Putumayo World Music

Putumayo World Music is a New York City-based record label that specializes in compilations of world music.

Putumayo World Music
Founded1993 (1993)
FounderDan Storper
GenreWorld music
Country of originUnited States
LocationNew York City
Official websiteputumayo.com

History

In 1991, on his way home from Bali, Dan Storper stopped in San Francisco, California. In Golden Gate Park, he heard the Nigerian band Kotoja. He was impressed by the music and the way it gathered many different people.[1] He made a compilation of music he had gathered on his journeys and gathered a positive response. This led him to give out his first release in 1993. Storper took the name of his record label, Putumayo, from Colombia's Putumayo Department where he travelled in 1974, which subsequently came from the name of Putumayo River.[2] The word is said to be the name of a bird (heron).[3]

Artwork

Every release features the art of Nicola Heindl. Her art is both folky and modern, and, according to the Putumayo website, "represents one of Putumayo's goals: to connect the traditional to the contemporary."[4]

Putumayo Presents

Typically a Putumayo World Music compilation is presented as a theme under the title “Putumayo Presents:” The themes can be regional (South Africa, Caribbean, Asia), music types (reggae, folk, Latin, jazz) and other themes (lounge, groove, party).

The Putumayo Kids division was created in 2002. Since the release of the World Playground CD in 1999, Putumayo Kids has achieved honors from Parents' Choice Awards.[5]

Putumayo launched the Putumayo World Music Hour in 2000, a commercially-syndicated world music radio show. Rosalie Howarth of KFOG hosted the Music Hour. The weekly show was heard internationally on over 150 commercial and non-commercial stations.

Putumayo has ten offices worldwide. Their products are sold at a network of more than 3,000 book, gift, clothing, coffee and other specialty retailers in the US. The label claims to distribute their CDs in more than 80 countries around the world.

Putumayo's compilations have been available digitally since August 2011.[6]

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References
  1. Interview with Dan Storper at wholefoodsmarket.com Archived July 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  2. FAQ: What does the word 'Putumayo' mean?
  3. Interview with Dan Storper at itzcaribbean.com Archived April 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  4. worldmusic.about.com
  5. Parents' Choice Award-Winning Company: Putumayo World Music
  6. Sisario, Ben (29 August 2011). "At Last, a Label Goes Digital". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
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