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	<title>Putumayo World Music Blog &#187; Putumayo Artist Spotlight</title>
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	<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog</link>
	<description>The official blog of Putumayo World Music</description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:29:42 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Artist Reflections on Bob Marley (Part 4 of 4): Rebelution bassist Marley D. Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1660</link>
		<comments>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1660#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:55:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Artist Spotlight]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo World Music]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1660</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Tribute to a Reggae Legend Interview Series

Closing out the Tribute to a Reggae Legend interview series is Marley D. Williams, bassist of the breakthrough U.S. band Rebelution. Marley reflects on Bob&#8217;s music and his message of unity, and discusses Rebelution&#8217;s amazing cover of &#8220;Natural Mystic,&#8221; recorded exclusively for Tribute to a Reggae Legend.
Listen to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The</strong><em><strong> Tribute to a Reggae Legend </strong></em><strong>Interview Series</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object width="425" height="319" data="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14294607&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=0&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=ff9933&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14294607&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=0&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=ff9933&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;loop=0" /></object></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Closing out the <strong><em><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1008" target="_blank">Tribute to a Reggae Legend</a> </em></strong>interview series is Marley D. Williams, bassist of the breakthrough U.S. band <a href="http://rebelutionmusic.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Rebelution</strong></a>. Marley reflects on Bob&#8217;s music and his message of unity, and discusses Rebelution&#8217;s amazing cover of &#8220;Natural Mystic,&#8221; recorded exclusively for <strong><em>Tribute to a Reggae Legend</em></strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Listen to Rebelution&#8217;s version of &#8220;Natural Mystic&#8221; below:</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/track=2119062460/size=venti/bgcol=fef5de/linkcol=bb8b42/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><param name="allowNetworking" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#fef5de" /><param name="src" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/track=2119062460/size=venti/bgcol=fef5de/linkcol=bb8b42/" /></object></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1682" style="float: right; border:  0pt none; padding-left: 10px" title="Rebelution" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/rebelution_2001.jpg" alt="Rebelution" width="200" height="133" />Hailing from Santa Barbara, California, Rebelution is a mainstay of the Cali reggae scene and has developed into the front runner among grassroots, independent and tour-driven music groups. Founded in 2004, members Eric Rachmany (vocals / guitar), Rory Carey (keyboards), Wesley Finley (drums) and Marley D. Williams (bass) met in college while residing in Isla Vista, a popular beachside community in Santa Barbara. It was there that the seeds of Rebelution&#8217;s future were planted. Their laid back, &#8220;worry free&#8221; vibes, catchy refrains and optimistic, engaging music leaves their listeners with the sense that they have the power to make this world a better place.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1686" style="float: left; border:  0pt none; padding-right: 10px" title="Putumayo &amp; Rebelution CD Giveaway!" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cds_2.jpg" alt="Putumayo &amp; Rebelution CD Giveaway!" width="175" height="131" />We&#8217;re giving away a 2-CD set that includes the Putumayo Classic CD <em><strong>Latin Reggae </strong></em>and<strong> </strong>Rebelution&#8217;s CD <strong><em>bright side of life</em><em>. </em></strong>Leave a comment (on our blog or our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Putumayo" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>) telling us your favorite moment from the <em>Tribute to a Reggae</em> <em>Legend</em> Interview Series. We&#8217;ll select a winner at random next Tuesday, August 31st.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">To view the previous interviews, click on the following links: <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1491" target="_blank">Sierra   Leone&#8217;s Refugee All Stars</a>, <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1578" target="_blank">Playing for Change founder Mark Johnson,</a> and <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1626" target="_blank">Julie Crochetière</a>.</p>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1660</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Artist Reflections on Bob Marley (Part 3 of 4): Julie Crochetière</title>
		<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1626</link>
		<comments>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1626#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:13:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Artist Spotlight]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo World Music]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1626</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Tribute to a Reggae Legend Interview Series

This week&#8217;s interview stars Canadian songstress Julie Crochetière, who speaks about Marley&#8217;s message, his music as a source of inspiration, and her live off the floor  recording of &#8220;Mellow Mood,&#8221; featured on Tribute to a Reggae Legend. Check out the video interview above.
