VPAL MUSIC KICKS OFF ITS 10th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

By Howard Campbell–
Observer senior writer—

Top: Kenneth Khouri 

Bottom: Hopeton Lewis

Distribution company VPAL Music celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and plans to mark the milestone with a slate of releases. Among those are “multiple unreleased albums” from the Federal Records catalogue.

Donovan Williams, general manager at VPAL, told the Jamaica Observer that the initial albums are tentatively scheduled for release in March. The three CD’s are Jamaica Magic, featuring Lloyd Wilks and The Soulettes; Jamaica by singer Faith D’Aguilar and Rusty Dusties featuring Granville Williams and Lynn Taitt and The Jets.

Williams said the albums will also be available digitally. He added that the project has been in the making for over two years, in consultation with Paul Khouri, whose family started Federal Records in 1961.

According to Williams, “There’s definitely some classics coming to digital and streaming platforms for the first time.”

The ‘ Rusty Dusties‘ contain the best known songs. They include It Must Be Him(Marcia Griffiths), Sounds and Pressure and Take It Easy (Hopeton Lewis), Silent River (The Gaylettes), It Must Be Him (Judy Mowatt), Talking Love (The Paragons), and Games That People Play (Bob Andy).

VP Records, VPAL’s parent company, released the double CD Federal Records(The Definitive Collection) in 2010.

Federal Records amassed a catalog of over 200 albums and countless hit songs by Lewis, Ernie Smith, Bob Andy, Pluto Shervington and Ken Boothe. The company was Caribbean distributors for major American companies including Decca and Capital.

Kenneth Khouri died in September 2003.

VPAL was established to distribute the music of artistes and producers through VP Records’ extensive network of 600 online and mobile destinations in 100 territories. The company earns a percentage from sales.

Many artistes and producers have utilised the arrangement which Williams stated has benefited all parties.

“We review our policy accordingly and our ambition as a company has always been to broaden our network reach and predominantly find new partnerships,” he said.

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