For the first time, Putumayo World Music is bringing their compilations to the internet with the launch of the Putumayo World Beat series, last Tuesday, August 30th, starting with two terrific showcases, African Beat and Latin Beat.
What took Putumayo so long? According to this great New York Times article, founder Dan Storper said this:
It is important to note that you can still find their albums at random shops, classy museums, or coffee shops, this is just another outlet for this record company... which I think it's a great idea to join the modern world, even though, at the same time, I am from that Storper's antique world and love holding books and magazines and flipping through the album's liner notes.
Anyway, right away, the first thing you might notice is that the two cover art for both African Beat and Latin Beat are slightly different than the typical Putumayo albums. The art is still by Nicola Heindl, who's been producing covers for them since the beginning, but, from afar, looks more abstract than her usual traditional/folky art. I like it, you can tell right away, from the maracas and hand drums (Djembe), what the music in the album should sound like.
Between African Beat and Latin Beat, I did rather enjoy the former a tad bit more. This is because the music on this compilation had a weird mixture of Africana rhythm and traditional vocals/lyrics, but it's backed by electronic and "future" dancey music. The mixture of old and new sound is refreshing.
Latin Beat, on the other hand, is a little more traditional, showcasing some salsa, tropical, big band (banda), and Cuban rhythm. There are some exceptions, like the rap/hip-hop flavor in "Chocolate" by Columbia's Profetas.
You can't really go wrong with either compilations, especially if you're new to the genre and want a map, it's a great start. Since now you have the option to download, you can find the usual digital places: iTunes and Amazon MP3. I still recommend buying the physical album, the CD booklet has biographies and photographs on each musician spotlighted in the compilation.
PS, One minor problem I have with the compilations is that some songs sounds like they were perhaps edited for brevity. Songs like "Alapomeji Anthem" seems to fade out before it's supposed to end. I understand why longer songs needed to be shorten to fit other songs, but, to me, it just felt like I'm missing something. But otherwise, this does serve as a jumping point, so if you can't get enough of that particular artist (9ice), you'll do yourself a favor and look up his other works.
What took Putumayo so long? According to this great New York Times article, founder Dan Storper said this:
I’ve built a business focused on creating compelling physical packages that combine music, culture and travel, that make great gifts and that sound very good. I’m 60 years old. I still don’t own an iPod or iPad. I like reading physical books, magazines and newspapers, and buying CDs that have interesting liner notes. I’m certainly not an early adopter.
It is important to note that you can still find their albums at random shops, classy museums, or coffee shops, this is just another outlet for this record company... which I think it's a great idea to join the modern world, even though, at the same time, I am from that Storper's antique world and love holding books and magazines and flipping through the album's liner notes.
Anyway, right away, the first thing you might notice is that the two cover art for both African Beat and Latin Beat are slightly different than the typical Putumayo albums. The art is still by Nicola Heindl, who's been producing covers for them since the beginning, but, from afar, looks more abstract than her usual traditional/folky art. I like it, you can tell right away, from the maracas and hand drums (Djembe), what the music in the album should sound like.
Between African Beat and Latin Beat, I did rather enjoy the former a tad bit more. This is because the music on this compilation had a weird mixture of Africana rhythm and traditional vocals/lyrics, but it's backed by electronic and "future" dancey music. The mixture of old and new sound is refreshing.
Latin Beat, on the other hand, is a little more traditional, showcasing some salsa, tropical, big band (banda), and Cuban rhythm. There are some exceptions, like the rap/hip-hop flavor in "Chocolate" by Columbia's Profetas.
You can't really go wrong with either compilations, especially if you're new to the genre and want a map, it's a great start. Since now you have the option to download, you can find the usual digital places: iTunes and Amazon MP3. I still recommend buying the physical album, the CD booklet has biographies and photographs on each musician spotlighted in the compilation.
PS, One minor problem I have with the compilations is that some songs sounds like they were perhaps edited for brevity. Songs like "Alapomeji Anthem" seems to fade out before it's supposed to end. I understand why longer songs needed to be shorten to fit other songs, but, to me, it just felt like I'm missing something. But otherwise, this does serve as a jumping point, so if you can't get enough of that particular artist (9ice), you'll do yourself a favor and look up his other works.
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