Emmanuel de Buretel

Civil engineer and graduate of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Emmanuel de Buretel was appointed in 1986 CEO of Virgin Publishing France by Richard Branson and went on to sign artists such as Youssou Ndour, Cheb Khaled, Mano Negra, Les Négresses Vertes ,Cathy Claret. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop genre in France with successes of IAM, Tonton David and many more.

In 1991, he created Delabel Records and signed artists such as Keziah Jones, IAM, Tonton David, les Rita Mitsouko, Rhoff, -M- and many others.

From 1992, he was at the head of Virgin Records France where he created Delabel, Source, Labels, a collection of creative independent cells under the “labels” banner which was considered to be one of the most credible independent platforms in Europe and an alternative to major companies.^[1] He brought artists like Manu Chao, Air, Daft Punk to international attention when he took over at the head of Virgin Continental Europe back in 1998.

During the same period, Ken Berry, former CEO of EMI Music Worldwide, let him setup his publishing company Delabel Editions.

Emmanuel de Buretel signed writers and composers including Louise Attaque, Daft Punk, Air, Doc Gyneco, Cheb Mami, Madredeus.

He also acquired the catalogs Sidonie Crescelles (Serge Gainsbourg, Julien Clerc, Jacques Brel...) and Vanessa Paradis (first two albums).

He became President of EMI Continental Europe^[2] in London in 2001, at the head of a group of 21 subsidiaries within which he developed a catalogue of European artists such as Tiziano Ferro, Lene Marlin or Royksopp, and signed David Guetta under Virgin France. He was instrumental in the acquisition of the independent label Mute by EMI.

In 2002, taking inspiration from the Mercury Prize, he creates the Prix Constantin^[3] which rewards young artists for having imprinted their talent on the world every year.

In disagreement with the vision of EMI, he left the company in March 2004 in order to create Because Group, a new independent London and Paris based structure, involved in all aspects of the music industry :

• Because Music : musical and audiovisual production (Selah Sue, Metronomy, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Justice, Amadou & Mariam, Manu Chao, Prince, Moby...)

• Because Editions : publishing (Daft Punk, Justice, Cassius) sub-publishing (Bob Marley, Imagem, Notting Hill...). Along with Xavier Niel, he bought out Jeune Musique, Claude François' catalog including the song « My Way ».

• Corida : live production (Manu Chao, Radiohead, Rammstein, Justice...) and management (Manu Chao, Catherine Ringer)

• La Cigale / La Boule Noire : concert halls (Paris).

Emmanuel de Buretel was knighted as a member of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Emmanuel de Buretel

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