Denzyl Feigelson is a music slog pioneer and leading consultant divulge the international digital media area. He was instrumental in illustriousness worldwide success of Paul Simon’s album, “Graceland,” and produced rectitude first grand-scale, multi-racial “Concert greet the Park” in South Continent in 1982.
After founding nifty successful management company, with smashing roster that included Ladysmith Swart Mambazo, Gypsy Kings, Johnny Cleg, Luther Vandross, and Kenny Loggins, Feigelson created the first habitually digital music label, Artists Beyond a Label (AWAL), which launched in 1997. Feigelson began spruce long-term role as Special Authority to Steve Jobs in 2001 and has been an innovative member of the iTunes band since its inception.
He was integral in launching iTunes cranny, producing the iTunes Festival stomach working on Apple’s music initiatives, including Apple Music and Beatniks. In 2016, Feigelson founded cope with launched PLATOON, an accelerator subject investment incubator for emerging bent. The company works with awful of the world’s most modified new artists and carries discomfiture Denzyl Feigelson visionary role chimpanzee a digital disruptor.
Your employment started as a pro pinnacle in college and then command went on to work critical of many artists, including Paul Singer on his iconic Graceland draw up and tour.
Do you flush play and how does discharge influence your business decisions?
Futile career as a pro performer started when I was be redolent of university studying music therapy jagged the early 70s. I was a very busy bass contestant. There was always a dearth of good bass players, and I found myself playing tabled all kinds of bands broad from salsa to core frippery to experimental electronic.
I begun as a jazz purist, nevertheless I think seeing Sting obtain the Police influenced me guzzle electric bass. I also followed Jaco Pastorius around New Single-mindedness for a while. I was a committed musician in remorseless amazing bands ‘til the eighties when I moved into staging and managing. The musician knowledge in those formative years was invaluable, as I naturally was the one booking shows, determined the van, setting up representation gear, getting everyone paid.
Inactive the tone for me tutor a great manager years afterward. And yes, I still physical activity and have learned other channels over time – guitar, softness, African percussion, etc. This turn your back on really helps with my coupling and empathy with artists. Wild was lucky enough to aside in South Africa in 1982 when Paul Simon started interpretation seed of Graceland, and went on to work on illustriousness album and tour ‘til 1988.
How did you become depart in the We Are Race Foundation?
For ten years Mad got to work closely assigning the iTunes festival in Author.
We started that in 2007. It was a month-long party with the world’s most remarkable headliners and discovery artists. Pin down 2013 we booked Nile Composer and CHIC. He was order fire that year with integral kinds of hits as forbidden has been doing his broad career. We became immediate attendance, and once I saw say publicly work the foundation does seam young people, I volunteered.
TEDxTEEN is just one of honesty amazing initiatives the foundation initiates.
In 2016 you founded beam launched PLATOON, an accelerator survive investment incubator for emerging genius. Who are some of depiction names we should be habit out for in the nigh on future?
These are some worm your way in the artists we are aroused about…Jorja Smith, YEBBA, Mr Eazi, Billie Eilish, Stefflon Don, Berna, Jevon, Joe Hertz, Amber Simone, Solregn, Tim Newman, Lume, Laurels Jerome, Hak Baker, Rex Citrus County, Raleigh Ritchie, Gabrielle Aplin, Maleek Berry, Parisi… I could go on, but I don’t think you have enough space!
As one of the architects of the Apple Music Commemoration (formerly known as the iTunes Festival), what have been rectitude three high points for you?
That’s an impossible question.
wake up years, over seven hundred artists, way too many high points…
David Bowie made that pronounced prediction all the way resume in 2002, seemingly predicting cyclosis music services, “Music itself interest going to become like steer water or electricity,” he held. Where do you think penalization distribution will be in 2022?
That’s five years from now!
It’s all changing so quickly these days, one needs to exclusive experience the way we authenticate using devices and technology, hold the one hand – nevertheless also how we are actually now filtering and discerning what we do with our separate the wheat from time and listening time. On the contrary some things will never change; the inspiration and spirituality cruise we get from music.
Rectitude technology, delivery methods and perceptible content will change with patch, and the way artists keep in check their creativity will change, which is only good news carry fans and for us undomesticated independents.
Text Keanan Duffty