Expanding Its Reach: Putumayo World Music sponsors a branded tour package

By John Schoenberger

            Putumayo World Music was launched in 1993 to introduce people to the music of the world’s different cultures.  It all began when founder Dan Storper started importing artifacts and art from around the world in the early 70’s.  This grew into a successful clothing company, Putumayo, which began in 1975 and was sold in 1997 so Storper could concentrate his efforts on music.

            Renowned for its world music compilations, independently owned Putumayo World Music has gradually become a well-known brand in the world-music community and played an important role in the overall growth of interest in world-music among the general public.

            Putumayo is concerted a pioneer and leader in developing the nontraditional market.  Besides distributing and selling its catalog through traditional retail channels, it has built a proprietary network of book, gift, clothing, coffee, and other specialty retailers that play and sell its CDs. Not only has Putumayo established a solid foundation in North America, it has also branched out to many countries around the world.

            In an effort to expand its brand in the North American market, the company hired Fabian Alsultany as Events Manager.  He came to Putumayo in January, after closing his world-music management company.  In addition, Alsultany produced the Africa Fete tours in the late ‘90s and also did a series called Viva La World, a Package show that was sponsored by the French government.  These and other tours and festivals he has been involved with have given him the insight and experience he brings to his new role at Putumayo.

            When I talked with Alsultany the company had just launched its first Putumayo Presents tour in North America, tied in with the recent release Latinas: Women of Latin America.  We spoke about the tour, world music’s growth and the mission of Putumayo.

            R&R:  This Latinas tour is your first big project since joining Putumayo.

            FA:  Yes.  Believe or not, this is the biggest world-music package tour to ever hit North America.  We are going to be in 28 cities.  Many popular world-music artists can book more dates as individual artists, such as Youssou N’Dour or Cesaria Evora, but in terms of a package and branded tour, this is the largest so far.

            Africa Fete was the biggest package tour prior to this one, in regard to the number of cities it traveled to, which was 18 or 19 back in 1999.  Three Artists touring together under one emblem doesn’t happen that often.  We hope to change that beginning with Putumayo Presents Latinas: Women of Latin America, featuring Totó La Momposina from Colombia, Mariana Montalvo from Chile and Bêlo Velloso from Brazil.

            What we hope to do is produce one of theses branded tours on an annual basis, as well as put on Putumayo World Music Festivals in select cities in North America and internationally.  This year we have the Latinas package, and next year we are looking at doing something called the Mediterranean Odyssey, where we’ll choose one artist from the Middle Eastern region, one from Italy or Spain and perhaps a Turkish artist and tour them together.  We are still in the early stages of putting that one together.

            We are also approaching this live performance concept on a more focused level.  For example, this past summer we released the Women of Africa compilation and staged three Women of Africa concerts in association with that release.  They were very successful.

            R&R:  You are focused on these concerts to help push the Putumayo brand and sell the world-music compilations the company puts together, but I get the feeling the intent is also grander, in that you care deeply about furthering world music and world- music artists in general.

            FA:  We are all about world music here.  We are a company that sells world music, and we have a vested interest in expanding the appeal of this music, but we also believe that, through music, people from all over the world can learn more about each other, and that helps bring us all together. 

            Through the compilations we put together we have access to a great pool of artists and musical communities around the world.  We want to take advantage of that on as many levels as we can – as businesspeople and as citizens of the world community.

            Many international artists who may be hugely popular in their own countries have never had the opportunity to be properly introduced in America.  Through our connections and the Putumayo brand, we hope to change that.

            For example, this Latinas tour features Totó La Momposina as the headliner.  She has been legendary since the ‘80s in her country and within dedicated world-music circles.  She has released countless albums but had never toured here.  It’s a real honor to actually bring her to America and, more important, to present her for the first time in the proper way.

            The other artists we have chosen, Mariana Montalvo and Bêlo Velloso, are both newer fantastic artist whom we hope we can help to break here.  We’ve helped them to get record deals in the U.S. and to get press stories going and to get booking agents and to generally push it all forward.

            Beyond us doing this tour and selling Putumayo records, it is about us bringing a musical culture to America that rarely ever gets to have this type of package and branding behind it.  We are very excited that we are able to take this tour to markets beyond the major cities, which are usually the only places that get kinds of shows.  Taking this kind of music to the heartland of America is an important personal mission of mine.

            All across this country and throughout the world there is growing interest in all kinds of music from all over the world.  It’s a lot of fun to be part of this.  We are all looking new and different kinds of music to discover and enjoy.

            R&R:  Putumayo has established a distinctive brand.  I also think it is interesting how the company – as an independent entity – has established a vast network of distribution partners beyond the traditional ways to sell music.

            FA:  There is a specific flavor of world music that Putumayo represents – music from all over the world that retains its traditional and cultural roots while being informed by contemporary movements.  This music can easily be played on contemporary radio, and that same brand and musical representation can easily be translated in other ways, such as through these festival and tours.

            In addition to selling music at places like Borders and Tower and other traditional outlets for music, we have a distribution network of over 3,000 nontraditional retailers who stock and sell Putumayo music.  Over 1,000 of them are getting involved on one level or another in helping us to promote these shows—from simply putting concert posters up in their window to having an in-store event with the artists when they are in town for the show.

            As the majors continue to consolidate, we are just one aspect of the vibrant independent music scene that is moving in to fill the void.  We are just one of the many independent labels that has found its niche, has built a foundation for it and is ready to expand on it.

            R&R:  I noticed that many of the dates are tied in with universities and other educational entities.  Is this because these are the types of “promoters” who’ll take on a show like this?

            FA:  To a certain extent that may be true.  These are also the communities of people who are predisposed to enjoy this type of music event.  But we also have several cultural activities directly linked to this series of concerts.  Besides the show itself, the in-store appearances and the press events, we are ding a series of workshops in almost every market we are playing in. 

            This allows people to go beyond the music and performance and to get a little deeper into what these artists are about and the kinds of influences that inform their music.  Many world-music artists are inspired by political and social causes in their countries and address them in their music.  These workshops allow people to learn more about a country’s history and its musical and cultural aspects and will, therefore, allow them to understand the music that much more.

            R&R:  lastly, it is easy for us to think that something like a Latinas tour represents a close-knit community of performers and musicians – like the rock or hip-hop worlds – but, really, we are talking about distinctly different musical genres emanating from different countries, in this case Colombia, Chile and Brazil.  Have these three artists ever performed together before?

            You can reach Alsultany at 212-825-1400.  For more information about Putumayo or the Latinas Tour, log on to www.putumayo.com.