Kwame Kwaten
Managing Director
Ferocious Talent
Kwame Kwaten, Manager, Musician, Producer -Music industry Consultant - Co-Chair of Brits Diversity Committee - Vice Chair of Music Managers Forum - Point Blank Records Head of A&R
Kwame Kwaten is currently MD of Ferocious Talent – An Artist Services Company covering, artist Management, label services , music consultancy, in-house production,which manages acts such as - George Ogilvie , Blue Lab Beats - Jodie Abacus - Caitlyn Scarlett - Steve Brown (Laura Mvula/Rumer producer co-writer) Writer-producer Jack Gourlay (Jess Glynne/Tom O’dell/Jack Garrett) The Collier Amrit Kaur.
Kwame’s own writing and production work within D-Influence Productions include work for Mick Jagger, Tom Jones, Ultra Nate, Seal, Mark Morrisson, Ladysmith Black Mambazo Daryl Hall. Co-produced D-Influence productions classic pop hits like ‘Wishing On A Star’ for Jay Z, and ‘You Might Need Somebody’ for Shola Ama. Remixed Mark Morrison’s Return of the Mack/Crazy/ Let's get down.Diana Ross Lighthouse Family.D-influence productions Total sales go well over 10,000,000.
Born May 13th, 1967 in London Hackney, Kwame Amankwa Kwaten started his musical career learning the ins and outs of the production world at ‘Courtyard Studios’. Kwame spent 2 years at Courtyard learning from Chris Hufford how to operate a mixing desk and use what he calls his best instrument - his ears.
In 1989 a session musician called Steve Marston approached Kwame to join his exciting new band D-Influence as the keyboard player. D-Influence self-released their first album and after a plug from Tim Westwood on Capital FM, which soon led to their first record deal with Acid Jazz Records, Then signing to Atlantic for their biggest album ‘Good 4 We’. D-Influence accomplished many powerful moments such as supporting Micheal Jackson, Price, and James Brown to name a few. Also performing as Bjork’s backing band still on youtube on her debut JoolsHolland performance performing Aeroplane.
D-Influence soon turned to a production group, producing and remixing work for Mick Jagger, Seal, Tom Jones and more. However, it was Shola Ama that broke D-Influence as mainstream producers. Kwame personally found Shola. Hearing her humming while walking past each other Kwame auditioned her on the platform of Hammersmith station then signed her to Freakstreet Records producing her with D-Influence productions at the helm of her album. The D-Influence produced single “You Might Need Somebody" went on to break radio airplay records for that year and is still played to this day.Kwame also commissioned as exec producer IMAGINE and sourced the uk CLUB ASYLUM garage mix. That song is still played to day also.
Kwame has always made a conscious effort to involve and open doors to young people to get into the music business. He started the Urban Music Seminar and is a co director of The Ultimate Seminar with Andrea Euell and Nicky Charles this is a regularly oversubscribed event. The seminar bridges the gap between the classroom and the boardroom, bringing in industry leaders, managers and heads of labels.
Highlights
1989 D-Influence (Kwame as Keyboard Player /Songwriter)Sign to Acid Jazz Records
1990 Sign with D-Influence to Atlantic Records
1991 Play on the 1st Jools Holland Show
1992 Support Open for Michael Jackson on his Dangerous tour
1993 Support Open for Prince at Wembley Stadium
1997 Play on Jools Holland again as Band for Bjork
1997 Founder of The Urban Music Seminar
1995-2000 Play 3 times at Glastonbury Festival Finally Headlining Jazz Stage
2006 Winner Ghana Entrepeneur of the year – Become a manager
2010 Becomes Co director of The Ultimate Seminar
2010 Sign Rumer to Atlantic Records / Chrysalis Publishing sell 1million units Brit Nominated – Wins Best Artist @ Asian Music Awards
2012 As manager Sign Laura Mvula to RCA and Universal Music Publishing
2013 Winner Live Music and Business Awards Artiste Manager of the Year
2014 Organise Laura Mvula Sold Out Royal Albert hall & Radio 1 broadcast with 60 piece orchestra for BBC Proms.
2014 Form Ferocious Talent Management
2014-16 Laura Mvula Wins 2 Mobos an Ivor Novello and is nominated for 2 Brit Awards and 2 Mercury Nominations for Album 1&2
2017 Kwame was elected as Co-Chair of the Brits Diversity Committee
2017 Trustee of MOBO Charity
2018 He became Vice Chair of the UK’s Music Managers Forum
2018 Appointed Senior Urban A/R @ Believe Digital
Oh, and last but not least the band that started it all for Kwame D-Influence reformed - so 4 times a year they gig around the world. Recent Show Johannesburg Sept 2018 supporting Erykah Badu.