Julie Crochetière grew up in Montreal, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The <em>T</em><em>ribute to a Reggae Legend</em> Interview Series</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object width="425" height="319" data="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14210018&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=0&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=1&amp;color=ff9933&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14210018&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=0&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=1&amp;color=ff9933&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;loop=0" /></object></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1008" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1641" style="float: right; border:  0pt none; padding-left: 10px" title="Tribute to a Reggae Legend!" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/tribute-to-a-reggae-legend-cover-blog.jpg" alt="Tribute to a Reggae Legend!" width="160" height="144" /></a>This week&#8217;s interview stars Canadian songstress <a href="http://www.myspace.com/juliecmusic" target="_blank">Julie Crochetière</a>, who speaks about Marley&#8217;s message, his music as a source of inspiration, and her live off the floor  recording of &#8220;Mellow Mood,&#8221; featured on <a href="../../../../../../en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1008" target="_blank"><strong><em>Tribute to a Reggae Legend</em></strong></a>. Check out the video interview above.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Julie Crochetière grew up in Montreal, the younger of two girls. She studied classical piano for eight years and came from a family where music was always encouraged and appreciated.  As a kid Julie would sit down and go through her family&#8217;s vinyl records, discovering soul music from artists like The Commodores, Aretha Franklin and others in the process. Julie places her musical roots in 60s and 70s music, stating of her own artistic vision, &#8220;I&#8217;m trying to use my building blocks to create something genuine where things happen and work.&#8221; Following membership in the platinum-selling Canadian pop group Sugar Jones, Julie made her solo debut with the 2003 EP <em>Café</em>, followed by 2007&#8217;s full-length, <em>A Better Place</em>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Listen to Julie&#8217;s soulful rendition of &#8220;<strong>Mellow Mood</strong>,&#8221; featured on <em>Tribute to a Reggae Legend. </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/track=4212471059/size=venti/bgcol=fef5de/linkcol=bb8b42/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><param name="allowNetworking" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#fef5de" /><param name="src" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/track=4212471059/size=venti/bgcol=fef5de/linkcol=bb8b42/" /></object></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1633" style="float: right; border:  0pt none; padding-left: 10px" title="Marley Williams from Rebelution!" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/rebellution.jpg" alt="Marley Williams from Rebelution!" width="160" height="120" /></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1660" target="_blank"><strong>Next:</strong> Marley D. Williams</a>, bassist of the breakthrough U.S. band <a href="http://www.rebelutionmusic.com/" target="_blank">Rebelution,</a> discusses Bob&#8217;s incomparable appeal and their cover of &#8220;Natural Mystic.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Watch the previous interviews with <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1491">Reuben Koroma of Sierra Leone&#8217;s Refugee All Stars</a> and <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1578" target="_blank">Playing for Change founder Mark Johnson</a>.</p>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1626</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Artist Reflections on Bob Marley (Part 2 of 4): Playing For Change founder Mark Johnson</title>
		<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1578</link>
		<comments>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1578#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:09:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Artist Spotlight]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo World Music]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1578</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Tribute to a Reggae Legend Interview Series

We continue our 4-week interview series exploring Bob Marley&#8217;s impact with Playing For Change founder Mark Johnson, who shares personal reflections and stories from the road about Bob Marley&#8217;s global reach. Mark also discusses Playing For Change&#8217;s multi-artist tribute version of &#8220;One Love,&#8221; featured on Tribute to a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The <em>T</em><em>ribute to a Reggae Legend</em> Interview Series</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object width="425" height="283" data="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4533013&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=0&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=ff9933&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4533013&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=0&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=ff9933&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;loop=0" /></object></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1008" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1612" style="float: right; border:  0pt none; padding-left: 10px" title="Putumayo Presents: Tribute to a Reggae Legend!" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/tribute-to-a-reggae-legend-cover-small1.jpg" alt="Putumayo Presents: Tribute to a Reggae Legend!" width="160" height="144" /></a>We continue our 4-week interview series exploring Bob Marley&#8217;s impact with <a href="http://www.playingforchange.com/" target="_blank">Playing For Change</a> founder Mark Johnson, who shares personal reflections and stories from the road about Bob Marley&#8217;s global reach. Mark also discusses Playing For Change&#8217;s multi-artist tribute version of &#8220;One Love,&#8221; featured on <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1008" target="_blank"><em><strong>Tribute to a Reggae Legend</strong></em></a>. Check out the video above.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Playing for Change is a unique project created by Johnson to unite the world through music, mixing the field recordings of street musicians and popular stars into giant global jams.  The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. Regardless of whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-1594  aligncenter" title="Mark Johnson at 56 Hope Road (Bob Marley's Former Residence)" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/mark-johnson-bob-marley-hope-road-4001.jpg" alt="Mark Johnson at 56 Hope Road (Bob Marley's Former Residence)" width="400" height="225" /></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How were you introduced to Bob Marley and his music? </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I was first introduced to Bob Marley and his music the same way I was introduced to most of the great music early in my life, from my brother Greg Johnson.  I think the first Bob Marley song I ever heard is still my favorite song of all time, &#8220;No Woman No Cry&#8221;.  This song has an amazing power to create images we all can relate to.  &#8220;Good friends we have and good friends we lost&#8230;&#8221; and &#8220;Everything  is going to be all right&#8230;&#8221; are as universal today as they were when I was a teenager.  This song is synonymous to me with that great place in our soul where our past meets the hope of our future.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What do Bob Marley and his music mean to you?  What impact did his music and legacy have on you?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The truth is Bob Marley is my hero in life.  