Dieter Kranenburg: a music catalogue spanning 30 years of success

At ANote Music, we often look at music catalogues not only as collections of songs, but as assets with a story behind them: how their music has travelled over time, where their music royalties come from, and how they continue to generate value across different periods and markets. These perspectives sit side by side and looking at a catalogue from more than one of them is key to understanding what it represents.

The Dieter Kranenburg Catalogue is now available on ANote Music, opening with an auction on the primary market before moving to the secondary market. To mark its arrival, we sat down with Dieter for an exclusive interview about the story behind one of the most influential melodies in European dance music.

As one of the songwriters and producers behind The Sunclub and their track “Fiesta (De Los Tamborileros)”, Dieter helped create a musical idea that went far beyond its original release. Over the years, that melody reappeared in several well-known pop, hip-hop, dance and country tracks, from “Summer Jam 2003” by The Underdog Project to “Right Now (Na Na Na)” by Akon, and through later samples and interpolations.

In other words, this is not only the story of one song. It is the story of how a composition created in 1996 keeps generating value across more than three decades.

In this article, we give you  some of the highlights from our conversation with Dieter: the birth of “Fiesta”, the story of The Sunclub, the long journey of “Summer Jam 2003”, and why Dieter decided to list part of his music catalogue on ANote Music.

You can watch the full interview on YouTube at the end of this article, and discover the Dieter Kranenburg Catalogue on ANote Music.

How was the melody behind "Fiesta" created?

Dieter’s story in music started long before “Fiesta”.

At 15 years old, back in 1984, Dieter entered a contest in the Dutch national radio, what would mark the beginning of a very important friendship for his career: 

"The DJ was Robin Albers, later known as Jaydee, the producer of the hit Plastic Dreams. He picked up my mix and that started our friendship."

That creative relationship later became the starting point for the dance group The Sunclub, which years later would bring us: Fiesta.

The melody behind “Fiesta” arrived in a way they didn’t expect.The original version of “Fiesta” was released in 1996 as a pop song with Latin influences. At first, it was not a major success. It was only later, in Robin’s studio, that the three producers forming the dance group The Sunclub reworked it into the version that would become known by audiences across Europe.

“We formed the remix of Fiesta with only the whistle and some elements, and of course the vocal ‘UEPA’,” Dieter recalled.

Dieter and Michel then went back home while Robin continued working on the track overnight.

“There were no cellphones at that time. In the morning I woke up, he had this whole new version on my answering device, the whole version of twelve minutes. I put it on when I woke up and I got bumps. Wow, this is really good. At that point I thought, yeah, this has all the sounds in it to become a real big hit.”

That version became the foundation of what would later be one of The Sunclub’s most recognisable releases: “Fiesta De Los Tamborileros”.

What did The Sunclub represent in the 90s Eurodance scene?

The Sunclub was not built around a single frontman. According to Dieter, this was both part of its identity and part of its challenge.

“The problem with The Sunclub was that there was never a real face behind it. It’s the sun, it’s nice, it’s a club of people.”

Behind the project were three producers: Robin Albers, Michel Rozenbroek and Dieter Kranenburg. They split everything equally, while a separate live act brought the project to stages around the world.

After signing with Sony, The Sunclub travelled around the world bringing their sound to thousands of new listeners and dancers across Asia, Europe and South America.

“It was quite a big transition, from a dark studio at my parents’ house to a worldwide hit. We came everywhere, in nice fancy hotels. The best tour was in Malaysia and Asia. That was crazy.”

For Dieter, this period marked the moment where a studio idea turned into a global experience.

How did the melody end up in “Summer Jam 2003” and beyond?

The story of Dieter’s music catalogue becomes particularly interesting when the original success of “Fiesta” starts to evolve into something new.

By the early 2000s, the initial wave of The Sunclub had slowed down. Then a Belgian DJ, DJ F.R.A.N.K., began playing an extended version of “Fiesta” mixed with the a cappella of “Summer Jam” by The Underdog Project during his sets.

The reaction from the crowd was immediate.

