Lily VAsquez

To view interview please visit:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=657421315

- CNBC

By Yinka Adegoke
NEW YORK — Lily Vasquez, a marketing manager from Clifton, New Jersey, spent nearly eight years trying to break into the music business as a singer before she stumbled across SellaBand.com.
The website is one of several where artists can have their albums funded by fans — a proposition that takes advantage of digital technology, online social networking and the current uncertainty in the established music industry.

The sites are reinventing the relationship between artists and their fans, upsetting the traditional role of the record label as the tastemaker, promoter and distributor of music.

"I didn't really understand the site when I joined; I thought it was just like MySpace," said Vasquez. "But after I uploaded a few of my songs, I noticed people started adding money to my page; it was a nice surprise," she said.

SellaBand, founded in 2006, works by allowing fans who believe in an artist's music to buy "parts" of the work at a minimum of $10 each with a view to funding the professional recording of an album.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Internet | New Jersey | Austria | MySpace | Madonna | Amazon.com | Grammy | Radiohead | Clifton | Vasquez | Maria Schneider | ArtistShare | Chris Potter
Once the total amount funded by fans reaches $50,000, SellaBand will help the artist choose a recording studio and producers. The manufacturing and distribution of the album will be paid for by the money raised by fans. In 18 months, 13 bands have raised $50,000 each.

Vasquez passed the $50,000 mark in nine months and to date has 543 "believers," including one from Austria who bought his part for $5,000. She even had enough left over after spending on her album to make a music video.

"It's a dream come true for me," said Vasquez, whose debut album will soon be available through retail outlets like Amazon.com.

The idea of allowing fans to become part of the A&R (artist & repertoire) process has been around since the early days of the Internet. A number of start-up sites claimed they would up-end the established labels, but few survived the dotcom crash in 2001, and the labels appeared to prevail.

But more recently the music industry has been going through some tough times. CD sales have plunged and big name artists like Radiohead and Madonna have shunned established major labels to do their own thing online or with non-label partners.

These factors have given impetus to establishing a new relationship between fans and the artists.

ArtistShare.com has been so successful at bringing fans and artists together that it can claim three Grammy award-winning records from its stable since it was founded in 2002.

While ArtistShare's philosophy of fans as A&R executives is similar to SellaBand's, it has focused on more established artists in mature genres like jazz and country & western. Its artists include Maria Schneider and Chris Potter.

For a minimum of $9.99 to buy a "participant offer," fans get access to the artists' creative process through regular uploaded videos discussing their albums' production. The offers can go as high as $10,000, coming with extra perks such as a fan sitting in on recording sessions.

"This breaks down the wall between the artists and the fans," said ArtistShare founder Brian Camelio. "It really inspires the artists as well," he added.

As well ArtistShare and SellaBand albums sold as downloads on their sites, as well as through established retailers.

SellaBand's co-founder Johan Vosmeijer, a 20-year veteran of major music companies, said an artist's destiny is no longer in the hands of the music companies — or even a website like his.

"SellaBand started out as an incubator and facilitator," he said. "We don't make the decisions; the whole A&R process has been outsourced."

- USA Today

Nueva York, 15 abr (EFE).- La cantautora colombiana Lily Vásquez se ha convertido en la primera latina en recaudar por internet y con apoyo de sus fanáticos un total de 50.000 dólares para producir su disco, "Pasión de mujer", que hoy se puso a la venta en iTunes.

La colombiana, que nació en Barranquilla y vive en Nueva York, forma parte de los cantantes que se promocionan a través de la página de internet www.sellaband.com, que ofrece la oportunidad de que, a personas, que les guste la música de un determinado artista le hagan donaciones de 10 dólares.

Según figura en las reglas de la empresa, "los fans y los artistas pueden hacer negocios juntos por primera vez", y ello consiste en que el artista emite "5.000 llamadas partes. Una parte cuesta 10 dólares más los costes de transacción".

Cuando los "believers" o seguidores, reúnen un total de 50.000 dólares, su artista preferido puede grabar en un estudio con la ayuda de Sellaband, tal como le ha ocurrido a Lily Vásquez.

Así, su primer CD, "Pasión de mujer", comenzó a venderse hoy a través de esa página web, así como en iTunes y Amazon.

El título del CD es también el primer sencillo promocional de Lily Vásquez que debuta como compositora y en su trabajo discográfico incluye otros temas en pop/balada de su propia autoría.

Entre ellos el tema "Volvamos a empezar", cantando en español a dúo con Ángel López, ex vocalista de grupo "Son By Four" y galardonado en múltiples ocasiones por su éxito con la canción "A Puro Dolor".