His music and his legacy are a major driving force in everything we are doing with Playing For Change.  In this world we must come together as one and Bob Marley is the greatest symbol for this mission that I have ever seen or heard.  He represents the triumph of the individual spirit as well as the perseverance of our human race.  Somehow in his music we can learn about the errors of our past and still find a way to make a better future for everyone. As he once said, &#8220;Overcome the devils with a thing called love.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What do you think it is about Bob Marley&#8217;s music that appeals to such a wide variety of people? </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I once heard someone say that the music of Bob Marley is as easy to understand and relate to as a nursery rhyme. His message is so simple, universal and full of emotion.  He can preach without alienating anyone and show us the importance of finding unity in our hearts while we are ALIVE in this world.  I think the truth is that Playing For Change may have never been born without the music of Bob Marley.  His songs will always keep us humble and driven to connect the world through music.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1596" style="float: left; border:  0pt none; padding-right: 10px" title="Mark Johnson in Dharmsala, India" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/mark-johnson-in-dharmsala-india-2001.jpg" alt="Mark Johnson in Dharmsala, India" width="200" height="150" />How does Bob Marley&#8217;s message tie in with what Playing for Change is all about?</strong> With Playing For Change we are striving to keep Bob Marley&#8217;s message of one love and one heart alive for everyone to see. The time is now to unite as a human race and music is the best way for us to achieve this mission.  We have traveled across the globe and everywhere we go the music of Bob Marley is celebrated.  It must be something about the simple melodies and powerful, universal message that all of the world can relate to.  I remember once we were in Dharmsala, India recording some Tibetan refugees and as we walked down a dirt road we passed a small record shop.  As I looked I saw about 50 Tibetan CD&#8217;s with Bob Marley&#8217;s <em>Legend </em>CD in the center.  Everywhere we go Bob is with us all!</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>You recorded &#8220;One Love&#8221;; why did you choose that song?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The global movement of Playing For Change began about 6 six years ago.  A small crew started traveling the globe armed with a mobile recording studio, cameras, and two songs: &#8220;Stand By Me&#8221; and &#8220;One Love&#8221;.  These were the first two songs around the world we ever assembled and I believe they are also the two greatest universal songs of connection and inspiration that I have ever heard.   I wonder sometimes after so many years of traveling the world if we chose these songs or if perhaps they chose us.  I will never forget the turning point in filming &#8220;One Love&#8221; when we traveled to a shack on the top of a hill in the township of Umlazi, South Africa.  We were working with a Zulu Choir named Sinamuva and when we arrived they were singing the choruses of &#8220;One Love&#8221; in their native language of Zulu.  Seeing their faces and feeling the love coming from their hearts as they sang this song was perhaps the greatest moment of life.  We have recorded many different people from different races, religions, cultures and economic status throughout our journey, and Bob Marley always finds a way to connect them all.  &#8220;One Great thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Putumayo</strong><strong> World Music was established to introduce people to other cultures through music. How does Putumayo&#8217;s philosophy of exposing people to new cultures, sounds, and ideas relate to Playing for Change?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">It is truly and honor to for Playing For Change to be included in this Putumayo <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1008" target="_blank"><em>Tribute to a Reggae Legend</em></a> project.  Most of my life I have been introduced to great music around the world from Putumayo and their various releases.  It is through this music that I first heard <a href="http://www.rockydawuni.com/" target="_blank">Rocky Dawuni,</a> a great musician and friend and now a collaborator with Playing For Change.  It&#8217;s not just world music, but instead great music around the world.  This music can open your heart and soul to the simple fact that great music is everywhere.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">One Love, One heart, Mark Johnson</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1623" style="float: right; border:  0pt none; padding-left: 10px" title="3-CD Giveaway!" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/playingforchange_giveaway_cropped-175.jpg" alt="3-CD Giveaway!" width="175" height="158" />We&#8217;re giving away a 3-CD/DVD set that includes Putumayo&#8217;s <strong><em><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=121" target="_blank">World Reggae</a> </em></strong>and<strong> </strong>Playing for Change&#8217;s<em> </em>CD<em><strong> Songs Around the World </strong></em>and DVD <strong><em>Peace Through Music</em></strong>. Leave a comment (on our blog or our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Putumayo" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>) telling us your favorite Bob Marley song. We&#8217;ll select a winner at random next Tuesday, August 17<sup>th</sup>!</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1604" style="float: left; border:  0pt none; padding-right: 10px" title="Julie Crochetière" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/julie-crochetiere.jpg" alt="Julie Crochetière" width="160" height="120" /><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1626">Next:<strong> </strong>Canadian songstress <strong>Julie Crochetière</strong></a> discusses the significance of Marley&#8217;s message and her cover of &#8220;Mellow Mood&#8221;.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1491" target="_blank">Watch last week&#8217;s interview with Reuben Koroma of Sierra Leone&#8217;s Refugee All Stars.</a></p>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?feed=rss2&amp;p=1578</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Artist Reflections on Bob Marley (Part 1 of 4): Reuben Koroma of Sierra Leone&#8217;s Refugee All Stars</title>
		<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1491</link>
		<comments>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1491#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:43:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Music News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Artist Spotlight]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo World Music]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1491</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ The Tribute to a Reggae Legend Interview Series

