Word Entertainment recently celebrated “Latin style” during the first ever Word Latin Night, held during the 2003 Word International Sales Conference at the new state of-the-art Full Life Christian Center showcase facility in Franklin, TN. The festive evening, which at one point broke out into a spontaneous conga line, was sponsored by Word Music, Crowne Music Group, Rejoice Music and Integrity Music. Performances by Word recording artist Salvador, Crowne Music Group recording artist Motivo, Integrity Music recording artist Aline Barros, Rejoice Music recording artist Contagious, Enlace Musica recording artist Rut Mixter and Indie artist Ingrid Rosario were enjoyed by a music industry crowd that included GMA President John Styll, Backstreet Boys member Howie D. and producers Tommy Sims, Javier Solis and Manny Benito.
“We are proud to present the talent of these artists to the world,” comments Word Distribution President Mike Funderburg. “A personal highlight for me was when Ingrid, Aline and Rut joined together for a special Spanish-version of ŒShout to the Lord.¹ It was wonderful seeing our team able to worship in any language.”
The event is one of the many ways that Word Distribution is focusing on the ever-growing Hispanic population in the United States. With over 38.8 million Hispanics living in the U.S., the Latino population is now the country¹s largest minority group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“It is truly an honor to be a part of Word Entertainment, which recognizes the growing demand for Spanish-language products,” says Word Entertainment Latin America Director Luis Fernandez. “Through events such as this ground-breaking showcase, we are working to open up the eyes of the Christian music industry to the great ministry and retail opportunities represented by the Hispanic market.”
To meet the needs of this new market, Word Distribution recently signed a deal with Rejoice Records to distribute primarily Spanish-language albums reflecting a diverse range of Latin styles, including artists Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz, 95 Norte, Jorge Mitjans and newcomers Contagious. Word Distribution has also joined with veteran Bible publisher Broadman & Holman and inspirational Spanish book publisher Editorial Unilit to create “Su Mundo Latino” (Your Spanish World), a unique campaign to provide retailers with the necessary tools to reach their local Latin communities.
