Reservoir Media has struck a new deal with songwriter Enrique “Kiki” Garcia to acquire rights to his full catalog.
The deal includes the hit song Conga performed by Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine.
Born in Cuba, Garcia emigrated to America and made a name for himself, founding the Miami Latin Boys alongside Emilio Estefan Jr. and several other Cuban-born American musicians.
In 1977, the band was renamed Miami Sound Machine and throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the group released 11 studio albums.
Garcia solely wrote some of the band’s most successful tracks, including their 1984 breakout Dr. Beat and their 1985 global hit Conga.
Conga was an international Top 10 hit, including No.1 in the U.S., was certified Gold in the US, and is widely recognized as Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine’s signature song.
Garcia also co-wrote several tracks alongside 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Gloria Estefan, including 1-2-3,Give It Up, and Rhythm Is Gonna Get You for the group’s final album, Let it Loose.
The 3x-Platinum selling album became Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine’s most successful album, reaching No.6 on the Billboard 200 and launching a massive world tour by the group.
After leaving the band, Garcia continued working with top Latin artists like Chayenne, El Puma, Julio Iglesias and many others, earning a Grammy nomination and winning a CLIO Award for his work on the 1992 Rock the Vote campaign.
I’m really excited that Reservoir will be taking the lead with my music and elevating it to the level it’s always deserved.”
Enrique ‘Kiki’ Garcia
Garcia said: “You never write a song thinking you’re creating an anthem that will be loved around the world. Conga is just that. I’m really excited that Reservoir will be taking the lead with my music and elevating it to the level it’s always deserved.”
“Kiki has contributed so much to the face of modern music as we know it. His collaborations with the Miami Sound Machine brought Latin music to mainstream audiences.”
Golnar Khosrowshahi, Reservoir’s Founder & CEO, added: “Kiki has contributed so much to the face of modern music as we know it. His collaborations with the Miami Sound Machine brought Latin music to mainstream audiences.”
She added: “Embarking on this deal with Kiki marks a notable expansion of our rights in Latin American music and is an exciting opportunity to further diversify our catalog while maintaining our focus on acquiring the rights to evergreen hits.”
Elsewhere, Reservoir Media recently signed US rapper Armani White to a publishing deal.
Last month, Reservoir entered into a joint venture with American Idol producer, 19 Entertainment (which was originally founded by Simon Fuller in 1985).
Also last month, Reservoir Media confirmed its acquisition of the catalog of multi-Platinum, Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer, and artist Byron Thomas, professionally known as Mannie Fresh.Music Business Worldwide
