Putumayo

Whenever we live or travel to a new location we hunt and gather for certain things.  Some love visual arts, others fashion, and some look for holiday trinkets.  One of my favourite things to hunt for is local music.  For example in Ireland recently I gathered Malinky, Emily Smith, and The Script.  A few years ago while in Quebec I purchased and became a fan of Marc Dupre, oooh that sultry French man!  Gathered Adele, Snow Patrol, and Paolo Nutini from Britain and Scotland.  Then from my days in Cleveland I shall never forget Queen Latifah, a woman whose career I have been following since her first CD All Hail the Queen (1989).  These artists help me landmark my life, its voyages and take me back to places I may have briefly forgotten, but with the right mix of notes, melodies, and harmonies I am taken back through a delightful mix of visual images, distinct smells, and intricate memories.

For a few years now I have known about a group of people who travel the world looking for musicians and music to share with the world.  There is no need to buy one artist's complete CD or travel to the musicians home city, as the hunters have gathered a variety of local musicians' songs on your behalf.  These songs are carefully selected and organized so that you, through your speakers at home, can enjoy the flavours of music from elsewhere in the world.  Putumayo World Music is the group and you may recognize their colourful and international covers all painted by Nicola Heindl.

When you see a collection of Putuyamo CD's it may look thusly:

  (Picture taken from designrelated.com.)

If you are in the market for music on the other side of spectrum from the usual, or want to be reminded of a place in the world you have visited, look no further than Putumayo's collection of lounge, groove, global, Asian, Brazilian, Celtic, Middle Eastern, kids CD's and more.  Many a night I have enjoyed French Cafe or Paris, and on more energetic days I turn up North African Groove.  My my, I just spied Music from Chocolate Lands.  Mmmmm......