Dan Storper founded Putumayo in 1975 as a retail store in New York City featuring handicrafts from around the world. Storper took the name of his company, Putumayo, from Colombia's
Putumayo River Valley where he travelled in 1974.[1]Putumayo is said to mean a heron and "the place where the river begins" in the local indigenous language.[2] He eventually opened 7 world handicraft and clothing boutiques across the northeastern United States. In 1991, on his way home from
Bali, Storper stopped in San Francisco, California. In
Golden Gate Park, he heard the Nigerian band Kotoja. He was impressed by the music and started compiling international music to play in his stores. The response from the public was so positive that, in 1993, he launched Putumayo World Music and began offering compilations for sale.[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 styles (
reggae,
folk,
Latin,
jazz) and other themes (
lounge,
groove, party). All albums in the series were released on both CD and
cassette from 1993 to early 2000, with Republica Dominicana being the last album released on cassette.[5]
The Putumayo Kids division was created in 2002. Since the release of the World Playground CD in 1999, Putumayo Kids music collections have received over 20 Parents' Choice Awards[6] among other accolades.
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 100 commercial and non-commercial stations.[7]
In 2011, Putumayo developed a series of cultural coloring books.[8] Beginning in 2017, Putumayo began distributing multicultural books and activity sets in partnership with publisher
Barefoot Books.[9] That same year, Putumayo started a series of world greeting card collections that have featured international folk art and photography by illustrator Nicola Heindl, photographer Emerson Matabele, Brazilian block print artist
José Francisco Borges, Louisiana Folk Artist William Hemmerling, London artist Christopher Corr and Louisiana painter
George Rodrigue.[10]
Putumayo's products are sold at a network of thousands of book, gift, clothing, coffee and other specialty retailers around the world.
Many of Putumayo music collections are now available for digital download and streaming.[11] In 2020, the company launched an ongoing series of themed streaming playlists.[12]
Discography
1993
101/103 The Best of
World Music: Volume 1 - World Vocal (April 1993)
102/104 The Best of World Music: Volume 2 - World Instrumental (April 1993)
105/107 The Best of
Folk Music: Contemporary Folk (August 1993)
106/108 The Best of World Music: African (August 1993)
1994
109/110 Kotoja: The Super Sawalé Collection (July 1994)
111/113 The Best of World Music:
Reggae (July 1994)
112/114 The Best of World Music: World Dance Party (July 1994)
115-2 Shelter: The Best of Contemporary Singer-Songwriters (November 1994)
Dan Storper founded Putumayo in 1975 as a retail store in New York City featuring handicrafts from around the world. Storper took the name of his company, Putumayo, from Colombia's
Putumayo River Valley where he travelled in 1974.[1]Putumayo is said to mean a heron and "the place where the river begins" in the local indigenous language.[2] He eventually opened 7 world handicraft and clothing boutiques across the northeastern United States. In 1991, on his way home from
Bali, Storper stopped in San Francisco, California. In
Golden Gate Park, he heard the Nigerian band Kotoja. He was impressed by the music and started compiling international music to play in his stores. The response from the public was so positive that, in 1993, he launched Putumayo World Music and began offering compilations for sale.[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 styles (
reggae,
folk,
Latin,
jazz) and other themes (
lounge,
groove, party). All albums in the series were released on both CD and
cassette from 1993 to early 2000, with Republica Dominicana being the last album released on cassette.[5]
The Putumayo Kids division was created in 2002. Since the release of the World Playground CD in 1999, Putumayo Kids music collections have received over 20 Parents' Choice Awards[6] among other accolades.
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 100 commercial and non-commercial stations.[7]
In 2011, Putumayo developed a series of cultural coloring books.[8] Beginning in 2017, Putumayo began distributing multicultural books and activity sets in partnership with publisher
Barefoot Books.[9] That same year, Putumayo started a series of world greeting card collections that have featured international folk art and photography by illustrator Nicola Heindl, photographer Emerson Matabele, Brazilian block print artist
José Francisco Borges, Louisiana Folk Artist William Hemmerling, London artist Christopher Corr and Louisiana painter
George Rodrigue.[10]
Putumayo's products are sold at a network of thousands of book, gift, clothing, coffee and other specialty retailers around the world.
Many of Putumayo music collections are now available for digital download and streaming.[11] In 2020, the company launched an ongoing series of themed streaming playlists.[12]
Discography
1993
101/103 The Best of
World Music: Volume 1 - World Vocal (April 1993)
102/104 The Best of World Music: Volume 2 - World Instrumental (April 1993)
105/107 The Best of
Folk Music: Contemporary Folk (August 1993)
106/108 The Best of World Music: African (August 1993)
1994
109/110 Kotoja: The Super Sawalé Collection (July 1994)
111/113 The Best of World Music:
Reggae (July 1994)
112/114 The Best of World Music: World Dance Party (July 1994)
115-2 Shelter: The Best of Contemporary Singer-Songwriters (November 1994)