March 14,
2014
By Karin Francisca
Anwar Jamal
Najmi is an award-winning singer-songwriter, composer and producer who has
recorded five albums, placed songs in the international top ten, and secured song
placements in Hollywood feature films and hit television series.
As an artist,
he witnessed firsthand the decline and collapse of the record business, brought
on by what he describes as two decades of endemic corruption, exploitation and
overall lack of regard for the creative individuals who had built the record business
into a multi-billion dollar industry.
In 2008,
Anwar and his wife Roujeanne reached into their own pockets spending $1 million
to found The Akademia. The mission of The Akademia was simple: To identify talented
musicians throughout the world who were passionate about developing their art and
to give those artists the support and resources required to make their artistic
visions a reality. Having cultivated numerous industry contacts through the
years, Anwar persuaded six senior record executives, handpicked for their
integrity, to lend their knowledge and expertise to The Akademia cause.
The result
has been a quiet revolution. From its relatively small endowment, The Akademia has
grown rapidly, using innovative thinking, new technology and an artist-centered
approach to build a new platform for developing and commercializing the work of
an exciting cadre of talented artists. At its core, The Akademia offers an
impressive suite of services to its members in the areas of radio, press,
video, global DJ servicing, live performance and publishing. In all respects,
it looks a lot like a major record company- with the key exception that artists
keep 100% of the rights to their creative product.
Having
accomplished many of their own creative goals, it was natural for Anwar and
Roujeanne to begin reaching out to help other artists navigate through the new music
environment. ‘We made the costly mistakes
so that other artists don’t have to,’ states Anwar. Judging by the increasing
number of Akademia entrants, the new generation of artists appreciates the
guidance and support.
