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Andrés Cepeda Launches Independent Label Andrés Cepeda Música: ‘The Industry Has Changed Significantly’
Colombian singer-songwriter Andrés Cepeda is relaunching his independent record label, Andrés Cepeda Música, marking a return to the label that launched his career three decades ago. The move comes after stints with major labels including Warner, Sony and FM Entretenimiento, and reflects the artist's frustration with how the traditional label model has shifted, leaving artists to shoulder services record companies once provided while still demanding a share of their earnings.
The five-time Latin Grammy winner, who first found fame in the early 1990s with the group Poligamia, said building his own team has given him greater control over his catalogue and how he connects with fans. As the first release under the relaunched label, Cepeda put out the live album Andrés Cepeda Big Band 2 on Wednesday, the follow-up to a 2018 concept recorded under Sony Music Colombia. The new record was captured live across 12 concerts in June 2025 at Bogotá's Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo, featuring a full orchestra performing 12 classic Latin songs including "El merecumbé," "Momposina," "Año viejo" and "Rayito."
In short
- Andrés Cepeda relaunches his independent label, Andrés Cepeda Música
- Move follows major-label career with Warner, Sony and FM Entretenimiento
- New live album "Big Band 2" released as label's first project
Explained simply
Andrés Cepeda is a Colombian singer-songwriter who first became known in the early 1990s as a member of the band Poligamia. He has since released music through major record companies including Warner and Sony, as well as through his own label.
A record label can help fund, release and promote music, while also taking a share of the income. Cepeda says the traditional arrangement has changed, with artists now expected to organise more of these services themselves; relaunching his label gives him more control over his recordings and how he reaches listeners.
His first release under the relaunched label is a live album of Latin songs performed with a full orchestra. The move reflects a wider question in the music business: how artists balance the support and reach of a record company with control over their work and earnings.