“That became the new version, Summer Jam 2003, and it became a more massive hit than we ever had with Fiesta. The story repeated itself, but in a way bigger version.”

From there, the melody continued to travel.

“Summer Jam is by far our most popular title. We licensed it to several other songs. Remember by Summer Love and Akon’s ‘Right Now (Na Na Na)’ are based on Summer Love, so it’s like a chain that all works with Fiesta in it.”

This is one of the most interesting aspects of Dieter’s music catalogue. A melody first released in the 90s continued to reappear across different tracks, artists and markets through sampling and interpolation, two of the most common creative practices in modern music. If you want to better understand the difference between the two, we covered it in our guide to sampling vs interpolation and how they generate music royalties.

Years later, elements of that musical chain resurfaced again in releases such as “She Knows” by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, David Guetta, Afro Bros and Akon, and “Gelosa” by Sfera Ebbasta, Guè and Shiva, one of the most successful singles in Italy in 2023, where Dieter is credited among the songwriters.

For Dieter, the longevity of these songs still feels surprising.

“One day I was driving my car towards Amsterdam. They played Summer Jam on the radio, and then I switched channels and there was Fiesta on the other channel at the same time. And still, every summer, that popular station has a Summer Top 1,000, and for about twenty years, Summer Jam stays at number one. Even after 20, 30 years. It’s crazy.”

How has the music industry changed since the pre-streaming era?

Dieter has worked through several phases of the music industry: vinyl and physical records, CDs, downloads and now streaming.For him, the creative part has not changed as much as the way music is distributed and monetised.

“The main concept of making music is that you stay true to yourself and you make it out of passion. That hasn’t changed. But the way you have to market your music is quite different.”

The economics, however, have changed significantly.

“We witnessed three transitions of selling our music. First we sold a lot of records, then a lot of CDs, and later streaming. Now more than half of all the income is from streaming. Way more than half. It’s crazy how things expand.”

This is also what makes older music catalogues interesting today. A track created decades ago can continue to generate royalties through new platforms, new uses and new audiences.

Why did Dieter list his catalogue on ANote Music?

For Dieter, the decision to list his catalogue on ANote Music was connected to the value of the work he built over many years. For rights-holders who have spent decades building a catalogue, finding the right way to unlock that value is not always straightforward.

“I invested maybe forty years in music, time, money in all the projects. This is an easy way for me to get the reward of all these 40 years of investment, and I can invest it further.”

He also explained that the ANote Music approach felt more accessible compared to larger catalogue buyers.

“I tried it with the big companies, but I have more than four hundred titles in the catalogue. Not all that big, so it was quite too small for a big company. That’s why I like your approach. It’s more approachable for the seller as well as the investors.”

Meeting ANote Music’s team in person also played a role.

“I had the opportunity to be in Luxembourg at your office. I’m a bit old-fashioned. I like to meet people and look them in the eyes.”

For rights holders like Dieter, listing part of a catalogue can be a way to unlock value from royalties that have been built over time, while still allowing investors to participate in future royalty income.

Dieter’s advice to songwriters today

When asked what advice he would give to songwriters who want to build a catalogue that can last over time, Dieter kept it simple.

“Stay true to yourself, make music from your heart. And the most important tip, at any time, is: don’t do it alone. Find collaborations. With The Sunclub we were three, you can be creative three times faster. Stay true to yourself, and work your ass off.”

It is a direct answer, but it also reflects the story of his catalogue. “Fiesta” did not become a long-lasting musical idea in isolation. It grew through collaboration, reinterpretation, licensing, sampling, interpolation and new audiences discovering it years later.

Watch the full interview

This article only covers part of the conversation.

In the full interview, Dieter goes deeper into the making of “Fiesta”, the story behind The Sunclub, the evolution of “Summer Jam 2003”, the world of samples and interpolations, and his perspective on the value of a music catalogue over time.

Watch the full interview with Dieter Kranenburg on YouTube:

‍

‍

The Dieter Kranenburg Catalogue is currently available on ANote Music

‍

‍

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Performance and returns are not guaranteed and may fluctuate over time.

‍

‍