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World Circuit (record label)

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World Circuit is a world music record label, specialising in Cuban and West African recording artists, among other international music stars. World Circuit was celebrated their 20th anniversery in 2006 by releasing World Cicuit Present..., a 2 CD retrospective compilation album.

History

In 1986, the label released its first albums, Venezuelan Maria Rodriguez’s La Tremenda and Abdel Gadir Salim’s Sounds of Sudan Volume One.

World Circuit’s first taste of major success was with the teaming up of Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder for the 1993 recording of Talking Timbuktu album.

In 1996, American guitarist Ry Cooder had been invited to Havana by British world music producer Nick Gold of the World Circuit record label to record a session with two African High-life musicians from Mali collaborating with Cuban musicians.[1] On Cooder's arrival (via Mexico to avoid the ongoing U.S. trade and travel embargo against Cuba),[2] it transpired that the musicians from Africa had not received their visas and were unable to travel to Havana. Cooder and Gold changed their plans and decided to record an album of Cuban Son Cubano music with local musicians.[1], who became The Buena Vista Social Club. Their eponymous multi million selling first album was recorded at Egrem studios, Havana and mixed by Jerry Boys and Nick Gold at Livingston Studios, London. They released it on the World Circuit label in 1997.[3]. In 2008 World Circuit released a 2CD set of the Buena Vista Social Club live performance at Carnegie Hall recorded in 1998.

Nick Gold met Jerry Boys after working together on an album with Oumou Sangaré during 1993 and they started to work together with the Buena Vista Social Club afterwards[4]. In 2001 Gold bought the Livingston Recording Studios from Boys which enabled most of World Circuit's artists to record and mix their music at Livingston Studios.

Nick Gold and World Circuit are also responsible for catapulting the legendary Senegalese band Orchestre Baobab to world fame after their 2001 re-release of the 1982 record Pirates Choice in Europe (originally compiled and released by World Circuit in 1987).[5]

Artists

References

  1. ^ a b "Interview with Ry Cooder in Los Angeles, by Betty Arcos, host, “The Global Village” Pacifica Radio June 27, 2000". Buena Vista Social Club site. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Retrieved 18 March 2007.
  2. ^ "Hurricane Cooder hits Cuba". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 March 2007
  3. ^ The Buena Vista Social Club at allmusic
  4. ^ Livingstone Recording Studios Nick Gold and Jerry Boys
  5. ^ Frank Bessem, “Musiques d'Afrique: Orchestre Baobab”
    Lucy Duran, “Orchestra Baobab,” World Music Central
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