Putumayo celebrates the release of the new album Tribute to a Reggae Legend, a global celebration of the music of Bob Marley, with the launch of an intimate 4-week interview series starring Reuben Koroma of Sierra Leone&#8217;s Refugee All Stars, Playing for Change founder Mark Johnson, Rebelution&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong> The <em>Tribute to a Reggae Legend </em>Interview Series</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">Putumayo celebrates the release of the new album <strong><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1008" target="_blank"><em>Tribute to a Reggae Legend</em></a>,</strong> a global celebration of the music of <strong>Bob Marley,</strong> with the launch of an intimate 4-week interview series starring <strong>Reuben Koroma</strong> of <strong><a href="http://refugeeallstars-audience.fm/" target="_blank">Sierra Leone&#8217;s Refugee All Stars</a>,</strong> <a href="http://playingforchange.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Playing for Change</strong></a> founder <strong>Mark Johnson</strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.rebelutionmusic.com/" target="_blank">Rebelution&#8217;s</a> Marley D. Williams</strong> and Canadian songstress <a href="http://www.myspace.com/juliecmusic" target="_blank"><strong>Julie Crochetière</strong></a>, who reflect on the universality of Bob Marley&#8217;s music, his lasting influence on them as artists and his global impact.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1519" style="float: left; border:  0pt none; padding-right: 10px" title="Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars!" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/slras-photo-3.jpg" alt="Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars!" width="200" height="147" />Throughout the 1990s, the West African country of Sierra Leone was wracked with a bloody, horrifying war that forced millions to flee their homes.  The musicians that would eventually form <strong>Sierra Leone&#8217;s Refugee All Stars</strong> are all originally from Freetown, but were forced to leave the capital city at various times after violent rebel attacks.  <strong>Reuben Koroma</strong>, founder of Sierra Leone&#8217;s Refugee All Stars, explores the connection between Bob Marley and the All Stars as cultural ambassadors and representatives for those without a voice.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Listen to the All Stars&#8217; amazing, African-infused rendition of &#8220;<strong>No Woman, No Cry</strong>,&#8221; recorded exclusively for <em>Tribute to a Reggae Legend. </em></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1513" style="float: right; border:  0pt none; padding-right: 10px" title="3-CD Gift Set" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/3-cd-gift-set.jpg" alt="3-CD Gift Set" width="200" height="171" />To kick off the interview series, we&#8217;re giving away a 3-CD set that includes Putumayo&#8217;s <em><strong>Tribute to a Reggae Legend </strong></em>and<em><strong> </strong></em><strong><em>African Reggae</em></strong> CDs and <strong>Sierra Leone&#8217;s Refugee All Stars</strong> new CD <strong><em>Rise and Shine,</em></strong> now available from <strong>Cumbancha</strong>. <em> </em>Leave a comment (on our blog or our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Putumayo" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>) telling us why you love Bob Marley. We&#8217;ll select a winner at random next Tuesday, August 10<sup>th</sup>!</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1532" style="float: left; border:  0pt none; padding-right: 10px" title="Mark Johnson founder of Playing for Change!" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/mark-johnson-founder-of-playing-for-change.jpg" alt="Mark Johnson founder of Playing for Change!" width="160" height="120" /><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1578" target="_self">Next: Playing for Change</a></strong> founder Mark Johnson shares stories from the road about Marley&#8217;s global impact and discusses PFC&#8217;s multi-artist tribute version of &#8220;<strong>One Love</strong>&#8220;.</p>
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		<title>A Rockin&#8217; Conversation with Dan Zanes</title>
		<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1469</link>
		<comments>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1469#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:41:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Artist Spotlight]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Kids]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1469</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dan Zanes, formerly of the popular 80s rock band The Del Fuegos, has grown to be the face of family music and the artist that most people associate with this relatively new genre. In 2007, Zanes received the Grammy® Award for Best Musical Album for Children, for his album Catch That Train! and has performed [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.danzanes.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Dan Za</strong><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1470" style="float: left; border:   0pt none; padding-right: 10px" title="Dan Zanes" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/dan1.png" alt="Dan Zanes" width="181" height="277" /><strong>nes</strong></a>, formerly of the popular 80s rock band <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Del_Fuegos" target="_blank">The Del Fuegos</a>, has grown to be the face of family music and the artist that most people associate with this relatively new genre. In 2007, Zanes received the Grammy® Award for Best Musical Album for Children, for his album <em>Catch That Train!</em> and has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the Melbourne International Arts Festival. He has released 10 albums targeted toward family audiences and has earned an ardent following.</p>
<p>We recently spoke with Dan Zanes, whose song &#8220;Let&#8217;s Shake&#8221; is featured on <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/putumayo_kids_catalog_item.php?album_id=1007" target="_blank"><em><strong>Rock &amp; Roll Playground</strong></em></a>, to explore the connection between family music and rock &amp; roll.</p>
<p><strong>Do you remember your first encounter with rock &amp; roll? </strong></p>
<p>Yeah, I heard Chuck Berry on the radio. That was it! (laughs) And I never really got too far out of the 50s. I wasn&#8217;t alive then, but we had oldies radio; Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley-those are the [musicians] I thought were great.</p>
<p><strong>What was it about rock &amp; roll music that you gravitated toward? </strong></p>
<p>I just loved the energy of it. It sounded like it was about to cave in on itself half the time, especially Bo Diddley records. It was all hanging on by a thread, but it was totally artful at the same time.</p>
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<p><strong>Rock &amp; roll is often associated with adult themes. Is there a different approach when writing rock &amp; roll for kids?</strong></p>
<p>I kind of want to have it both ways, you know? If it&#8217;s family music, you can sing about anything, but at the same time, I wouldn&#8217;t raise my daughter on a steady diet of pop music because the themes do tend to be romantic-love and sex, for the most part. It&#8217;s going to be impossible for a 3-year old to really identify with that, just the way that it&#8217;s impossible for me to identify with a song about putting on a pair of trousers, or eat[ing] with a fork&#8230; Those are not my experiences any more. I think that the middle ground is what I like. The energy of 50s rock &amp; roll is something that I love to bring into family music, because I don&#8217;t think those guys really knew what they were doing from one minute to the next, so [the music is] wide open. [It's] very free form and the music itself is completely free wheeling, with all these different influences coming in. So I love that. I love that stuff in general where you don&#8217;t know where it&#8217;s going to go, or what they were even thinking when they were making it.</p>
<p><strong>You&#8217;ve collaborated with artists <a href="http://www.nick-cave.com/" target="_blank">Nick  Cave</a>, <a href="http://www.philipglass.com/" target="_blank">Philip Glass</a>, <a href="http://www.loureed.com/00/index.html" target="_blank">Lou Reed</a>, <a href="http://www.kidjo.com/">Angélique Kidjo</a> and many more. This is certainly a testament to your vision as an artist, but do you think the interest of these artists also has something intrinsically to do with the genre of family music? What is it about your style of family music that attracts artists from hugely diverse backgrounds? </strong></p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know (laughs)&#8230; Honestly, I don&#8217;t know. We&#8217;re just doing something that&#8217;s really personal. All of the people that I&#8217;m asking to come and join us are people that I really love. It&#8217;s all kind of a personal vision, but we&#8217;re just curious musicians. I think it&#8217;s sort of unfair to put too many boundaries on [family music], although I know we all like to do that, or to put too many names on it all. We&#8217;re just trying to make home spun music that sounds like people came over to my house for dinner, and when the meal&#8217;s over, we push back our chairs and play some tunes. We want to do the artful version of that. I feel really grateful that everyone&#8217;s agreed to come along for the ride. I don&#8217;t know exactly what it is, I feel lucky that people are doing it.</p>
