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Latin Notas: Putumayo Stages Tour In Support Of 'Women' BY LEILA COBO
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Billboard, Latin Notas: Putumayo Stages Tour In Support Of 'Women' BY LEILA COBO >>
Even in today's multitasking age, few labels are putting together and promoting their own package tours.
But specialty label Putumayo World Music is doing just that in support of its compilation "Women of Latin America," released Sept. 21.
The album, which comprises 11 tracks sung by eclectic Latina singers from around the world, will be accompanied by a 30-city U.S. tour, Putumayo Presents Latinas: Women of Latin America. It will kick off Oct. 8 at the Grand Opera House in Washington, D.C., and run through Nov. 23.
Three of the album's featured singers--Chile's Mariana Montalvo, Colombia's Toto la Momposina and Brazil's Belo Velloso--will take part in the tour, which is produced and booked by Columbia Artists Management (known as Cami), Putumayo's partner in the venture.
"There are these moments where you just want to present exceptional artists who are featured on a label or around a theme that people will hopefully be excited about," says Dan Storper, founder and CEO of Putumayo.
"In this particular case, all these artists have been on Putumayo collections before, and we felt confident that if we did another album, somehow we would be able to help encourage retailers and consumers to go out and see these artists and go to a Putumayo-themed event."
The tour, which has been one year in the making, is an example of a holistic and different approach to marketing and selling music.
"To me, what's most interesting is the direct partnership between Putumayo and the tour," says Toby Tumarkin, VP/national booking director for Cami. "It's the first time I'm aware of that we collaborated directly with the label."
Although Cami is known for representing classical artists, during the past five years it has been expanding into the world music arena.
On its end, Putumayo has staged themed events before, but it had not put together a full-fledged tour until last year, when it hired events manager Sabian Alsutany. As a result, Storper says, "the whole tour basically took form around the theme."
The theme was selected by Putumayo and Cami. The two considered an all-female, all-Latin tour to be an attractive option and one that could sell well in multiple markets.
While Cami is in charge of the tour's production, the label will handle marketing and promotion--and selling.
The "Women of Latin America" album will be available at tour venues, along with other Putumayo releases that include new sets by Montalvo and Velloso.
In addition, Putumayo publicity manager Leandro Herbstein says, "We're sending material to [local] retailers to promote the shows, and our sales teams are going to these markets to make sure retail knows about it and that they're stocking the CD."
Special promotions and giveaways are also planned with key retailers.
"None of these artists have extensively toured across the country," Herbstein says. "This tour is going to reach a much wider audience of people who have never heard this music."
"This music" is mostly contemporary folk that veers into pop, from such artists as Tania Libertad, Susana Baca and Adriana Calcanhotto.
But Putumayo doesn't plan to stop there, as Storper wants to stage an annual Putumayo-themed tour.
Conversations with Cami are under way for 2005. Next year's theme will center on the Putumayo collection "A Mediterranean Odyssey." 10/02/04
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