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Life Style
www.panoramitalia.com
Entertainment
Still Making the World Dance By Gabriel Riel-Salvatore
You’ve most certainly heard or downloaded one of their songs somewhere: on the radio, in dance clubs, on the big screen, on a TV show, digital video games and even in commercials. Unidisc’s music catalogue is far more than a compilation of vintage hits; it’s more like a collection of memorable moments associated with famous songs that fill your everyday life. With its vast catalogue, Unidisc Music is one of Canada’s leading independent music and publishing companies. The man behind it all is Montreal/Italian George Cucuzzella, a shining example of a selfmade success story. ontrary to the typical career paths pursued by most first generation Italian immigrants, George’s success came from following his passion for music. A career in the entertainment industry wasn’t exactly what his parents expected of him when they decided to cross the ocean to Canada from the small town of Cattolica-Eraclea, Sicily. “It simply didn’t fit their notion of a real job,” says George. Being involved in the music or entertainment industry was not a normal path for Italians although it led to him becoming the owner of one of the principal independent music catalogues in Canada. In the early 70’s his musical journey began as a club DJ, which led George to form the Canadian Record Pool, supplying music to DJs across Quebec. This venture fed his hunger to succeed in the music business and brought him to explore new avenues. He later started Downstairs Records, a dance music import/exporter and indie-store supplier. His next step in the 80’s was Unidisc Music which began producing local artists such as the Erotic Drum Band, Nightlife Unlimited, Freddie James and Geraldine Hunt. Things really kicked off in the mid 80’s with the worldwide success of songs like ‘Your Love’, ‘Babe We’re Gonna Love Tonight’ and ‘Come and Get Your Love’ from Montreal based artist, Lime. Other local success stories included Carol Jiani’s ‘Hit and Run Lover’ and Trans X’s ‘Living on Video’ and others. “The success of Lime was a defining moment in the company.” He continued to expand the business’ catalogue with international deals that
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www.unidisc.com