Mexico's Venegas expands fan base with "Unplugged"
By Leila Cobo
MIAMI (Billboard) - Mexican chanteuse Julieta Venegas, who went from a quirky underground darling to a mainstream pop queen with her breakthrough 2003 album "Si," is seeking to solidify her international appeal with an "MTV Unplugged" set.
"MTV Unplugged," which the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist co-produced, will be released June 17 in more than 15 countries, including such European markets as Germany and Italy, as well as Brazil, a previously untapped territory.
Her collaborators on "Unplugged" include Brazilian star Marisa Monte, Spanish rapper La Mala Rodriguez and Academy Award-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla, Venegas' former producer.
"We want to expand her audience," Sony BMG Norte VP of marketing Paula Kaminsky says. "Doing the MTV (set) is a very logical step for her at this time. She began in one market, she's expanded, and now this set is all her hits exhibited with great credibility. That's the marketing approach we're taking with this album."
Venegas' "Si" has sold 148,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a far cry from the 21,000 copies logged by her previous effort, 2000's "Bueninvento." Her 2006 follow-up, "Limon y Sal," topped the 120,000-unit mark, and was also successful in parts of Europe.
Venegas said she used "Unplugged" as a vehicle to shuffle her format. "I felt a bit trapped by that alternative format of guitar, bass and drums," she said.
Instead, she conceived her set for a big ensemble -- 14 musicians -- including a string quartet, a wind quartet and a series of unlikely instruments like banjo and marimba. She produced it with cellist/arranger Jacques Morelenbaum, who long worked for Brazilian music icons Tom Jobim and Caetano Veloso.
Venegas will kick off a Mexican tour in Durango on July 6, and then launch a 13-date trek through the United States, beginning August 7 in Denver.
Although the States, Mexico and Spain are priority regions for the album, Venegas is slated to promote the set in every single territory where it is released, Sony BMG Mexico managing director Miguel Trujillo says.
Reuters/Billboard
