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Summer Kick-Off Sale!

Listen to the song “Sunshine Day” from World Party!

*Putumayo World Party is only available through this limited-time offer.

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Enter to Win Putumayo Kids’ Air Guitar Video Contest!

Grand Prize: An in-home concert with Starfish

lead singer StingRay and 5 Putumayo CDs!

Enter Online Now!

*Contest open to entrants in the 48 continental United States and Washington, DC.

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South Africa Artist Spotlight: Interview with the Soweto Gospel Choir and Masauko Chipembere of Blk Sonshine

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, and kwaito, among other genres, are examples of South African styles that arose from the blending of South African tribal traditions, jazz, rock and hip-hop.

We recently spoke with the legendary Soweto Gospel Choir and Masauko Chipembere of the South Africa-founded musical duo Blk Sonshine, both featured on our new South Africa CD, 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.

1. For those who don’t know, can you explain how the group came into existence?

Soweto Gospel Choir:
“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.”

Blk Sonshine (Masauko Chipembere):
“We met in Jo’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 “Monday Blues” 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.”

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Africa CD Sale!

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Win A Trip For 2 To South Africa!

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Putumayo Presents: South Africa CD Release!

Putumayo’s newest CD, South Africa, is a celebration of the nation’s musical diversity, from Afro-jazz and township jive to mbaqanga and Afropop. With the soccer World Cup taking place for the first time on African soil from June 11 to July 11, international attention will be focused on South Africa, “The Rainbow Nation,” and its postapartheid status as a democracy and economic powerhouse.  The CD features songs from Miriam Makeba, Soweto Gospel Choir, Soul Brothers, and many more!

South Africa features a recipe by chef Amos Dlamini of the acclaimed Moyo group of restaurants. He serves up a dish representing the cultural melting pot that is South Africa.

A portion of Putumayo’s proceeds from the sale of this CD will be donated to Artists for a New South Africa, a non-profit organization working in South Africa to combat HIV/AIDS and advance human rights.

View the South Africa e-card now!

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Latin Party Artist Cecilia Noël Performs at Putumayo’s NY Office! + CD/DVD Giveaway

Talented Peruvian salsera Cecilia Noël, featured on our latest CD, Latin Party, stopped by Putumayo’s New York office this afternoon and graced us with a performance of three songs, one of which was her featured track, “Asi Se Compone Un Son.”

Not only is Cecilia a phenomenal performer, but she has a fascinating story as well. The legendary saxophonist and musician Stan Getz spotted Cecilia singing in Peru 20 years ago, and was so taken by her talent that he sought out Cecilia’s mother and convinced her to allow Cecilia to move to New York to develop her singing career. An envelope arrived at Cecilia’s house a week later containing a one-way ticket, to which her mother replied, “Go and never come back!” She’s been singing ever since.

Listen to “Asi Se Compone Un Son,” featured on Latin Party.

We’re giving away a Latin music set that includes Putumayo’s Latin Party CD, Cecilia Noël’s “A Gozar!” CD, and a DVD of Cecilia Noël Live in Hollywood. Leave a comment (on our blog or our Facebook page) and tell us your favorite genre of Latin music and why.  We’ll select a winner at random next Friday, May 7th!

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Jazz Playground Wins Parents’ Choice Gold Award!

“Designed to help parents and caregivers of all achievements and backgrounds make informed decisions about which new products are right for their children, the Parents’ Choice Awards is the nation’s oldest nonprofit program created to recognize quality children’s media. The Parents’ Choice Awards program honors the best material for children: books, toys, music and storytelling, magazines, software, videogames, television and websites.”

~ To read more about Jazz Playground winning the Spring 2010 Parents’ Choice GOLD award click here.

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Putumayo Classic CD Sale Ends Thursday, April 29th!

Last chance to Choose from 35 classic Putumayo CDs
from our online store for only $10 each!

Buy ANY 8 CDs and choose one FREE
from our classic collection.

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Putumayo supports Earth Day on its 40th Anniversary!

Earth Day has changed rapidly from its humble beginnings when environmental issues were at the margins of public debate, whereas now Environmental concerns have become a mainstream issue of paramount importance.  Last year we blogged about the principal founder, former US Senator Gaylord Nelson and his thoughts on the purpose and origins of Earth Day, and this year we’re going to include a mention and link to the origins of Earth Day, as well as some notable events going on around the world in celebration of Earth Day and some more information on how to get involved.

Earth Day’s Origins:

Read what the principal founder, former US Senator Gaylord Nelson wrote about regarding the purpose and origins of Earth Day below:

“What was the purpose of Earth Day? How did it start? These are the questions I am most frequently asked… I was satisfied that if we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It was a big gamble, but worth a try… Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.”

Read more about the history of Earth day from it’s principal founder, Gaylord Nelson.

Notable events going on around the world in celebration of Earth Day:

The Earth Day CLIMATE RALLY - National Mall - Sunday, April 25, 2010, 11:00am - 7:00pm - Washington, DC

On Sunday, April 25, Earth Day Network will organize a massive climate rally on The National Mall to demand Congress pass strong legislation. The Climate Rally will include notable speakers Reverend Jesse Jackson, film director, James Cameron, AFL-CIO President, Richard Trumka, Olympic gold medalist, Billy Demong, producer, Trudie Styler, author, Margaret Atwood, NFL player and television personality, Dhani Jones, environmental photographer Sebastian Copeland and many more.

The Climate Rally will also feature live music from Sting, John Legend, The Roots, Jimmy Cliff, Passion Pit, Bob Weir, Willie Colón, Joss Stone, Robert Randolph, Patrick Stump, Mavis Staples, Booker T, Honor Society and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger.

~ Earthday.org http://www.earthday.org/climaterally

Bulgaria Joins World Earth Day Celebrations

“The green generation motto stands for humanity’s efforts to deal with the problems of climate change. It is an issue that affects us all. We all must take responsibility for our actions and contribute to resolving the problem of climate change,” said on Thursday Bulgaria’s Deputy Environment Minister Evdokiya Maneva as cited by BNR.

Various initiatives have been organized in cities throughout the country to mark the World Earth Day. About 500 children and students will partake in the celebrations in the northern Bulgarian city of Vratsa and a round table discussion on the   Ecological condition of the region.” ~ Novinte.com

To find more Earth Day related information and to get directly involved click here.