IN the 20 years that American electronic dance music label Ultra Music has been around, it has only had one number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart — Cheerleader by Jamaican singer Omi.

The Felix Jaehn remix of the song recently spent four weeks atop that publication’s main table.

Patrick Moxey is owner of Ultra Music and president of Sony’s Dance/Electronic Music Division. Moxey has a decorated career in popular music with stints at Virgin Records and Epic.

Besides working with a number of hip hop stars, he also helped promote Jamaican acts including Shabba Ranks and Beenie Man.

His specialty, however, is dance music. He has worked with the genre’s biggest names, including Calvin Harris, Benny Benassi, Kaskade, and David Guetta.

The North London-born Moxey, whose father is British and mother from Curacao, spoke to Splash about his initial link with Omi.

“I was in Montreal going to radio stations with my radio promoter to present our new records from Ultra and, in my promoter’s car, he was playing Cheerleader. When I asked him about the record he said it was bubbling in the Caribbean, and I made contact with Specialist (impresario Clifton Dillon) who I knew from all those years ago with Shabba Ranks,” he explained. “Specialist was also speaking to my friend Salaam Remi, who also is affiliated with Sony with his label Louder Than Life, so I contacted Salaam and we agreed to work together with Specialist to bring Omi to the world.”

Moxey notes that while dancehall has had mega success with Shabba, Sean Paul and Shaggy, Omi is a different phenomenon.

“Omi is a very unique Jamaican artiste, as his aspiration is not to be the best reggae artiste, but to be one of the world’s biggest artistes, and to rub shoulders and compete with the Bruno Mars, Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainer, Pitbull, One Directions of the world.”

Ultra Music will also promote the Clarendon-born Omi’s upcoming album.

“We are working with Omi and Oufah Music (Dillon’s company) to build Omi’s brand as a multi-album act. Omi, with input from Ultra, Salaam Remi and Specialist, has made an amazing album combining great pop songs, Caribbean influences, and the latest production sounds, like tropical house from Europe, to make a sensational blend. His new single Hula Hoop is out August 28 and the album, tentatively October 9,” Moxey said.

Omi’s success has renewed Moxey’s interest in the Jamaican music scene.

“We’d like to have more reggae artistes on Ultra’s roster and we are looking actively,” he said.