If you are interested in hiring DCE as your publicity firm, you should definitely READ THIS!
To learn more about Danie Cortese, the founder & CEO of the company
& the publicist & promoter who will be at the helm of your future success....continue on.
Many ask: How did you go from being a touring singer - songwriter & musician to creating one of the most prestigious, highly respected publicity firms of all time?
"Call it fate, call it timing, perhaps it was my drive, my hard work ethic & a belief that I could do things better for those like me. 23 years later, here I am. My clients prefer to work with someone that has walked in their shoes. I am someone who understands how to build something from nothing. I've proved it." says Danie
Let's go back in time a little bit....
Born & raised in Toronto Canada, Danie performed her first concert at the age of 4. Little did she know, that the agent who booked her would one day become famous & take her on as a client. By the age of 7, she had written her first song. She pursued music studies through the Royal Conservatory of Music. At 16, Danie was Canada’s youngest Opera graduate, obtaining a degree in music. She also attended a school of the arts, coincidentally the same academy that launched the career of Shania Twain.
In 1999, Danie entered a world class recording studio, with 7 original demos in hand. Here, she sung & co-produced her self titled debut EP with Bob Doidge (Gordon Lightfoot, U2). Fast Fact: 1 recently sold online for $750 dollars! Only 1000 copies were made. Backed by 5 star studio musicians, she knew this was the next step to bigger things to come, she was right!
Danie released her first single “The Best Places To Kiss” across Canada, the US & Europe in 2000. The single aired in 27 countries around the world. This was an independent release. During this time, Danie supported the music through touring, which garnered press, she made television appearances & performed to crowds exceeding 50,000. She was the 'genius' behind her marketing ideas. Some articles read “Trained in Opera she is taking on Shania Twain”.
Her personal publicist worked with “Bette Midler”, “Paul McCartney” & “Jimi Hendrix”, just to name a few. Her late manager promoted such movies as “Moonstruck” & worked with huge celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Richard Gere & Cher. You are not given the chance to work with such high profile industry executives unless you've got what it takes & boy did she ever!
Following the success of her debut, her second single “Damn You’re Good” created quite the controversy due to the word “Damn” in the title. Her radio publicist refused to market the song to Country radio unless she changed the title to "Darn You're Good". Danie was having no part of that, so after much thought, Danie’s gut instinct had her keep the original title of the song & she went on to release the single on her own.
"Damn You're Good" was released in January of 2001 & hit the Top 100 Country charts in Canada within 2 weeks of its release. This song remained on the charts for over 10 months! It garnered airplay in over 35 countries around the world. In Australia & the UK, Danie's single hit the Top 20, beating out huge label acts including: Garth Brooks & The Judds. She was #211 of Europe’s 1500 most played mainstream artists. She was nominated for an American Music Award. This is an incredible accomplishment for an independent, self funded artist. The music spoke for itself but the mastermind behind the publicity? you guessed it.
And so came the tour, Danie called the tour “It’s A Shoe Thang”. Her third single, “Blame it on the SHOES” – a song about a woman’s fascination for shoe shopping & spending her man’s money helped Danie’s music cross over into the US market. Designers in New York city used the song for their fashion runway shows! She was dubbed “the shoe girl” & garnered write ups in some of the most elite fashion magazines, newspapers & print media all over the world. Here were famous celebs & there was Danie right beside them. Downtown girl moving uptown 'real' fast!
Danie’s name, marketing & publicity concepts skyrocketed her entertainment career beyond her wildest dreams. So, from a distance, the industry (film - music - entertainment) began to take notice of how creative & innovative Danie’s promotional skills were.
By this time, Danie had been in the industry for about 27 years. Her personal contacts, her personal experience & her love of the business enabled her to open DCE in 2001. Recognized names contacted her immediately. She was shocked, flattered & ready to show the world what she could do for you.
A lot of thought & planning went into the launch of her new business. She started off as an agent & personal manager, representing all sorts of talent: actors, authors, musicians, screenwriters, stuntmen, movie make-up artists. Then came the TV producers & filmmakers wanting her to consult with them & promote their TV shows, films. & then some. With that, her network grew & grew. From Canada she quickly went International. Speaking 4 languages helps too!
Later, in 2007, she preferred to focus on publicity work, this challenged her. She thrives on working behind the scenes, this is where she excels. A true genius in her field. A woman capable of promoting any creative person or project.
So where is she today? Right behind her desk but with another 23 years of experience & contacts. So what are you waiting for? Let's get this show on the road shall we?!
Danie's waiting to hear from you! Click HERE
