East

Spanish authors' society SGAE hopes to spearhead Latin music's push into the increasingly sophisticated Chinese music market.

SGAE Shanghai office delegate María Cruz Alonso and Madrid-based Francisco Galindo, secretary general of SGAE promotional arm Fundación Autor, have laid groundwork for the initiative during this past year.

Additionally, Galindo—who is SGAE's second in command after executive president Teddy Bautista—has made several exploratory visits to China in the past four years.

SGAE opened its Chinese office in Shanghai in March 2003 (Billboard, March 15, 2003).

"China has passed its first phase of rapid economic growth, and the small, sophisticated middle classes now need leisure time to accede to Western culture," Galindo says. "Exactly the same thing happened in the Asian 'tiger economies' [and in] Japan, where flamenco and salsa now have a hardcore following."

SGAE's first task will be to establish China as a priority market for the Spanish music industry. For the past 10 years, Spanish companies have concentrated their export efforts on Latin America and the U.S. Latin markets, with their huge base of Spanish-speaking potential customers.

Galindo says SGAE will then try to persuade the Miami-based Latin divisions of major record companies that the time is ripe for Latin culture to penetrate China.

Alonso notes that one positive sign for overseas operators is that the Chinese government is encouraging citizens to direct more income toward leisure and consumerism rather than savings.

She adds that Radio Shanghai's "folk opera frequency," FM 94.7, broadcasts some Spanish music—notably, flamenco—to Shanghai and the Yangtze River delta. "We send albums of Spanish repertoire to [Chinese] radio and TV stations," Alonso says.

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SGAE's Shanghai presence facilitated the recording of an album, "Claveles Y Jazmín," in the city featuring classical Spanish and Chinese music. The project is a collaboration between Spanish flamenco/rock guitarist José Luis Encinas and the Shanghai Conservatory Orchestra, which uses traditional Chinese instruments. It is due for September release in Spain on SGAE imprint Factoría Autor. Narada plans to release the album in the United States.

In October, Bautista will lead a delegation to China to sign an accord with the government to promote Spanish and Latin repertoire in that country. Bautista, Galindo and the SGAE team will meet with the culture ministry, TV and radio programmers, film executives and directors of arts festivals during their visit.

The same month, a flamenco troupe led by dancer Aida Gómez will perform in Shanghai and Beijing. Galindo says that much as the Chinese have taken to U.S., U.K., German, Canadian and French culture, the country will embrace Latin ballet, orchestras, painting, sculpture and pop music.

SGAE hopes to use the government-organized Chinese Youth Festival as a platform to introduce Spanish and Latin pop to Chinese teenagers. The festival of cultural events takes place throughout the country every May 4 (Chinese Youth Day).

"The aim then is to organize a big Latin music festival [in China] in 2006," Galindo says.

SGAE has also signed accords with the monthlong Shanghai International Arts Festival, which takes place every October/November, and the annual Meet in Beijing arts festival, held in April/May.

"We'll also sign accords with the Shanghai Film Festival [held annually in June], music conservatories and other music platforms," Galindo says. "This fall, we shall send a Spanish orchestral conductor to give classes on Spanish classical music at a Shanghai conservatory."

Citing the China Statistical Yearbook 2003 (compiled by the National Bureau of Statistics of China), Galindo says the Chinese cultural sector represented $42 billion, or 2.9%, of the country's gross national product last year. This compares to 4.4% in Europe, 7.75% in the United States and 7.8% in Japan.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry estimates the retail value of the Chinese music market was $198.3 million in 2003. However, the trade group puts the piracy level in the country at 91%.