Lily Vásquez, que también es actriz y bailarina profesional de mambo, comenzó su carrera siendo una niña en su país, y en su adolescencia emigró con su familia a Estados Unidos. EFE
- AOL Latino

NUEVA YORK, 15 de abril /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Lily Vásquez, una cantautora nacida en Colombia y radicada en New York, es parte de una revolución en la industria de la música al convertirse en la primera latina en alcanzar la meta impuesta por el consorcio europeo sellaband.com de recaudar con apoyo de fanáticos por internet, 50 mil dólares para producir su propio CD. "PASION DE MUJER" está a la venta a nivel mundial a partir de hoy en itunes - amazon- sellaband.com/lily- CD Baby -etc. y muy pronto en tiendas cerca de usted.

"PASION DE MUJER" titulo del CD es también el primer sencillo promocional de Lily Vasquez que debuta como compositora y en su trabajo discográfico incluye otros temas en pop/balada de su propia autoría. "VOLVAMOS A EMPEZAR", con sonidos de R&B pero cantando en español es un dueto con Ángel López, ex vocalista de grupo "Son By Four" y galardonado en múltiples ocasiones por su éxito con la canción "A Puro Dolor". "PERDIDA", otro de los temas incluidos en el CD de Lily Vásquez refleja además, una tendencia de la artista más orientada al Latin rock o música alternativa en español. El CD "PASION DE MUJER" reúne muchos elementos ricos, mezcla ritmos y añade ingredientes únicos como la participación de legendario Yomo Toro, el mejor y más virtuoso interprete del Cuatro en el mundo al igual que Alfredo de la Fé, el legendario violinista.

Lily Vásquez, una artista completa, actriz, cantante, compositora y bailarina profesional de mambo, comenzó su carrera cuando apenas tenía 4 años en su país natal participando en diversos eventos folclóricos y presentaciones artísticas hasta su inmigración a EEUU en su adolescencia. Hija de Barranquilla, Colombia y nacida bajo el signo de Acuario, reconoce que su amor al arte nace por la marcada influencia de su madre, maestra de canto y música. Para más información visite: www.lilyvasquez.com

La producción musical de Lily Vásquez es el resultado del esfuerzo que hacen artistas independientes para que su música se escuche en el mundo. El apoyo de empresas como sellaband.com, en donde talentos que carecen de ayuda de grandes corporaciones se subscriben y someten varias de sus propias canciones, así todos los que visiten sus páginas y les gusten las canciones invierten o compran en incrementos de 10 dólares. De esta forma, si la banda o el artista recaudan 50 mil dólares, la compañía sellaband los ayuda a grabar su CD Completo con productores y estudios al nivel de calidad que exige la industria discográfica
- Yahoo/Telemundo

Lily Vasquez, singer/songwriter born in Colombia and raised in New York, has become part of a revolution in the music industry by becoming the first Latina to reach the goal imposed by the European consortium sellaband.com of collecting, with assistance from internet fans, $50,000 to produce her own CD.

http://www.lilyvasquez.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbIEIPlJMhg

Pasion de Mujer will be released globally in iTunes, Amazon, sellaband.com/lily starting April 15th and in stores shortly thereafter. "Pasion de Mujer,” the title of the CD is also Lily Vasquez's first promotional single in which she debuts as a composer. Included in her album are pop/ballads she has written. Volvamos a Empezar, an R&B type duet with Angel Lopez, who previously sang with “Son By Four," a group that has won several awards for their hit song “A Puro Dolor/ Purest Pain.” "Perdida,” another of her Lily’s songs on the album, leans towards Latin rock.Pasion de Mujer blends many rich musical elements by combining rhythms. Yomo Toro, the best and most eminent cuatro player in the world, also lends his talents as well as legendary violinist Alfredo de la Fe.

Lily Vasquez, a professional singer, composer, dancer and actress, began practicing her artistry at the age of 4 years old in her native Colombia as she participated in diverse folkloric and artistic presentations until she migrated to the United States as an adolescent. Born in Barranquilla, Colombia under the sign of Aquarius, Lily Vasquez recognizes that her love for music came from her mother, who was a vocal teacher.

For more information please visit: http://www.lilyvasquez.com Her musical production shows the effort many independent recording artists go through to so their music can be heard worldwide. The support of companies like Sellaband.com highly recognizes this in the music industry and, without a doubt, saw Lily as a shining star. Sellaband.com is an internet site where musicians who lack the support of big record labels subscribe and give fans or music lovers the opportunity to listen to their songs. If they like them, they may purchase one or more shares for 10 dollars each. Once the artist reaches 50 thousand dollars, Sellaband provides the tools to record a high quality CD with producers and studios the industry demands.

For more information on Lily Vasquez, visit her website ( http://www.lilyvasquez.com ) - Ethic Now