Latin American Music Industry
Desmond Child is the songwriter behind such hit collaborations as "Livin' On a Prayer" with Bon Jovi, "Dude Looks Like a Lady" with Aerosmith, and "Livin’ La Vida Loca" for Ricky Martin. Desmond started as a recording artist with his band Desmond Child & Rouge on Capitol Records in the late...
Rudy Perez was born in Cuba and arrived in Florida when he was eight years old. Soon after, he purchased his first guitar from Ace Music in Miami and formed a touring band. Along the way, Rudy began writing songs for both his band and for other artists, which led to his introduction into music...
Walther Veerkamp was the son of the founder of Casa Veerkamp, one of the most respected and oldest music retailers in Mexico. His father, who was born in Germany, opened a small music retail store in Mexico City in 1908. He struggled to provide instruments for the store even while exporting...
Alberto Kreimerman opened Hermes Music Stores in the United States with branches in Mexico beginning in 1982. His goal was always to serve music makers with quality products and service and in the background he set aside some of his profit to serve underprivileged children in both the US and Mexico...
Mario Procida formed a music distribution company in El Salvador in 1958 that soon expanded into several surrounding countries as well. His strong understanding of musical traditions and the import/export business resulted in Mario’s notable influence as a leader in the music products industry. He...
Thomas Veerkamp proudly represents the 100-year-old company in Mexico that was formed by his grandfather in 1908. The company began as a small retail store and later expanded to one of the most respected music wholesalers in the world. Thomas grew up in the business and took an interest in the...
Roberto Weingrill Jr. spoke during his Oral History interview about the early days of his family’s business and the many changes that have occurred over the years. His great-grandfather moved to Brazil in the 1890s to establish his own instrument company. Weril Instruments was established just a...