For many, the compilation records released by famed music label Putumayo World Music have been enriching, exciting, and eye-opening. Over the past 14 years, the label has been tirelessly searching the globe, discovering and introducing the world to a huge slate of talented artists from Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, Asia, and more.

On each and every CD is printed Putumayo's slogan: "Guaranteed to make you feel good!" And anyone who has purchased one of these upbeat and melodic compilations can tell you that the simple promise is entirely true. But here's something else that's guaranteed to make you feel good: Putumayo's one and only sister label, Cumbancha, is based in Charlotte, Vermont.

"It took six months of agony to settle on the perfect word," admits president and founder Jacob Edgar. "Cumbancha is a Cuban word of West African derivation that refers to an impromptu party or musical jam session. In the Caribbean, it’s common for friends to gather, with their instruments and a bottle of rum, and play until it’s five in the morning. I really wanted to capture that positive energy and spirit in the name of the company."

A famous Latin song, "El Cumbanchero," is about a person who knows how to party and have a good time. But it takes a lot of effort to capture this feel-good atmosphere in the studio, and Edgar is as hard-working as they come. An ethnomusicologist with a Master's degree from UCLA, Edgar worked as Putumayo's head of music research for eight years. During this time, he traveled the globe, sifting through the sounds of a thousand cultures, in search of the truly exceptional.

"There's a lot of great music out there, and a lot of bad music as well. My motto was, ‘I suffer so you don't have to.' Only one song out of a hundred would make it onto a Putumayo compilation. The challenge was to choose music that would resonate with all people, and not just fans of world music."

Cumbancha was a dream that came to Edgar out of a desire to work more closely with some of the more extraordinary artists he had gotten to know through Putumayo. In 2006, he relocated to Charlotte to start Cumbancha, with the full blessing of Putumayo, who also offered to invest in the new label, and offer its releases though it's worldwide distribution network. Edgar continues as a consultant for Putumayo, while branching out into different territories with Cumbancha.

"Putumayo's specialty is compilations, and that's what they decided to focus on," Jacob explains. "Over the years, we helped develop many new talents. I kept getting to know artists that were exceptional, and wanted to be more involved. We used to say at Putumayo that doing compilations was like dating, and signing artists was like getting married. After years of flirting with some of my favorite artists, it's nice to finally make some commitments and settle down!"

"My approach with Cumbancha is to look for artists I think are universally appealing and talented performers that I'm passionate about personally, and want to turn others on to. This label is a way of sharing art that has interesting stories, art that comes from a particular place or culture, yet remains accessible," he says.

The headquarters for Cumbancha is an 1830s farmhouse in Charlotte, which is also home to Charles Eller Studios, one of New England's most prestigious recording studios. Cumbancha currently has five recording artists, collected from Edgar's countless connections to artists across the world. In his career, Edgar was often exposed to an individual culture's most personal and treasured keystone: its music.

Such was certainly the case with Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective. With members from Belize, Honduras and Guatemala, this multi-generational band blends elements of African and Caribbean instrumentation to create a vibrant, sophisticated sound.

"Andy comes from Garifuna, which is a very unique culture with a difficult history," Jacob explains. "They are the descendants of shipwrecked African slaves who intermarried with the Indian populations of the Caribbean. They suffered a near genocide at the hands of British colonists. And even now, they struggle to maintain their sense of identity, in the face of globalization."

Their debut album, Watina, released by Cumbancha in February, has had tremendous success all over the world. It is currently No. 1 on the World Music Charts Europe. The Boston Globe raved "Palacio is blessed like the reggae mystics with the kind of deep, soulful voice that the ancestors select to convey their wisdom... Watina brims with Buena Vista Social Club's elegance and dignity."

"What's interesting is that helping share their music with the world has inspired cultural preservation," Edgar points out. "Sometimes it takes the approval of outsiders to help you appreciate what your own culture has to offer. By gaining the world's interest, Garifuna is suddenly hip back home in Belize and Central America. The whole process very quickly became a magical experience for the Garifuna."

Jacob is thrilled and honored to have played a part in the success that has given back to the Garifuna the treasure of their music, and shown them that it's worth protecting.

"It's incredibly fulfilling for me," Jacob acknowledges. "It's a very emotionally satisfying feeling, for sure. It's great to be involved with artists who are so special in what they do. The core of what we do at both Putumayo and Cumbancha has always been to open people's minds to the world that's out there. Music, our universal language, is the tool to facilitate that introduction to the world."

The Putumayo & Cumbancha World Music Series at Higher Ground in South Burlington will present its debut event August 2nd with a concert by Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective. As an added incentive, Putumayo will be providing copies of its award-winning CDs as door prizes and giveaways at the event. And Edgar already has two more artists lined up for September and October.

"Dobet Gnahore will perform in September. She is one of the best African live performers you'll ever see. She grew up in an artist's community on the Ivory Coast, and she left school to study art at age 12! She's an unbelievable dancer, and she knows how to capture an audience. And hopefully she'll be followed by CeU, a Brazilian artist who combines electronica, bossa nova and samba. CeU is currently the biggest selling world musician," Edgar says.

"I decided only to include artists that will change people's lives," Edgar says, with calm certainty - and not a hint of exaggeration in his voice. "These artists are just mind-boggling, and we are lucky to have them play here. I'm confident that people of any generation will quickly see the appeal."

The performance is Thursday. Aug. 2, in the Showcase Lounge at Higher Ground. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $ 10 in advance / $ 12 day of show, and are available through the Higher Ground Box Office at 1.888.512.SHOW (toll free), or visit www.highergroundmusic.com

By Colin Ryan