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Tuesday, September 02, 2008
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Acoustic Arabia In Stores Now!!!
Category: Music
Acoustic Arabia In Stores Now!!!
On previous collections, Putumayo has explored upbeat Arabic pop and dance music (Arabic Groove and North African Groove) and laid-back Arabic electronica (Sahara Lounge). With Acoustic Arabia, we turn our attention to the subtler, more organic music of the Arabic world which has been inspired by the region's traditional music.
With their stripped-down arrangements and softer, more introspective quality, the songs on Acoustic Arabia highlight the fundamental beauty of the music of the Arabic world. This collection features an intriguing roster of artists, including several international stars and exciting new discoveries. Each musician has a fascinating life story that brings added depth to their music.
One of the best-known featured artists is Algerian singer-songwriter Souad Massi, whose contemplative songs address social and political issues and were banned by the conservative government. Maurice El Medioni, a world-renowned Jewish piano legend from Oran, Algeria first began performing alongside Arab musicians during the golden age of the Algerian music halls of the 1940s and 50s, and is still tickling the ivories as an octogenarian. The band Tiris
Les Orientales, fronted by three divas - Mouna Boutchebak, Saléha and Sylvie Aniorte-Paz, revisits Algerian music hall songs of the post-World War II era. For more than 20 years, musicians from all over the world have met in the RAS, a magical oasis in the Sinai desert by the Red Sea. Sudanese singer Jamal Porto's "Gamar Badawi" was written and recorded at the RAS oasis. Zein Al-Jundi was born and raised in Damascus, Syria and moved to Austin, Texas where she performs, teaches belly-dance and owns a store selling Middle Eastern arts and crafts. She not only provided a song, "Wijjak Ma'ii," but also wrote the album's liner notes.
The gentle emotion and entrancing melodies of the songs featured on Acoustic Arabia will help listeners deepen their appreciation for the rich music of this part of the world.
A portion of Putumayo's proceeds from the sale of this CD will be donated to the Saïd Foundation in support of its efforts to bring positive and lasting change to the lives of children and young people in the Middle East.
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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Acoustic France In Stores Now!!!
Category: Music
Acoustic France In Stores Now!!!
Putumayo World Music brings the romance and charm of Paris and the French countryside with the release of Acoustic France. This collection features contemporary chanson and acoustic pop by established stars and up-and-coming artists from today's thriving French music scene. Inspired by the classic styles of an earlier generation, young artists are borrowing from old-school lyric-driven composition, folk and Gypsy jazz to create an appealing modern sound. The music captures the ambiance of strolling along the Seine or sipping wine in a Parisian café on a beautiful summer day.
Featured artists include Thomas Dutronc, the son of popular French singer Françoise Hardy and film star/singer Jacques Dutronc, whose sound was influenced by legendary Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. Sandrine Kiberlain, who released her critically acclaimed French debut album in 2005, first gained prominence as an award-winning actress in her native France. Carla Bruni, who recently made headlines for marrying French President Nicolas Sarkozy, started her career as a supermodel and actress but her musical talent has garnered her world-wide fame.
Several other exciting artists featured on Acoustic France have spent at least part of their lives outside of France and these influences radiate throughout the collection. Constance Amiot was raised by French parents in West Africa and the Washington DC area before settling in France a few years ago. French in spirit, if not in direct origin, Pascal Lejeune, from New Brunswick, Canada, exhibits a gift for wordplay and creating melodies that sound like they've always existed and that have earned him comparisons to French legend Georges Brassens. Rupa & the April Fishes is a San Francisco-based group whose album eXtraOrdinary rendition was released in spring 2008 by Cumbancha, an artist label affiliated with Putumayo World Music. Lead singer and songwriter Rupa spent many of her formative years in southern France, where her mother still resides.
Included in the liner notes is a signature recipe from 3 star Michelin French chef Michel Troisgros of La Maison Troisgros. Sifflets De Sole À La Banane Et Citron Vert (Banana and Lime Sole) is well-paired with the flavorful melodies served on this collection.
A portion of the proceeds from Acoustic France will be donated to La Chaîne de l'Espoir (The Chain of Hope), an organization that provides children from developing countries access to health care and quality education.
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Tuesday, June 24, 2008
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Quebec In Stores Now!!!
Category: Music
Quebec In Stores Now!!!
Putumayo joins in the 400th Anniversary celebration of one of the world's most fascinating and beautiful cities with the new release Québec. This collection features an array of Québécois songs ranging from traditional folk to contemporary singer-songwriters, and even includes a song by a Native Canadian artist singing in the rare Montagnais language.
Designated as a World Heritage City, Québec City has a proud musical tradition. Drawn from a variety of influences such as French and Celtic folk traditions and European pop, Québécois music includes a broad range of sounds and styles.Yet despite its potential broad international appeal, the music of Québec is not very well known to people outside of the province. Through this enchanting selection of songs, Putumayo seeks to introduce listeners to the compelling music of this unique province.
With their modern hippie attitude, DobaCaracol is a bit of an anomaly on the Québec pop music scene, but their enchanting fusion of funk, reggae vibes and African rhythms with French-language pop has earned them a wide following. Singer Chloé Sainte-Marie, after establishing herself as a film actress, has earned her place as a popular and respected vocalist whose songs draw from the poetry of French, Québécois and Inuit writers. One of the most recognizable figures in Québécois popular music, Annie Villeneuve was a celebrated winner of the television program Star Académie, the Québécois equivalent of American Idol. Singer-songwriter Florent Vollant writes most of his songs in his native Montagnais language, an Algonquian language spoken by over 11,000 people. As part of the successful Native American pop group Kashtin, Vollant has helped bring indigenous Canadian music to a wide audience throughout Canada. Québec
Québec follows the Putumayo line of successful French-language albums including French Café, Paris, French Playground and French Caribbean.
