BERLIN (CelebrityAccess) — BMG announced the acquisition of the recording interests of the Nigerian-born Swedish eurodance icon Dr. Alban.
The deal includes his catalog of hits, including the multi-million-selling ‘It’s My Life’ and ‘Sing Hallelujah!’ which helped to define the Eurodance sound in the 1990s.
Dr. Alban, whose real name is Alban Nwapa was studying to be a dentist and performing as a DJ in his off hours when he met the noted Swedish producer Denniz Pop in 1990.
Alban went on to record hits such as ‘Hello Afrika’, with Pop and Swedish singer Leila K in 1990, before scoring his first Number One in Sweden with the impassioned anti-drugs anthem ‘No Coke’.
He quickly followed his initial success with #1 hits such as ‘Sing Hallelujah!’ which broke into the top ten in multiple European territories, and ‘It’s My Life’ reaching Number One in Germany, Sweden, Austria and the Netherlands and number two in the UK.
Since then, It’s My Life has been streamed more than 250m times on Spotify alone, with ‘Sing Hallelujah!’ racking up more than 140 million streams.
“Dr. Alban is one of the key figures in Eurodance with hits which are joyous, anthemic and timeless. We are delighted to have reached agreement to take on his royalty interest in some of the most important tracks in 90s European music,” stated Maximilian Kolb, BMG’s EVP Repertoire & Marketing Continental Europe.
“I am thrilled to have chosen BMG as the custodian of my musical legacy. Their passion for preserving and promoting the vibrant energy of Eurodance aligns perfectly with my own vision. With BMG’s expertise and dedication, I am confident that my music will continue to resonate with audiences around the world for generations to come,” Dr. Alban added.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
