A-B-A-C-A Entertainment Group (http://www.abaca-music.com) is opening its roster to new artists and songwriters seeking representation at this year's MIDEM conference being held in Cannes France on January 23 - 27, as well as Popkomm being held later this year

Led by its founder Debora Nortman, ABACA has a long track record of securing foreign licensing, sub-publishing and record label deal placement through its 13 years of attending the foreign industry tradeshows, Midem as an Exhibitor with Beat Records, Italy; Tandem Music Group, Canada and; for the last several years under the FIDOF and more recently with Songlink International/Songs Wanted stand and Popkomm (Berlin, Germany). For those attending Midem 2005, Debora can be reached at Stand # 11.30 Phone 8225.

"I have personally experienced offers to sign on the spot (Sattva Music, Germany with my artist Karen Therese and my female Fado artist Salome), although rare and I have seen licensing deals come through up to seven years later, where I gave an album under publishing with Dance Plant Records, Montreal, only to find that they gave it to a company in Korea and it ended up with Sun Records in Taiwan, who ended up becoming the licensor throughout SE Asia for the ABACA album "First Impressions".

Domestically, A-B-A-C-A Records is distributed by and works closely with, PHD Canada who has recently signed with Universal. ABACA's role with PHD, is to source out new (foreign and domestic) up and coming unsigned artists and bands, as well as smaller record label catalogues through its network of foreign record labels, licensors, distributors and music publishing A&R at Midem and Popkomm.

"Our band started working with Debora Nortman the first day we met her, and within six months she had a distribution deal for our CD with PHD, the second largest music distributor in Canada," noted Feona of the band LOTUS. "In another two weeks she got us an offer of distribution in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland."

As one of the Board of Directors of FIDOF (Federation of International Festivals Organization), Debora has been responsible for encouraging singer-songwriters to compete in various international music festivals around the world as well as have adjudicated several herself, including the INF (International Nile Song Festival) held in Cairo, Egypt.