Music is a powerful force. Within seconds, it can transport you back in time to your happiest moments with an emotional impact like few other media. And, for many electronic music lovers, those euphoric memories have taken place on a dance floor in Ibiza.
For two decades, Ibiza Global Radio – the island’s most long-standing station – has been transmitting the sound of the island to the world. But as millions of listeners tune in from all over the globe, it’s not just the music that is lifting them up: it’s the dream of a sun-kissed island in the Mediterranean Sea, leisurely days spent on the beach dancing on the sand and electric nights full of big beats and nocturnal adventures.
Alas, even the most thrilling, fun and creative business needs a solid strategy and commercial nous to survive. And since 2020, the driving force behind the vision of Ibiza Global Radio is CEO and General Manager Daniele Luppino.
Born and raised in Italy, Daniele’s love for radio has accompanied him all of his life. Starting as a presenter at a small, family-run radio station just outside of Milan at the incredibly young age of 14, he fondly recalls sitting in the car with his friends late at night to listen to their favourite DJ on a foreign station as they got older.
“I fell in love with radio when I was listening to Wolfman Jack, an American broadcaster, on pirate radio. In the 1970s all of them were pirate stations, and no one knew where he was. Another one of my favourites was Bob Stewart on Radio Luxembourg, and we used to listen to him on AM – we had to wait until the night because the airwaves were clearer.
“So in a way, the best era for radio is now, because you can listen to your favourite DJs whenever and wherever you want – on your phone, on social media, on the TV… and you can look inside the studio.
” With 40 years of experience under his belt, in 2020 Daniele took over the reins at Ibiza Global Radio, to lead the station into a new era. And while his passion for the radio remains, his long-term vision is focused on a much bigger picture.
“It’s not just the radio; ultimately we are building the Ibiza Global World. A brand that encompasses a multi-media platform, local and international electronic music events, and – soon – an expansion outside of the White Island into foreign territories.
Returning for its third year to the shores of San Antonio this summer, the successful Ibiza Global Festival is a big part of the plan. Drawing 15,000 clubbers to the sandy dance floor on each day, the 2024 edition will see the likes of Andrea Oliva, Arodes, Bora Uzer and Claptone take to the huge stage overlooking the Balearic Sea.
It’s a concept that Daniele envisions eventually travelling to the Iberian peninsula and further-flung destinations like the United Arab Emirates and South America.
“There are lots of festivals all over the world, but I think that nowadays people are looking for special events,” he explains, “Of course, the Ibiza Global Festival started on the island but our vision for it is to bring a little bit of the Ibiza lifestyle, its special ambience and sound, to the rest of the world. I see our festival as an ambassador of Ibiza, not just for the music but also for the culture.
” Never resting on their laurels, in the Ibiza Global brand’s 20th anniversary year, the team surprised the industry by launching a new channel – Ibiza Global Classics – that is dedicated to the biggest anthems and all-time favourite Ibiza tracks of the last 30 years. It is the only channel not only on the island, but the entire world, dedicated to not just electronic music in general, but specifically Ibiza’s greatest hits.
Daniele says, “We are living in a new era for the nightlife industry, in which people stay connected to electronic music for longer than ever before. Not only the youngest generations but also those who are not in their 20s anymore – the young at heart, who still embrace the Ibiza lifestyle. And these people want to relive their memories through the electronic music of the past 30 years, for example, the vibe of the ‘90s at Amnesia and Pacha or the early ‘00s beach clubs.
“We have a big audience all around the world, so we want to transmit the sound of Ibiza to them. And, around the world, you will find many stations dedicated to classical music – but not to classic electronic music. So what better moment to launch it than our 20th anniversary – to celebrate not only the historic music of Ibiza, but also our own historic milestone at Ibiza Global Radio.”
