Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

BMG announces FKO acquisition and Kertekian partnership

By Chris Cooke | Published on Tuesday 26 February 2013

Music rights firm BMG has made another acquisition, this time through its French arm, in the form of the FKO Music catalogue, perhaps most notable for owning all the songs of the late Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti.

BMG has also announced a new joint venture partnership with FKO Music’s founder Francis Kertekian, which will see the creation of a new company called FKGC through which both parties will develop and administrate new and future songwriter signings. Kertekian will also remain closely involved with the existing FKO catalogue through the partnership.

Confirming the deal, BMG France MD Stéphane Berlow told reporters: “I am proud that BMG has now become the recipient of the FKO catalogue. Fela Kuti is one of the most iconic artists there’s ever been, his infectious beats are universal but above all, his message lives on. [And] the [wider] catalogue that Francis Kertekian has put together over the years is full of successful music with a twist, always interesting and different”.

Berlow continued: “To continue developing the exploitation of this catalogue and to contribute to expanding it further through BMG France’s set up and BMG’s network of companies internationally is a fascinating project. And working with Francis on the FKO catalogue and FKGC’s new signings will be both a pleasure and an honour”.

For his part, Kertekian added: “This deal is a major step towards the kind of impetus that I was looking for, for my catalogue. The agreement with BMG will enable me to continue supporting with a new momentum all the artists that have been entrusting me for all these years. At the same time, it was essential for me that the acquisition by BMG had to go hand in hand with the development of a new venture for future signings. I am pleased of Stéphane’s enthusiasm and commitment to these projects and I look forward very much to our collaboration”.