<p><strong>Do you think there are defining characteristics to family music? What differentiates it from other types of music? </strong></p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know that much about family music, I really only know what I&#8217;m doing. My kind of family music or the stuff that we play, we might lean more towards the grown-ups one minute, or towards the young people the next, but we try not to leave anybody behind. We try to give everyone a lot of credit to have some sort of emotional connection to what&#8217;s going on.</p>
<p><strong>How would you describe your particular musical style? </strong></p>
<p>21st century, all ages, cranked up folk music.</p>
<p><strong>Can you give us a little background on your song &#8220;Let&#8217;s Shake&#8221; on the <em>Rock &amp; Roll Playground</em> CD?</strong></p>
<p>I was just trying to pretend I was in The Del Fuegos again, and it&#8217;s always hard to write songs that people can dance to. It&#8217;s easy to sit around and write ballads all day. I was just trying to write something that didn&#8217;t sound like children&#8217;s music but could be played anywhere-at a wedding, or in someone&#8217;s back yard for a bunch of three-year-olds. I was just trying to think of something that would straddle the middle ground and again 50s rock &amp; roll [came] to me. They never minded getting silly with their lyrics; I love that, I love that about it. Along the way we started taking ourselves a little seriously-not everybody, of course, but I think there&#8217;s a feeling that maybe you&#8217;ve got to be saying something, or there&#8217;s got to be some sort of importance to it all. That&#8217;s where I start to lose interest.</p>
<p><strong>Other than early rock &amp; roll legends like Bo Diddley, Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry, who are your musical influences and inspirations? </strong></p>
<p>Really, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Jamaica" target="_blank">Jamaican music</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluegrass_music" target="_blank">bluegrass</a> are the things that inspire me the most. Anytime I go back and listen to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancehall" target="_blank">dancehall </a>records or my blue grass records, there&#8217;s always more ideas than my brain can hold. That&#8217;s kind of all I need to get inspired. There&#8217;s more music [from Jamaica] in the last 50 years than I could ever comprehend in my lifetime. [Jamaican music teaches you] how to make songs that are simple, [songs that] can be listened to 1000 times and always feel good while doing so. Songs that people want to dance to, songs that say something-it&#8217;s all in there.</p>
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		<title>South Africa Artist Spotlight: Interview with the Soweto Gospel Choir and Masauko Chipembere of Blk Sonshine</title>
		<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1367</link>
		<comments>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1367#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:08:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Music News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Artist Spotlight]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo World Music]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1367</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[

South Africa has always been an important hub for musicians. Artists like the late Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masakela and Johnny Clegg, among others, travelled around the world presenting South African music and telling the story of the South African struggle for democracy and equality. The country´s contemporary music reflects diverse influences. Township jive, mbaqanga, marabi, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1368" title="Soweto Gospel Choir and Blksonshine" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/sowetochoirandblksonshine.jpg" alt="Soweto Gospel Choir and Blksonshine" width="400" height="183" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: justify;">South Africa has always been an important hub for musicians. Artists like the late <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Makeba" target="_blank"><strong>Miriam Makeba</strong></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela" target="_blank"><strong>Hugh Masakela</strong></a> and <a href="http://www.johnnyclegg.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Johnny Clegg</strong></a>, among others, travelled around the world presenting South African music and telling the story of the South African struggle for democracy and equality. The country´s contemporary music reflects diverse influences. Township jive, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbaqanga" target="_blank">mbaqanga</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marabi" target="_blank">marabi,</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwaito" target="_blank">kwaito,</a> among other genres, are examples of South African styles that arose from the blending of South African tribal traditions, jazz, rock and hip-hop.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">We recently spoke with the legendary <a href="http://www.sowetogospelchoir.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Soweto Gospel Choir</strong></a> and <strong>Masauko Chipembere</strong> of the South Africa-founded musical duo <a href="http://blksonshine.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Blk Sonshine</strong></a>, both featured on our new <strong><em><a href="../../../../../../en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1006">South Africa</a></em><a href="../../../../../../en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1006"> CD</a></strong>, to get a better sense of how the eclectic blend of cultures, styles and influences in South African music has impacted the contemporary sound emerging from this historical country.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>1. For those who don&#8217;t know, can you explain how the group came into existence? </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Soweto</strong></em><strong><em> Gospel Choir:</em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in 2002 by Beverly Bryer and the late David Mulovhedzi to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music. The choir draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto. The choir is dedicated to sharing the joy of faith through music with audiences around the world.&#8221;</em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Blk Sonshine (Masauko Chipembere)</em></strong><em>:</em><em><br />
