Delia Orjuela: senior director, Latin Music BMI, Los Angeles

Latin Beat Magazine, Dec, 2003 by Haydee Vicedo

When Delia Orjuela was a young girl, one of her favorite ways to pass time was to inhale as much information as she could about her favorite musicians. "When I was a teenager, one of the things I loved to do was to read the label copy of the LPs. I really enjoyed reading the lyrics and knowing everything about the artists and their music." These days Delia is still reading lyrics and learning all about the music and the artists she loves, bur she is doing so on a much bigger scale. As BMI's Senior Director of Latin Music, Delia Orjuela works with some of the biggest and widely regarded artists and songwriters in the industry.

Orjuela was born in Mexico City and carne to Los Angeles when she was 15 years old. She attended California State University in Long Beach and acquired a bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism. Through a lot of hard work and a natural affinity for success, she has steadily moved up the ranks in the entertainment industry, and she has accomplished this success without compromising her principles and her professionalism, while juggling a family and a career. She started working as an on air entertainment reporter for San Jose's KBRG 104.9FM station. Orjuela then held stints as a freelance field producer for CNN Spanish and as production assistant at Turner Entertainment Report. She eventually joined Los Angeles-based RMM Records, where she rose to become their West Coast publicity director. In 1997, she joined BMI as Regional Manager of Latin Music. She has subsequently moved up to her current role as Senior Director.

As Senior Director, Delia's responsibilities and commitment to her artists are ten-fold. Besides serving as BMI's main liaison with the Latin music community, she is responsible for affiliating new songwriters and publishers and makes sure that both parties have all their administration needs met. She also initiates new collaborations for her songwriters with other artists and, on any given night, Delia can be seen attending performances showing support for her artists. Some of the many writers and musicians she has signed and worked with since she joined BMI include Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Molotov, Charlie Zaa, Café Tacuba, Rogelio Martínez, Innis, Kinky, Lupillo Rivera and Juanes. Her allegiance to the position she holds is so strong that she cites the Grammy success of a particular songwriter as one of her most memorable moments. "One of my proudest moments was definitely when Juanes received his five Latin Grammy nominations." Delia's appreciation for her job is sincere and she takes pride in being able to assist her songwriters. "I really enjoy (my job) because it gives me the opportunity to meet and interact with such different creative people, while being involved in music. I enjoy being helpful to my songwriters as much as I can."

Delia Orjuela's success can be attributed to not only perseverance and dedication, but to a desire to follow a path that she felt passionate about. She exhorts young women (and others) to be passionate about their career choice. "I would advise them to try as much as they can to pursue a career in something they like and enjoy; something that will let them grow, both as individuals and as professionals." From the teenager who memorized all the lyrics and read the label copies of her favorite albums, Delia has definitely come a long way. By doing what she loves, she has become one of the most respected executives in the Latin music industry.

Quick Facts

Name: Delia Orjuela

* Is a member of the Community Advisory Board for KCET and involved with Padres Contra El Cancer

* Is a member of LARAS (Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences)

* Has a beautiful 2-year old daughter

For more info on BMI: www.bmi.com To contact Delia: dorjuela@bmi.com

Delia Orjuela

Senior Director, Latin Music BMI, Los Angeles