Meet Atella, Head of Music at Zumba

Yhonny Atella was 12 years old when he began to write music and play the guitar. By the age of 18, the then-aspiring artist was producing theme songs for Univision telenovelas, and later he formed a pop-rock band called Aashta.

It was his hunger and drive that ultimately paved his way as a multi-platinum producer, songwriter, and music executive, most notably known for his current role as head of music at Zumba.

“That was my university, where I got to know all aspects of the artistic world,” Atella (as he’s artistically known) tells Billboard. “I was doing performances, but I managed the band myself; we handled the PR and radio deals ourselves. I started producing music for local talents in Venezuela and Miami, and more opportunities opened up.” 

In a turn of events, the artist born in Caracas, Venezuela moved to Miami to form the DJ duo AtellaGali with Julio Gali in 2012, and landed a record deal with Universal Music Latin’s electronic division Aftercluv Dance Lab. At the same time, he was tightening his network with key industry players including Jesús López, Andres Saavedra, and Luis Estrada. 

“From that point on, my life changed,” he says “I was able to tour, play at Ultra, EDC, and other major festivals. It also gave me the opportunity to produce a lot of music for Universal artists like Luis Fonsi, Charly Black, J Balvin, Imagine Dragons, and Sebastian Yatra.” 

But after years of being at the forefront, Atella, now 40, felt his life “needed a balance” and went behind the scenes, where he was named A&R Director at Universal Music from 2019 to 2022. Today, he’s the head of music for Zumba and co-founder of its newly-launched label ZML Records, alongside Scott Chitoff, which is distributed by Sony Music Latin. 

Below, learn more about Billboard’s Stars Behind the Stars for January. 

How did your relationship with Zumba begin? 

It started in 2012 because they would calling me to do projects, and I would produce for them. While I was with Universal Music, our relationship began, and I did projects with Juan Magan and Pharrell, among others. Then one day, Sergio Minski (head of music at Zumba) called me, offering me an opportunity. I started working with Zumba on April 4, 2022. It’s a company where I feel there’s a purpose beyond just music, and that’s healing people through dance; something I didn’t feel in the past.

When I joined Zumba, I made a significant change in the music department because today we have almost 80% original content. My bosses, including Beto Perez (Zumba founder), have been incredibly receptive and are always looking for innovation and ways to do things better. I’ve dedicated myself to growing the music department, and our catalog has doubled. In April, Zumba will celebrate its 25th anniversary, and in the three years I’ve been there, we’ve doubled the catalog. Today we have more than 2,500 songs.

Can you explain the difference between Zumba Music Lab and ZML Records, if any?

Zumba Music Lab is a program for creating music for Zumba, and we work with over 150 producers and composers. Here in Miami, we are currently generating more musical content than the three major record labels combined, and we are creating more job opportunities for creative professionals. We have a different model where we respect the composer and ensure they feel comfortable working with us. Zumba Music Lab is a social program for music that not only benefits the creators but also connects with listeners on a deeper level. When you’re listening to a song, dancing to it, enjoying it, and de-stressing, you’re experiencing a unique energy. It’s a fascinating connection, from zero to one hundred.

Meanwhile, ZML Records is the record label that releases the songs produced at Zumba Music Lab. Zumba Music Lab is the creative hub, and ZML is the record label.

You mention a “different model.” What’s the business strategy that you’ve seen has worked best for ZML Records?

All of this leads us to collaborate with renowned artists who are also licensed in music, such as Gente de Zona, Wisin, Nacho, Guaynaa, and Arthur Hanlon. We make song deals; our structure is a song business, and for now, it’s not an artist development business. We are 100% focused on the songs, but eventually, we want to develop artists, and we are looking for artists who can carry the Zumba banner. I feel that will come very soon, but in this first stage, we are focused on these song deals.

Right now, we’re doing it as a collaboration — it’s a different kind of deal, quite special, because it doesn’t exist in the music industry. It’s unique: We take the song, we take care of providing all the resources at the A&R level, and we get involved in the musical aspect. We are a company where we dedicate ourselves fully, from choosing the songwriters and producers to the song itself, and we always try to find the best people for the job.

We decided to create ZML Records, which is distributed by Sony Music Latin, and we have access to collaborate with Sony artists. I think this year we’re coming with strong collaborations between the two companies, combining the forces of music and fitness, positive and danceable music, with established artists.

What makes a song Zumba-friendly?

For us, it’s important that the songs are positive; that they generate a positive feeling. Another key element is that the songs are dynamic, with different sections and rhythms; and we also love bringing cultures together through multicultural music. When you’re in a Zumba class, everyone comes from different backgrounds. When we create musical fusions, we subconsciously unite many bodies and minds. These three components are essential for a song to work properly in a Zumba class.

How do you feel your past roles as producer and A&R have amplified your work with Zumba today? 

The journey of being an artist first… of negotiating my own deals and building an artistic career where you learn about so many different areas. At the executive level, it’s about understanding the business. I feel that at ZML Records, we’re operating in a very solid way, taking the right steps, where we understand the creators, we listen to them, and we create deals that are fair. I believe that when a music business starts by properly respecting the creative process, the result has to be positive.

What’s interesting and different is that, coming from a background in production and songwriting, I have the ability to offer suggestions — we can manage things much better. My background and experience foster a kind of mutual respect with the creators at the A&R level — I feel that this is quite rare, and that’s where we differentiate ourselves.