<em>&#8220;We met in Jo&#8217;burg in the later part of the 90s. I was visiting Africa for the first time as a child of exile. My family is from Malawi. I was born in LA. After staying in Malawi a while, I heard that all the music went down in South Africa, so I got on a bus and traveled through Zimbabwe and Mozambique to South Africa. There I met Neo Muyanga at an open mic called &#8220;Monday Blues&#8221; and we started jamming together. Our music is blend of all the music available on the continent and in the Diaspora. It is an attempt to remember all the pieces of Africa that have been spread around the world through the processes of migration, enslavement, colonialism and exile. But there is an optimism about the project; we use what is best from the past to create the future we intend to see through music. Our new album is called Good Life because that is what we are hoping to create for all in Africa.&#8221; </em></em></p>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>2. Contemporary South African music reflects, among many others, the influences of indigenous tribal cultures (e.g. Zulu </strong><em><strong>isicathamiya</strong></em><strong> and harmonic </strong><em><strong>mbaqanga</strong></em><strong>), European cultures, American music (jazz, hip-hop, R&amp;B, rock) and more.  How do these influences affect your music?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Soweto</strong></em><strong><em> Gospel Choir:</em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;We spend most of the time performing internationally, and we have learned to accommodate other musical genres to impress our different audiences, as well as to broaden our own musical skills, but we make sure that we preserve our African sound, leaving room for learning in order to move on with the times.&#8221;</em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Blk Sonshine: </em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;I don&#8217;t view Africa in terms of tribes. I deal with Africa in terms of people. So, for me, Zulu is not the name of a tribe, it is the name of a people with a culture. All of the people on this planet have roots in Africa; this means that all the music on this planet spreads out from there and becomes individuated through the evolution of various cultures. For me jazz, blues, rock and R&amp;B are from Africa just like kwela and mbaqanga. They are musical forms created by Africans addressing their various conditions in all parts of the world. But, the key is that the people making the music are African, so the forms are African. I see no borders when it comes to music. All of these forms are parts of my musical being.&#8221; </em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>3. Do you think there is a musical thread or signature sound that is unique to South African music and can be heard when listening to the country&#8217;s contemporary music?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Soweto</strong></em><strong><em> Gospel Choir:</em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;Yes, we have our own signature which is filled with African drums, strong bass voices in the background supported by mbaqanga guitar sounds. This is the kind of sound which gives identity when South African music is played or performed.&#8221;</em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Blk Sonshine: </em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;There are certain chord progressions in music that are rooted in Southern Africa. You hear the same progression in the kwela, mbaqanga, Afro-jazz, mbira, marrabenta, jive and jit. There are others that you hear in Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Ngoni and Sotho music. You can hear the same chords in &#8220;Nkosi Sikelel&#8217; iAfrika&#8221; [the national anthem of South Africa] and &#8220;Mannenburg&#8221; by Abdullah Ibrahim. These forms are the equivalent of the 12 bar blues in America. Everyone plays the same chords but puts various beats, melodies and stories together with them. Each song answers the other in an attempt to display new moods that fit the culture of the day.  Most people reading this know that Southern African sound. I wont give it away for them by spelling in out technically though&#8230;We may go from Afro-jazz to hip-hop in this era, but the chords stay the same because they do certain things to the brain.&#8221;</em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>4. Soweto Gospel Choir has collected over $1.2 million for charities around the world. How important is it to use your music as a vehicle for charities and those who are less fortunate? </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Soweto</strong></em><strong><em> Gospel Choir:</em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;We feel that it is very important for us to look after those who are in need, as we have the privilege to travel around the world performing our music for different people. Our music has brought us closer to a lot of people who are willing to help. We have our charity fund called Nkosi&#8217;s Haven Vukani and we always request support from our audience, who are always willing to donate. We have been able to give back to our communities by reaching out to places where there is no assistance, and through the response to our music, we are able to enrich [people's] lives and give them both physical and spiritual support.&#8221; </em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>5. South Africa has been largely defined throughout the 20th century for its struggle against the unjust system of apartheid.  How important was the music of South Africa as a means to help endure and overcome apartheid?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Soweto</strong></em><strong><em> Gospel Choir:</em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;Music played an imported role during the struggle against apartheid. It motivated people to keep fighting for their freedom [and] helped to put down apartheid, and South Africans are known to use music as a tool to overcome their problems.&#8221;</em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Blk Sonshine: </em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;South African musicians were involved in the struggle for Africa, not just against apartheid. [These musicians] became symbols of freedom to all of us. Notice that Miriam Makeba is not Mama South Africa, she is Mama Africa. Music is the greatest African form of communication; we come from a people who used drums to speak to God and bring rain from the sky. Music is not only a means of struggle, it is often the overt personification of the African conception of self in relation to the universe. It is the fact of who we are as Africans.&#8221; </em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>6. Putumayo World Music was established to introduce people to other cultures through music.  How does Putumayo&#8217;s philosophy of exposing people to new cultures, sounds and ideas relate to your own music?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Soweto</strong></em><strong><em> Gospel Choir:</em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;It has always been our goal to make sure that we connect with different cultures through music and Putumayo&#8217;s philosophy of exposing people to new cultures is very much in line with our own. We are very excited and support this idea.&#8221;</em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Blk Sonshine:</em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;Putumayo does the research and takes the time to know the music of a region. [Music] sees no boundaries between people and cultures. We are all human beings and we are more alike than we are different. Putumayo shows this by exposing music from all over the world and creating a thread between the cultures. That is exactly what [Blk Sonshine is] attempting to do with music. [We] are trying to show all the different people that there is actually only one people.&#8221;</em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>7. In a week, South Africa will host the first World Cup ever to be held on African soil. What significance would you say this occasion holds for many South Africans?  Is the Soweto Gospel Choir participating in festivities during the Cup?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><em><strong>Soweto</strong></em><strong><em> Gospel Choir:</em></strong><em><br />
<em>&#8220;South Africa is already on the world map because of our past political situation and by hosting the 2010 World Cup; people will get an opportunity to witness the spirit of unity which our people have regardless of their background. This event is going to unite us even more, and the fact that we are the first African country to host the soccer World Cup makes us feel special and proud. This event is providing income opportunities to our people and we believe that it will make a difference in our lives. Our choir will be performing on the 10th of June during the FIFA Kick-Off concert. We are sharing the stage with many artists and we are excited to be part of such a unifying event.&#8221;</em></em></p>
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		<title>Latin Party Artist Cecilia Noël Performs at Putumayo&#8217;s NY Office! + CD/DVD Giveaway</title>
		<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1276</link>