8:33 AM
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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Cafe Cubano In Stores Now!!!
Category: Music
Cafe Cubano In Stores Now!!!
Café Cubano is a captivating collection that will transport listeners to the charming cafes of this musically-rich Caribbean island. This album features a selection of exceptional performers who have incorporated Cuba's diverse musical traditions and distinctive styles into their music.
Several of the songs feature influences from the "nueva trova" movement, in which lyrical poetry is joined with Pan-American folk traditions. Others remain true to the sultry guajiras, romantic boleros and traditional sones which were the underpinning of the renowned Buena Vista Social Club recordings. Cuban music traces its roots back to the melodies of Europe and the rhythms of Africa, and the inspiring blend that resulted from years of interaction between these diverse cultures.
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Friday, May 02, 2008
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African Party In Stores Now!!!
Category: Music
African Party In Stores Now!!!
Featuring many of Africa's greatest artists, this CD collection also celebrates the Putumayo's 15th Anniversary. African music is among the world's most captivating and no one will be able to resist moving their feet to this danceable collection.
African Party is the latest installment in the Putumayo journey. In 1991, founder Dan Storper was strolling through Golden Gate Park when he was transfixed by the uplifting sounds of the African group Kotoja. This experience inspired Dan to launch Putumayo World Music as a platform to introduce people to the joyous international sounds that moved him on that day. "I'll never forget the moment when I came across people of all ages and backgrounds dancing to this exciting African band. Their music was the essence of what has become the Putumayo World Music slogan 'guaranteed to make you feel good.' It's exciting that we're now celebrating 15 years in existence, 15 offices opened around the world and more than 20 million CDs sold. I couldn't imagine a more appropriate CD than African Party as a celebration of the music that inspired me to start the company."
African Party features the inspirational band Kotoja and Oliver Mtukudzi, who released several popular albums on the Putumayo label. Newcomers Chiwoniso from Zimbabwe and Mapumba from the Congo are featured not only on African Party but also on Putumayo Kids' latest offering, African Dreamland.
A portion of Putumayo's proceeds from the sale of African Party will be donated to HopeHIV in support of their efforts to strengthen the capacity of children and their communities to deal with the impact of HIV/AIDS. Since it began in April, 1993, Putumayo World Music's charitable contributions have exceeded $1 million.
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Tuesday, January 22, 2008
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Latin Reggae In Stores Now!!!
Category: Music
Latin Reggae In Stores Now!!!
Like their counterparts in Europe, Africa, the US and beyond, the musicians on Latin Reggae have adopted the rhythms and philosophy of reggae, singing socially conscious lyrics in Spanish, and adding elements of regional styles into the flexible reggae groove. Many of these and other Latin reggae groups have made it onto the pop charts over the past twenty years.
A portion of the proceeds from Latin Reggae will be donated to ACCIÓN International in support of their efforts to provide people of Latin America and around the world with the financial tools needed to work their way out of poverty.
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Tuesday, December 19, 2006
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Thursday, October 26, 2006
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PUTUMAYO IN NEW ORLEANS
Current mood:  determined
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
Serving as a cultural gateway to North America, New Orleans is as vivid and unique as the various cultures that have passed through it since its founding in 1718. With its mix of French, Spanish, African and countless other traditions, New Orleans is a city of and for the world and its music tells the world a story about itself. This unique cultural history is what led Putumayo World Music and its founder Dan Storper to release Putumayo Presents: New Orleans in January 2005. A celebration of Crescent City blues, jazz and swing, the CD is a perfect soundtrack to the city.
The rich musical traditions captured on New Orleans are a testament to the strong character of the people and their unique cultural legacy. As such, Putumayo decided to donate all of the proceeds from the sale of the album through the end of 2006 to the relief efforts of the city.
As a result of hurricane Katrina, New Orleans found itself devoid of the musicians, the venues and the very instruments that were the essence of its musicality. Putumayo has always maintained a commitment to supporting the regions where the music on its collections originates, and a need this great in our own backyard could not be ignored. For this reason, the recipients of the proceeds from the sale of the New Orleans CD shifted from the larger bureaucratic organizations to the source: the music and musicians of the city. Beneficiaries include the Tipitina's Foundation, Save our Brass, Habitat for Humanity's Musicians' Village,WWOZ and other organizations dedicated to helping artists recover and to preserving the cultural traditions of
New Orleans.
As 2006 bears on, a new chapter in the story of New Orleans is being written. Its authors - the people of the city - reach for new pens with which to write. Its musicians reach for new instruments and sing with renewed voices. Putumayo World Music is pleased to support the on-going process of revitalization so that the world can continue to experience the music and culture of New Orleans, and be a part of its story - its past, its present and its future.
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SPECIAL OFFER FROM PUTUMAYO!!!!
Current mood:  excited
Category: Music
SPECIAL OFFER!!!!
   
Buy any two CDs from our online catalog and receive a Free 2007 Putumayo World Calender and
FREE SHIPPING!!!
www.putumayo.com
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Monday, November 20, 2006
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Acoustic Africa Concert Tour Concludes it's Successful Run!!!
Current mood: excited
Category: Music
Three of Africa's leading singer-songwriters, Vusi Mahlasela, Habib Koité and Dobet Gnahoré, toured in support of this unique collection. To learn more about the CD and read reviews from the tour, visit
www.acousticafrica.com
Click here to listen to Vusi performing live on NPR! --> -->
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