Listen to the one-hour Rough Guide Radio show. World Music Network will be giving away some fantastic prizes courtesy of World Music Network and Rough Guide books in every new monthly show. Be sure to listen to the show to hear the competition question and how to enter. mehr Infos... (engl.)
World Music Network Das Weltmusik-Label aus London
Over the last fifteen years, World Music Network has become one of the leading forces on the world music scene. Founded in 1994 by Phil Stanton and his Colombian-born wife Sandra Alayón-Stanton, World Music Network produces hugely successful music compilations with the Rough Guides, fund raising albums with Think Global, artist releases on Riverboat Records and provides a platform for lesser known artists on Introducing...
World Music Network: The Rough Guide to Afrobeat Revival Afrobeat is the funky African dance groove crafted by Nigeria's Fela Kuti. New generations worldwide celebrate his enduring legacy to proclaim: Music is the weapon of the future.
Artists include: Tony Allen, Antibalas, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Chicago Afrobeat Project, Femm Nameless, Kokolo, Dele Sosimi, Mr. Something Something and Ikwunga The Afrobeat Poet, Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble & The Superpowers (Compilation plus Bonus Source Album). CDs bestellen (bei Amazon.de) alle Music Rough Guides
Prior to the formation of World Music Network, Phil had set up Riverboat Records in 1989 (World Music Network's sister label) and Sandra was the director of Latin Promotions - a company that brought many of the top Latin American and African musicians to perform in London. Working with Celia Cruz, Oscar D'Leon, Manu Dibango and others, she also established the first Colombian club in London at La Plaza in Leicester Square. World Music Network has been releasing the Rough Guide music series in association with the Rough Guide travel book publishers for over fifteen years. They originally decided to collaborate together in 1994 when the first World Music Rough Guide book and album were released. Both achieved instant success and the Rough Guide book went on to become known as "the bible of world music".
Phil and Sandra looked at the issues associated with releasing non-mainstream music which suffered from a lack of media exposure and resulting distribution problems. At the time, access to world music was not as easy as it is today. Phil and Sandra's aim to introduce interested people to world music, directly influenced their decision to launch a series of mid-price music compilations. The no nonsense approach of the Rough Guides - favouring a style that is intelligent and cultural - was exactly how Phil and Sandra saw their own idea for music compilations. The Rough Guides marketing director Richard Trillo was very keen to have a Rough Guide To World Music compilation to accompany the book, and the successful partnership was launched.
Since then the Rough Guide albums have covered diverse destinations from Iran to Vietnam, India to Hungary, and musical styles from reggae and hip hop to klezmer and merengue. Big successes have included Rough Guides to Salsa Dance, Paris Café Music, Bollywood and Bellydance. The Rough Guide albums are of consistently high quality and remain vital and comprehensive sources of information for anyone interested in a specific country or area of music. This success is largely due to the company's original and simple intention - to provide people with the best possible introductions to music from around the world.
The directors see a clear connection between world music and social change, and have established good relationships with a number of development and human rights organisations. This has lead to the production of fund raising releases with Amnesty International.
Today, Riverboat Records is still dedicated to exploring musical diversity and to bringing the talents of world music artists to the public eye. Over the years Riverboat Records has released notable albums from the legendary Cuban soneros Sierra Maestra and BBC award winning Debashish Bhattacharya to the hugely successful Mory Kante, world-renowned Sally Nyolo, ex Radio Tarifa star Benjamín Escoriza and guitar genius Bob Brozman.
A pioneering new label, Introducing… was also launched by World Music Network in 2004. Born out of the desire to promote exposure for exceptional and undiscovered musical talent from around the world, the label showcases artists previously unreleased or unavailable outside their own country. It is an antidote to the era of ever-shortening attention spans, delivering captivating music, top-notch sound quality and in-depth information on the artists and their music. Delivered at an affordable price, this label cultivates and nurtures the highest standards, bringing undiscovered music into the public arena that it deserves.
World Music Network