		<comments>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1276#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:19:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Artist Spotlight]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo World Music]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=1276</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Talented Peruvian salsera Cecilia Noël, featured on our latest CD, Latin Party, stopped by Putumayo&#8217;s New York office this afternoon and graced us with a performance of three songs,  one of which was her featured track, &#8220;Asi Se Compone Un Son.&#8221;
Not only is Cecilia a phenomenal performer, but she has a fascinating story as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><object width="450" height="338" data="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11333870&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=1&amp;color=ff9933&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11333870&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=1&amp;color=ff9933&amp;fullscreen=1" /></object></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Talented Peruvian <em>salsera</em> <strong><a href="http://www.cecilianoel.com/" target="_blank">Cecilia Noël</a></strong>, featured on our latest CD, <em><strong><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1005" target="_blank">Latin Party</a></strong></em>, stopped by Putumayo&#8217;s New York office this afternoon and graced us with a performance of three songs,  one of which was her featured track, &#8220;Asi Se Compone Un Son.&#8221;</p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-1299 alignleft" style="float: left; border:  0pt none; padding-right: 10px" title="Latin Party + Cecilia Noël CDs &amp; DVD" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/latin-party-cecilia-noel-cds-dvd.jpg" alt="Latin Party + Cecilia Noël CDs &amp; DVD" width="200" height="200" />Not only is Cecilia a phenomenal performer, but she has a fascinating story as well.  The legendary saxophonist and musician <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Getz" target="_blank">Stan Getz</a> </strong>spotted Cecilia singing in Peru 20 years ago, and was so taken by her talent that he sought out Cecilia&#8217;s mother and convinced her to allow Cecilia to move to New York to develop her singing career.  An envelope arrived at Cecilia&#8217;s house a week later containing a one-way ticket, to which her mother replied, &#8220;Go and never come back!&#8221; She&#8217;s been singing ever since.</p>
<p>Listen to &#8220;Asi Se Compone Un Son,&#8221;<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> featured on <em>Latin Party</em>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><object width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/track=2902623276/size=venti/bgcol=fef5de/linkcol=bb8b42/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><param name="allowNetworking" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#fef5de" /><param name="src" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer.swf/track=2902623276/size=venti/bgcol=fef5de/linkcol=bb8b42/" /></object></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">We&#8217;re giving away a Latin music set that includes Putumayo&#8217;s<em><strong> Latin Party</strong></em> CD,  Cecilia Noël&#8217;s<em><strong> &#8220;A Gozar!&#8221;</strong></em> CD, and a DVD of   <em><strong>Cecilia Noël Live in Hollywood</strong></em>. Leave a comment (on our blog or our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Putumayo" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>) and tell us your favorite genre of Latin music and why.  We&#8217;ll select a winner at random next Friday, May 7th!</p>
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		<title>Melody Gardot&#8217;s Pain &amp; Triumphs</title>
		<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=825</link>
		<comments>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=825#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:38:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Music News]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Artist Spotlight]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=825</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A wonderful piece on Melody Gardot (featured on Women of Jazz) aired on CBS recently.  Click the image below to watch the segment.
She may have reached topped a key record chart in France and gained fans from around the world, but musician Melody Gardot tells CBS News&#8217; Anthony Mason about her chronic pain caused by [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A wonderful piece on <a href="http://www.melodygardot.com/" target="_blank">Melody Gardot</a> <em>(featured on <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=285" target="_blank">Women of Jazz</a>)</em> aired on CBS recently.  Click the image below to watch the segment.</p>
<blockquote><p>She may have reached topped a key record chart in France and gained fans from around the world, but musician Melody Gardot tells CBS News&#8217; Anthony Mason about her chronic pain caused by an accident.</p></blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6136503n&amp;tag=related;photovideo" target="_blank"><img class="size-full wp-image-826 aligncenter" title="Melody Gardot's Story on CBS" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/meldoy-gardot.jpg" alt="Melody Gardot's Story on CBS" width="473" height="353" /></a></p>
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		<title>Putumayo&#8217;s Year End Holiday Post!</title>
		<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=657</link>
		<comments>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=657#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:02:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Artist Spotlight]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=657</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We decided to check in with some of our favorite artists about their thoughts on the holidays, how they like to spend them and any memorable moments that they cared to share.  Read more below to see what some of the responses were.

&#8220;I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas and the holidays here in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We decided to check in with some of our favorite artists about their thoughts on the holidays, how they like to spend them and any memorable moments that they cared to share.  Read more below to see what some of the responses were.</p>
<blockquote><p><em><em><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-684" style="float: left; padding-right: 10px" title="Kermit Ruffins" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/kermit-resized.jpg" alt="Kermit Ruffins" width="194" height="133" /></em></em></p>
<p><em><em>&#8220;I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas and the holidays here in New Orleans with my family&#8230; but one of my fondest is a family tradition that we have&#8230; On Christmas morning I wake up and the pajamas stay on all day (laughs)&#8230;  I cook for the whole family and we all watch old family videos from years back&#8230; Everyone is together and it&#8217;s a time to reminisce, eat, and just have a wonderful time.&#8221;</em> </em></p>
<p><em>- <a href="http://www.myspace.com/kermitruffinsmusic" target="_blank">Kermit Ruffins</a> (featured on <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=183" target="_blank">New Orleans</a></em><em> and <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=227" target="_blank">New Orleans Playground</a></em><em>)</em></p>
<p><em><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-702" style="float: left; padding-right: 10px" title="Lila Downs" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/lila-downs-21.jpg" alt="Lila Downs" width="185" height="133" />&#8220;It is an important time to visit with relatives. I have family members from the Mixtec,  Chinantec, Zapotec and Trique cultures, as well as some folks from New Jersey and Minnesota. Offering a cup of Oaxacan chocolate to anyone who visits is a very important ritual. It is a symbol of good will during the holidays, as I believe different souls come to visit [during this time of year]</em>.&#8221;<em> - <a href="http://liladowns.com/" target="_blank">Lila Downs</a> (featured on <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=28" target="_blank">Mexico</a></em><em> and <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=110" target="_blank">Latin Playground</a></em><em>)</em></p>
