Tropical artist El Swing de Nicky Catarey and MMP Global Music founder and CEO Max Mejia recently joined us to discuss their experience placing “Chipa y Fuego” in the 12th episode of Fox’s Call Me Kat, which has been renewed for a second season.
Though it was written as a homage to his hometown in the Dominican Republic, El Swing de Nicky Catarey's “Chipa y Fuego” proved perfect for a scene in Call Me Kat. Towards the end of the 12th episode, the sitcom's central character – played by The Big Bang Theory lead and Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik – shows off her salsa dance moves to the sound of Catarey's spicy tropical song.
At first glance, the music appears to be composed specifically for the closing scene of the Fox sitcom. However, the ease of licensing the track meant the network could avoid creating something custom and alleviate the hassle of chasing clearance from multiple rights holders, which can often derail a high-profile sync deal.
“I have years of experience dealing with licensing, and they [the Call Me Kat team] did not ask for any instrumentals. They did not ask for any editing or pre-editing,” said Mejia. “They were able to randomly select the parts of the song that they were pleased with, which is great. It’s actually a lot easier that way. [Being pre-cleared], everything is ready to go.”
Adding to Mejia's point, Catarey noted that having his music available and ready to license, without any ownership concerns, has made it easier for other clients to find and consider his tracks for their visual-media projects. This same point was emphasized by film director/producer and music supervisor Jonathan McHugh in a previous Songtradr Happy Hour, titled 'What is Sync Licesning.' Catarey now intends to build upon this latest success.
“I’ve made a lot of music, and now that I finalized the Call Me Kat placement through Songtradr, I’m going to get everything on board,” said Catarey. “In a way, this deal was a heads up to get the rest of my work onto the service.”
“I’ve made a lot of music, and now that I finalized the Call Me Kat placement through Songtradr, I’m going to get everything on board,” said Catarey. “In a way, this deal was a heads up to get the rest of my work onto the service.”
“As far as the music industry itself, I’d say that they're constantly on the lookout for new artists and new original music. If the quality is there, it's going to catch their attention,” added Mejia on the topic of the sync space’s long-term outlook. “Some of these sitcoms, or even some of the other diversified platforms – it's a constant workflow. They’re constantly needing music and reaching out to artists.”
Mejia and Catarey emphasized that sync placements are also beneficial for creators looking to reach untapped audiences. Millions of stateside fans have now had the chance to listen to Catarey’s music, which remains extremely popular in Latin America. And due to TV's longevity, the Call Me Kat placement will continue helping him reach new fans months and even years in the future.
“For us – and I include myself here in the Dominican Republic – this is big for us in the sense that the music is reaching another audience,” said Mejia. “With my expertise and knowledge in the music industry, I'm trying to help connect the dots – at least for those people I work with.”
Owing to the influence of “Chipa y Fuego” in the hit sitcom, Catarey’s Call Me Kat placement has also set the stage for high-profile collaboration opportunities. While such opportunities were available previously – Catarey has worked with some of the most popular artists in the Dominican Republic – they stand to become more frequent and more diverse, potentially involving international acts.
“Everything is possible. Nicky has worked with a lot of other artists,” indicated Mejia. “If there needs to be a collaboration between Nicky and any – let's say urban artists – the answer is yes. I mean, there’s no question that they can produce excellent music together.”
From a significant payday to invaluable exposure, El Swing de Nicky Catarey has enjoyed no shortage of benefits from the Call Me Kat placement. It's proof that a well-timed sync can unlock numerous opportunities even in today’s quick-moving sync landscape.
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This post was written by Digital Music News as part of a broader partnership with Songtradr.
