ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Anuna's debut CD, "Celtic Origins," continues to be a hot seller this summer according to the latest rankings by Nielsen SoundScan. This week's World Music category lists "Celtic Origins" as the number one best selling CD. As the exclusive retailer for Anuna, Borders' sales for "Celtic Origins" jumped over 90 percent this week over last week as the title leaped to number one at Borders.
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"Achieving the status of number one in the SoundScan World Music category is a particularly remarkable accomplishment considering all of the CD's sales were made by a single retailer -- Borders. We believe the strength of this title will continue to grow through the holidays as Anuna begins its North America tour in October," said Linda Jones, senior vice president, merchandising for Borders Group, Inc. "Yet, customers can experience the music of Anuna now at Borders and Waldenbooks stores."
Last week, Anuna was featured in the Borders "Shortlist," a weekly e-mail sent to members of the Borders Rewards loyalty program, which now has more than 19.5 million members. Included with that feature was a sample track from "Celtic Origins," a video performance by the group, and a list of all its in- store performances across the country. Currently, Anuna is touring Borders stores in the East Coast and Midwest before they make their way to the West Coast in late August. Customers can visit http://www.bordersmedia/anunaevents for a complete list of Anuna's in-store performances in their neighborhood.
"Celtic Origins" boasts 19 songs and includes music written and composed by Anuna creator and founder Michael McGlynn, as well as special arrangements of traditional songs including: "Greensleeves," "Scarborough Fair," "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls" and "Our Wedding Day." The CD closes with a tribute to the late American folk singer and songwriter John Denver -- a special duet version of Denver's chart-topping hit, "Annie's Song."
Anuna marked its U.S. television debut August 1 with a concert special that is part of PBS' August and September national pledge drive effort. The members of Anuna were first seen on PBS as the original vocal group featured in "Riverdance." Since forming Anuna, the group has experienced tremendous chart-topping European success and international acclaim.
About Borders Group, Inc.
Borders Group, Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BGP. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., the company is a $4.1 billion global retailer of books, music, movies, and gift and stationery items. Through its subsidiaries, Borders Group has more than 32,000 employees and operates over 1,200 stores. More information on Borders Group is available at http://www.bordersgroupinc.com/.
About Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information system that tracks sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. Sales data from point-of-sale cash registers is collected weekly from over 14,000 retail, mass merchant and non-traditional (on-line stores, venues, etc.) outlets. Weekly data is compiled and made available every Wednesday. Nielsen SoundScan is the sales source for the Billboard music charts.
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