By David Steinberg
Journal Staff Writer
    A concert of three Latin divas- Totó la Momposina of Colombia, Belo Velloso of Brazil and Mariana Montalvo of Chile- is kind of a sampler of a sampler.
    The concert samples the singing of the three of them: La Momposina, Velloso and Montalvo each perform for about a half hour on stage. They're in concert Thursday, Nov. 4, at Popejoy Hall.
    Their singing also is heard on another sampler- the "Women of Latin America" CD on which there are 11 singers in all. Among the other vocalists on the album are Lila Downs, Susana Baca and Tania Libertad.
    The album and the concert are both concepts of Putumayo Records, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
    The Popejoy concert is part of Putumayo's first large-scale tour- 28 cities- said Dan Storper, president and founder of Putumayo.
    "These three women provide substantial diversity and yet have individual musical styles," Storper said.
    La Momposina comes from coastal Colombia and her music fuses Spanish, Afro-Caribbean and indigenous traditions. Her single cut on the CD is "Yo Me Llamo Cumbia," a tribute to the traditional cumbia rhythm of composer Mario Gareña.
    Velloso's selection on the album is titled "Toda Sexta-Feira," which is billed as a love letter to the people of Bahia, where the singer was born.
    Velloso is the niece of two famous Brazilian singer-composers, Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania.
    On the CD Montalvo sings her composition "India Song," an acoustic ballad that features the quena, an Andean flute.
    Though a native of Chile, Montalvo has lived in France since the 1970s when she fled the totalitarian regime of Gen. Augusto Pinochet. Montalvo goes back to Chile to give concerts but hasn't considered living there again.
    "I have been living in Paris since my exile. My children are there. I was married there. I have spent my adult life there," she said in a phone interview.
    Montalvo is considered part of Chile's nueva canción musical tradition.
    "I make music the way I want to and use any instrument I want to," she said. "On my recent CD it is half in Spanish and half in an African dialect sung by another singer."
    That is very much akin to Putumayo's philosophy of presenting music from around the world.
    "We like to say that the music is guaranteed to make you feel good. It's melodic, accessible music," Storper said.
    The record company grew out of a business he owned that sold clothing in the United States that was made in other countries.
    "In the back of my mind I wanted to put together the music with what I was selling," Storper said.
    He had an epiphany in 1991 while listening to a Nigerian band playing in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
    "They captured something magical. I was struck by their music. I made a mental note to get their album," Storper said.
    That triggered his decision to use taped world music in his stores.
    "I got a call from one manager who said he was blown away by the transformation of the store's environment. Customers and employees were asking about the music," he recalled.
    In April 1993 Putumayo released two thematic CD collections- one vocal, one instrumental.
    In late 2002, the label started the Putumayo Kids division to introduce children to other cultures through upbeat world music.
   
If you go
    WHAT: "Latinas: Women of Latin America"
    WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4
    WHERE: Popejoy Hall, Center for the Arts, UNM campus
    HOW MUCH: $22, $29 and $32 at UNM ticket offices in the Bookstore and the Pit, online at www.unmtickets.com and www.tickets.com, at tickets.com outlets in Raley's supermarkets and Western Warehouse stores or call 925-5858 or (800) 905-3315