Greater Sudbury is more than rock town, according to Jason Lafauci, owner of Omerta Records.
“Sudbury is vibrant right now in the entertainment industry,” he said. “We have a record label here in Sudbury now that's home-based. We're known world-wide and we want to help people. We want to help artists develop and get them out there.”
While he's not pushing artists to succeed on global markets, Sudbury-based Lafauci said he spends time with local youth to “give them an open avenue to expand on their artistic skills.”
“In terms of the youth, we really want to focus on trying to help them either sitting down in the studio, teaching them how to compose music, or help them develop their listening skills when they develop new sound,” he said. “We want to bring the kids to us and say, 'hey, look guys, you don't have to go to Toronto, you don't have to go to Vancouver. We're here in Sudbury and everybody else in the industry recognizes us.”
Lafauci said sound quality and skill are important, and he wants to help young talent foster elements like that in their music.
Jason Lafauci
“We'll tell them what to work on so when they submit the next demo, they've got all the avenues covered that we require,” he said.
Lafauci said there are other record labels in Sudbury's scene, but he said they don't represent all genres of music.
“By having Omerta records here, we cater to all — everything,” he said. “If a hip-hop kid came up to us and said 'hey man, I'm a hip-hop artist, I have a demo,' we'll push it. We'll help him push it, as long as it's good. He doesn't have to spend thousands of dollars in a studio in Toronto.”
Omerta Records represents 147 artists worldwide. Every day, Lafauci said his Canadian and European screening teams receive about 1,000 more demos from artists.
“We just started out with a couple artists,” Lafauci said. “Now, we're getting recognitions with big producers.”
Lafauci's partner, Thomas DeColita, is based in Norway and helps take care of European affairs.
Some artists have even been appearing on underground charts. Tommy Fredvang recently appeared on Beats Per Minute TV's (BMP:TV) top 20 chart with his single Wake Up Call.
“He did very well out in Europe,” Lafauci said.
Artists on Omerta Records have not only been successful on dance charts, but several are also playing at international super-clubs.
Lafauci said artists under his three-year-old record label have been offered residency at clubs in Los Angeles, New York, and in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
“We're opening up the market so that not only are you able to sign with a record label, but possibilities of actually performing and getting paid really good,” Lafauci said.
The first Omerta Records show at The Guvernment, Canada's largest super-club, is on August 6.
“It should be good,” Lafauci said.
In the fall, Lafauci said Omerta will branch away even further from dance music and dabble into other genres like rock and metal.
Planning ahead, Lafauci said he wants to stay connected to Sudbury.
“We want to make (Omerta Records) a cornerstone of northern Ontario for the rest of our lives.”
For more information, visit www.omertarecords.com.
