Andres Levin Partners With Pirate to Launch Dedicated Multi-Cultural Company: Pirata

Pirate is launching its latest fleet - Latin sister company Pirata, a creative sound lab solely dedicated to the minority advertising space - with Grammy award-winning composer and producer Andres Levin to stand at the helm. Under Levin's leadership, New York-based Pirata will deliver a customizable 360-degree sonic branding and audio post production experience for all aspects of broadcast audio, including original music and licensing, sound design, full service radio production, and 5.1 mixing.

"Now that Pirate's New York studio is in full swing and has established itself as a leader in the US music advertising scene, we're ready to ride that momentum to a more daring expansion, and making a strong entrance into the Latin market is the way to go," noted Pirate COO Tag Gross. "This is a rapidly growing population segment with entire industries springing up around it. Pirata will be there to serve those industries' needs for truly professional music production as they link to potential audiences through advertising."

Levin recently co-produced Natalie Merchant's "Leave Your Sleep" two-disc album (produced by Levin and Merchant), slated for release next month, and in 2009 won a Grammy for the original Broadway cast recording of In The Heights. The Venezuelan native and leader in all facets of the music composition and production industry, has a unique set of qualifications to lead Pirata into the world of advertising. He has composed or creative directed musical campaigns for Dr Pepper, Heineken, Kraft Foods, Cartoon Network, IFC, VH1, Comedy Central and Turner Broadcasting.

His film and television work includes scores for El Cantante (the Jennifer Lopez/Marc Anthony biography of Latin Music legend Hector Lavoe), and the Lions Gate films Borderland and Ladron Que Roba a Ladron, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, Cheaper By The Dozen, ER, Entourage, CSI: Miami and Third Watch.

A legendary producer and songwriter in the rock, R&B, Latin and soul communities, Levin has produced or written records or songs for world-renowned artists Diana Ross, INXS, The B-52S, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, David Byrne, Mica Paris, Gladys Knight, CC Peniston, k.d. lang, D'Angelo, Macy Gray, Meshell N'Degeocello, Baaba Maal, Common, Dead Prez, Juanes, Cucu Diamantes, Julieta Venegas, Orishas, Ana Torroja, Paulina Rubio, Rob Thomas Miguel Bose, Aterciopelados, Los Amigos Invisibles, and El Gran Silencio; as well as famed Brazilian musicians Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, Carlinhos Brown and Arto Lindsay. Levin is also bandleader, writer and producer of the Grammy-nominated modern Latin fusion group Yerba Buena.

"Andres is a force not just in the Latin world, but in the music production world as a whole, from film to TV to musical entertainment to advertising," stated Pirata EP Bob Montero. "He gives Pirata instant name recognition, instant credibility, and an instant leader who has proven over and over again that everything he touches turns gold."

"Pirate runs one of the best operations in the US and Canada, so I knew instantly that I wanted to join forces in creating and launching Pirata. We're going to bring in some really outstanding talent in the coming months that is going to help launch Pirata as a really noteworthy entity," noted Levin.

For his advertising work, Levin has been named Producer of the Year by Nuestro Rock Magazine and La Banda Elastica Magazine, which also named him Best New Latin Alternative Artist in 2003. His four Grammy Awards include Best Cast Album 2009 for In The Heights, Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album 2004 for Carlinhos Brown es Carlito Marron, and Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album 2002 for Lenine's Falange Canibal. He has been nominated for nine other Grammies.

Levin is active in many good causes, including extensive musical composition and production contributions to multiple AIDS fundraising albums for the Red Hot Organization. He founded Music Has No Enemies, a philanthropic group that produces music content for social causes and nonprofit groups.

To see what kind of work can be expected from Pirata and Levin in the coming months, view their reel at www.piratanewyork.com

About Pirate:

NYC and Toronto-based Pirate is a full service, award-winning audio production and post studio capable of creating original music, sound design, licensing, audio identity, and casting for commercials, radio, TV, film, web, and branded content. Featuring 9 state of the art 5.1 digital HD recording studios and a staff of 30 composers, 12 track directors, US and Canadian casting departments, 5 senior copywriters, 8 senior mixers and an in-house creative department, Pirate is arguably the largest and most well-equipped sound studio in North America. For further info please visit: www.piratanewyork.com

Additionally, the company boasts of a Latin sister company named Pirata which is a creative sound lab solely dedicated to the minority advertising space. Spearheaded by Grammy award-winning composer and producer Andres Levin, Pirata delivers a customizable 360 degree sonic branding and audio post production experience for all aspects of broadcast audio including: original music and licensing, sound design, full service radio production and 5.1 mixing.