Putumayo brings fair trade to the music industry by giving back to the artists at home.

As he walked in the sunshine of a bright San Francisco afternoon in 1991, Dan Storper wasn’t planning to launch a record label; he just wanted to visit the museum. On the way there, however, he experienced an epiphany in the form of the Bay Area Afropop ensemble Kotoja. He was “struck by the power of their music and by seeing hundreds of people of all ages and ethnicities dancing together with such joy on that beautiful day.” He still wasn’t planning on starting a label, however; it was only when he returned to one of his seven successful New York clothing and handicrafts stores, and became annoyed with the heavy-metal music blaring from the speakers, that he decided to start making tapes of his favorite world music to play for his customers.

Seventeen years later, Putumayo World Music is an inspiring operation: the record label has released over 100 CDs and sold more than 15 million; over 3,500 retailers in the U.S. alone carry their releases; the Putumayo World Music Hour, the first commercially syndicated world music radio program, is carried on iTunes and 130 radio stations worldwide; and, perhaps most impressively, Putumayo has contributed over a million dollars directly to the communities from which the music originates.

One of the label’s primary goals is to meld traditional, indigenous music with creative and cutting-edge marketing techniques that go against the homogenized grain of contemporary media outlets. Their CD compilations present a constantly evolving time capsule, helping to preserve native cultures by giving voice to their stories.

The colorful, folkloric artwork of Nicola Heindl, whose distinctive paintings grace the covers of all the albums, is another example of Putumayo’s dedication to joining the traditional with the contemporary. By presenting a consistent look and feel to their albums, Putumayo achieves a level of brand recognition that is rare for record labels today. Just as Putumayo strives to create a tangible link between the past and the present, subsidiary label Putumayo Kids aims to create a bridge from the present to the future by helping parents and teachers raise a new generation of socially conscious kids. The music isn’t explicitly “children’s music”; it’s meant to be enjoyed by kids and parents alike. It encourages families to spend time together, and opens doors of curiosity, conversation, and voyages of discovery for all involved.

But the music is only the beginning. The liner notes of all the Putumayo Kids CDs are presented in four languages: English, Spanish, German, and French. The “World Playground Activity Kits,” used by thousands of elementary school teachers, include myriad ways to learn about the cultures whose music appears on the CDs. Additionally, Putumayo provides multicultural teacher training programs to school districts around the U.S., and has donated thousands of their kits to schools and grassroots organizations. Finally, at least one percent of the proceeds for every Putumayo Kids release is donated to nonprofit groups committed to supporting children, families, and schools.

Which brings us back to perhaps the most notable aspect of Putumayo: philanthropy. Once a theme for a new compilation has been established, the search begins for the nonprofit organizations that will benefit from record proceeds. The New Orleans compilation, for example, has raised over a quarter of a million dollars for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Likewise, a portion of the proceeds from their newest albums, Putumayo’s African Party and Putumayo Kids’ African Dreamland, scheduled for release this spring, will be donated to HopeHIV.

Supporting Putumayo is as easy as it is rewarding. By purchasing a CD, you assist indigenous cultures and worthy causes around the world, and provide effective tools for raising children as responsible global citizens. In the end, the Putumayo World Music experience can be summed up by their motto: “guaranteed to make you feel good.”

We’re showcasing how traditional and contemporary music can work together and preserve traditions even as they evolve.

Dan Storp er, Founder