Putumayo World Music
Putumayo World Music is a New York City based record label, now specialising in compilations of music from various nations, regions or musical styles which may be classified as world music. Every release features the distinctive art of Nicola Heindl. The label was established in 1993 and grew out of the Putumayo clothing company, founded by Dan Storper in 1975 and sold in 1997. The name of the company comes from the Putumayo river which delineates the border between Peru and Colombia.
The Putumayo Kids division was created in 2002. Since the release of World Playground CD in 1999, Putumayo Kids has achieved honours from Parents’ Choice Awards and the National Parenting Publications Association, and has grown to be one of the more important children”s record labels.
Putumayo launched the Putumayo World Music Hour in 2000, a commercially-syndicated world music radio show. Rosalie Howarth of KFOG hosts the Music Hour. The weekly show is heard internationally on over 170 commercial and non-commercial stations.
The company claims to be committed to helping the communities in the countries where the music they profit from originates, resulting in donations to non-profit organizations including Oxfam, Mercy Corps, Make-A-Wish and Amnesty International. However, limited information about the company”s philanthropic activities is available on Putumayo”s official website, and the company does not publish its financial information.
Through Putumayo’s 15 offices around the world and a network of more than 3,000 book, gift, clothing, coffee and other specialty retailers in the US the label claim to distribute their CDs in more than 100 countries around the world.