<blockquote>
<blockquote><p><em> </em></p></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em> <a href="http://www.jameshuntermusic.com/" target="_blank"></a></em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<blockquote><p><em> </em></p></blockquote>
<p><em><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-665" style="float: left; padding-right: 10px" title="Gecko Turner" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/gecko-turner-resized.jpg" alt="Gecko Turner" width="105" height="105" />&#8220;I like to spend a couple weeks in Sugar Hill, my favorite Harlem neighborhood&#8230; just chilling, meeting my friends there, doing some songwriting, having a few drinks at St. Nick&#8217;s every night&#8230; you know, enjoying the vibe of the place&#8230; I love it.&#8221; </em><em>-<a href="http://www.geckoturner.com/" target="_blank">Gecko Turner</a> (featured on <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=998" target="_blank">España</a><span style="font-style: normal;">)</span></em></p>
<p><em><em><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-703" style="float: left; padding-right: 10px" title="Martin Sexton" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/marty-resized1.jpg" alt="Martin Sexton" width="200" height="133" /></em><em>&#8220;I remember as a kid (being the tenth of twelve) in my very Irish-Catholic family, every Christmas morning all of us would line up in the upstairs hallway in order of age, and on my father&#8217;s &#8220;allright kids c&#8217;mon down&#8221; we&#8217;d parade down to a living room filled with piles of presents, a stack for each of us. All to the tune of Perry Como caroling on the stereo.&#8221; </em></em></p>
<p><em><em><em>- <a href="http://www.martinsexton.com/" target="_blank">Martin Sexton</a> (featured on <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1000" target="_blank">A Family Christmas</a></em><em>)</em></em></em></p>
<blockquote><p><em><em><em> </em></em></em></p></blockquote>
<p><em><em><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-695" style="float: left; padding-right: 10px" title="James Hunter" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/james-hunter-with-guitar-31.jpg" alt="James Hunter" width="152" height="240" />&#8220;The best Christmas I ever had was probably around &#8216;68, when my great-grandmother came to stay and brought a turkey with her (not as a guest).  We&#8217;d never had one before (or since, come to that) but the night before was memorable because I wet the bed and since I shared it with my brother at the time, he woke up the next day curled up on the pillow.  It was worth the discomfort just to annoy him, because that same Christmas eve he&#8217;d told me that Christmas was cancelled on account of Santa having been gored to death by his reindeer.&#8221; </em><br />
<em>- <a href="http://www.jameshuntermusic.com/" target="_blank">James Hunter</a> (featured on 2010 <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1003" target="_blank">Rhythm and Blues</a>)</em></em></p>
<p><em><em><em><em><em><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-706" style="float: left; padding-right: 10px" title="Brave Combo" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/bravecombo3jpg.jpg" alt="Brave Combo" width="201" height="133" />&#8220;Well, of course, I&#8217;ll never forget waking up and finding a real live transistor radio under the Christmas tree, obviously from Santa.  I was probably about 7 or 8 and it rocked my world, listening late at night and everything.  As I remember, I could only hear the music with the cheap little white earphone (just one, no one thought about stereo in those days much), but it was enough to easily transport me to the other world.&#8221;</em></em></em></em></em></p>
<p><em><em><em><em><em> - Carl Finch of <a href="http://www.brave.com/" target="_blank">Brave Combo</a> (featured on <a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1000" target="_blank">A Family Christmas</a>)</em></em></em></em></em></p></blockquote>
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		<title>Putumayo Artist Spotlight: Gilberto Gil</title>
		<link>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=150</link>
		<comments>http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=150#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:43:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Putumayo Artist Spotlight]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.putumayo.com/blog/?p=150</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Our artist spotlight series is designed to provide a quick overview and introduction to great artists who our readers may not have heard of otherwise.  The concept for the series was partially inspired by the legendary singer, actor, and social activist Harry Belafonte, who, when he met Putumayo founder and CEO Dan Storper recently, told [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/expresso-2222-cropped.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-176 aligncenter" title="expresso-2222-cropped" src="http://www.putumayo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/expresso-2222-cropped.jpg" alt="expresso-2222-cropped" width="360" height="292" /></a></p>
<p>Our artist spotlight series is designed to provide a quick overview and introduction to great artists who our readers may not have heard of otherwise.  The concept for the series was partially inspired by the legendary singer, actor, and social activist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Belafonte" target="_blank"><strong>Harry Belafonte</strong></a>, who, when he met Putumayo founder and CEO Dan Storper recently, told him, &#8220;Putumayo has introduced me to so many great artists that I would not have heard otherwise. Keep up the good work.&#8221;</p>
<p><span id="more-150"></span></p>
<p>With this thought in mind, we decided to dedicate our first spotlight to Grammy Award-winning Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist Gilberto Gil, who is known for both his musical innovation and his political commitment.  As we have been listening to a lot of Brazilian music lately in anticipation of the release of <strong><em>Brazilian Café</em></strong> (out July 28<sup>th</sup>), we were reminded of Gil&#8217;s wonderful song <strong>&#8220;Expresso 2222&#8243;</strong>, which is featured on our <strong><em><a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=249" target="_blank">Brazilian Playground</a></em> </strong>CD<strong> </strong>collection.  He was also included on Putumayo&#8217;s first ever CD in 1993 &#8220;Best of World Music&#8221; (now out of print).</p>
<p>Gilberto Gil has been making music for the past 43 years and has become an ambassador for Brazilian music and culture in the process. As excerpted from his website, &#8220;Gil carries out a fundamental role in the constant modernization process of Brazilian popular music. Partaking of this scene for 43 years, he has developed one of the most relevant and renowned careers as a singer, composer and guitar-player in this field.&#8221;</p>
<p>To learn more about <strong>Gilberto Gil</strong><strong>,</strong> visit his website at <a href="http://www.gilbertogil.com.br" target="_blank">www.gilbertogil.com.br</a>.</p>
<p>Check out the following video of his performance of <strong>&#8220;<strong>Expresso 2222<em>&#8220;</em></strong></strong><strong>,</strong> filmed for a 1972 television appearance on <em>TV Globo!</em></p>
<p><object width="500" height="405" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ja7yBF5WzOk&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01&amp;border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ja7yBF5WzOk&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01&amp;border=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /></object></p>
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