Kriya Talent Bank launched in Chennai

Chennai-based Kriya Kreative Sound Private Ltd (KKS), a sister concern of audio cassette production company Meltrack India Ltd, has launched Kriya Talent Bank (KTB) in the southern city of India. "The idea is to strike at the unorganised market in the entertainment business where a handful of established firms handle talent, manage the career of artists and operate as a creditable database for the music industry," says Krupasagar Sridharan, manager, marketing and talent management, KKS.

Initially, KTB plans to provide professional talent management services to aspiring artists across Tamil Nadu only. The company hopes to create a bank or a database of talented artists across various performing arts and help them manage their career and provide suitable "breaks". To begin with, the company will focus on grooming singers interested in cutting albums and looking for the right breaks and therefore, need an agency to negotiate with prospective clients. Alongside it will manage models, DJs, lyricists, music directors, choreographers, bands that perform jazz, blues, rock and other genres of music. The company believes it can put together an entire team required to cut an album from the current pool of talent registered with it.

On the face of it, the company seems to have the right ingredients to attract all the trust its way. It is headed by 32-year-old Srinidhi Chidambaram, who is among the new breed of performing artists who have chosen to strike out as entrepreneurs. She is also the daughter-in-law of (ex-finance minister) P Chidambaram and brings to the table a sufficiently elaborate infrastructure to attract wannabes.

KKB is also going about its agenda with great professionalism. To start with it has commissioned research agency AC Nielsen to survey the music distribution market. "There is no credible data available on who buys what kind of music, what is the kind of sale that happens at different retail points and so on. Now that we have set ourselves a focus, we are also looking to service the needs of advertising agencies and the film makers," says Sridharan.

KKS has started releasing ads in all local newspapers inviting talent. For the records, this one-year old company has already released and marketed four music albums and released the audio of a Tamil movie. Some of its recent releases include the audio production of Mahavishnu, Andavan Atma Anmeegam, Mahaakavi, Dhanavriddhi and Abhayam Abhayam Ayappa. Its film albums include Punnagai Puvee, Junction, Six Teens, Padaivettu Amman and Kaveri.

With the launch of the talent bank, KKS hopes to take the next big leap into the arena of professional talent management. © 2002 agencyfaqs!