Sonográfica
Encyclopedia
Sonográfica is a record label based in Caracas
, Venezuela
. It has links with the Empresas 1BC
, which also owns Radio Caracas Televisión
(RCTV) and Radio Caracas Radio
, among other business.
During the 1980s, it started to support Venezuelan musical talent, as a result of the exit of the presential decree known as One for One, which required radio stations to play a Venezuelan song for every foreign song. In this way numerous Venezuelan artists like Ilan Chester
, Daiquirí
, Franco de Vita
, Yordano etc.
The label has always maintained a ferocious rivalry with its counterpart, the Cisneros Organisation, the producing company Rodven Discos and its affiliate, Sonorodven Distributors. Every release by the latter company resulted in a release from Sonográfica.
Sonográfica was solely a music-distributing company (as defined by their guarantee), the music coming from the Sonoindustrial label and which was often recorded in their recording studio, Telearte Studios. Sonográfica's releases were so popular, that with their temporary alliances with Music Palace and Velvet
to encourage artists, they now only release music based on their archive materials. Later, the decline in the music market meant that the business was sold to another company.
Sonográfica still exists, but it is far from being the business motivating national talent that it was when it started, with the result that it has been affected by the increase in piracy and by the absence of a link with the Empresas 1BC, which provided support in their early days.
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It has links with the Empresas 1BC
Empresas 1BC
Empresas 1BC , is a privately owned Venezuelan corporation which operates diverse media enterprises such as Radio Caracas Televisión, Etheron, Radio Caracas Radio, 92.9 tu FM, Sonográfica, FonoVideo, Recordland, and Radionet, to name a few...
, which also owns Radio Caracas Televisión
RCTV
Radio Caracas Televisión Internacional is a Venezuelan cable television network headquartered in the Caracas neighborhood of Quinta Crespo. It was sometimes referred to as the Canal de Bárcenas. Owned by Empresas 1BC, RCTV Internacional was inaugurated as Radio Caracas Televisión on 15 November...
(RCTV) and Radio Caracas Radio
Radio Caracas Radio
Radio Caracas Radio is a Venezuelan radio station. It is owned by Empresas 1BC, Venezuela's second largest privately-owned media corporation, which also owns Radio Caracas Televisión, a popular and controversial cable and satellite channel.-Background:...
, among other business.
During the 1980s, it started to support Venezuelan musical talent, as a result of the exit of the presential decree known as One for One, which required radio stations to play a Venezuelan song for every foreign song. In this way numerous Venezuelan artists like Ilan Chester
Ilan Chester
Ilan Chester is a celebrated Venezuelan singer, keyboardist, arranger and composer. Born in Israel in 1952, of European parents, Ilan emigrated to Venezuela in 1953.- Biography :...
, Daiquirí
Daiquirí
Daiquirí is a small village, 14 miles east of Santiago de Cuba. It became a focal point of the United States invasion of Cuba in the Spanish-American War....
, Franco de Vita
Franco De Vita
Franco De Vita is a singer-songwriter of Latin music. His first disc as a solo artist garnered three Spanish-language hits in Venezuela. He signed with the Sony label in 1988, and in 1990, his album Extranjero had a song that reached No. 1 on the U.S. Latin charts and won an MTV Video Music Award...
, Yordano etc.
The label has always maintained a ferocious rivalry with its counterpart, the Cisneros Organisation, the producing company Rodven Discos and its affiliate, Sonorodven Distributors. Every release by the latter company resulted in a release from Sonográfica.
Sonográfica was solely a music-distributing company (as defined by their guarantee), the music coming from the Sonoindustrial label and which was often recorded in their recording studio, Telearte Studios. Sonográfica's releases were so popular, that with their temporary alliances with Music Palace and Velvet
Velvet
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...
to encourage artists, they now only release music based on their archive materials. Later, the decline in the music market meant that the business was sold to another company.
Sonográfica still exists, but it is far from being the business motivating national talent that it was when it started, with the result that it has been affected by the increase in piracy and by the absence of a link with the Empresas 1BC, which provided support in their early days.
Controversies
Sonográfica, along with its counterpart Sonorodven, did not escape censure and controversy caused by many of its releases. Some examples include:- In 1990, former President Carlos Andrés PérezCarlos Andrés PérezCarlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
prohibited the playing on air of the Christmas song "La Gata Blanca" ("The White Cat"). Public opinion supposed that the prohibition, more than for its political content (it attacked two political figures), occurred because of two words which were spoken in the song.
- In 1991, the CD "Las Odas de Emilio Lovera" ("The Odes of Emilio Lovera"), produced by the comedian Laureano MárquezLaureano MárquezLaureano Márquez , is a leading Spanish-born Venezuelan humorist and politologist.Marquez was born on the Spanish island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, in 1963 and obtained a BA in Political Science from the Central University of Venezuela...
and interpreted by his colleague Emilio Lovera was vetted and those responsible for it were investigated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The reason given was that this album was offensive to the President, as well as to many other political figures.
- In 1994, after pop singer Ricardo MontanerRicardo MontanerRicardo Montaner is an Argentine-Venezuelan singer and songwriter. Starting his career in the early 80s, he has already released more than 15 albums with numerous successful singles and has sold over 22 million record worldwide.-Early years:Montaner was born as Héctor Eduardo Reglero Montaner, in...
fell out with his record label, Sonorodven, Sonográfica took him under their wing; this was the motive for a legal dispute between the two companies, and which increased the struggle that has been fought between them for over 14 years.