The WOMEX 12 Label Award

Already an institution in its seventh year, the annual WOMEX Label Award is hotly contested and warmly anticipated by all who value the contributions of independent record labels.

The WOMEX 12 Label Award goes to...

Lusafrica (France)

Chart-topping CDs:

Bonga: Hora Kota
Sia Tolno: My Life
Tcheka: Dor de Mar
Nancy Vieira: No Ama
Black Bazar – Modogo & Sam: Black Bazar

An independent world music label on the Paris scene, Lusafrica was founded by José da Silva in 1988 to produce Cesária Evóra’s first album. Her success introduced Cape Verdean music to the world and paved the way for a host of new names, including Lura, Teofilo Chantre, Tcheka, Mario Lucio and, most recently, Nancy Vieira.

Cesária’s work won a place for morna – an Atlantic blues steeped in cool nostalgia – and its livelier counterpart, coladeira, alongside samba and calypso in the tropical pop hall of fame. Although she tragically left us in December 2011, for her many fans worldwide – including WOMEX delegates who saw her play at the first edition in Berlin in 1994 – Cesária will forever remain the “Queen of Morna”.

Lusafrica has always promoted every kind of African culture, releasing the music of such diverse artists as Sally Nyolo (Cameroon), Oliver N’Goma and Pierre Akendengue (Gabon) and Meiway (Ivory Cost); but the label has also produced a collection of hugely acclaimed Cuban albums, scoring a major success with Polo Montañez, now an icon of Latin music.

Today the label’s bestselling artists are Malian guitar hero Boubacar Traoré and Bonga, the golden voice of Angola; but Lusafrica is still determined to innovate, revealing new talents that include Sia Tolno, the sensational new singer from Sierra Leone, and Black Bazar, a young Congolese combo with an original take on roots rumba.

More information:
www.lusafrica.com

Here are the remaining top-20 independent labels and their chart-topping albums/compilations:
we list the top-5 releases for the first 10 labels and the top-3 releases for labels 11-20.

2 World Circuit (UK)

Fatoumata Diawara: Fatou
Various Artists: Cumbia Cumbia 1&2

3 world village / JazzVillage / Le Chant du Monde / harmonia mundi (France/USA/UK/Spain)

Melingo: Corazon y Hueso
Emel Mathlouthi: Kelmti Horra
Sezen Aksu: Öptüm
Roberto Fonseca: Yo
Amira Medunjanin: Amulette

4 World Music Network/Riverboat (UK)

Sambasunda Quintet: Java
Samba Toure: Crocodile Blues
Kristi Stassinopoulou & Stathis Kalyviotis: Greekadelia
Amadou Diagne: Introducing Amadou Diagne
Ramzi Aburedwan: Reflections of Palestine

5 Crammed Discs (Belgium)

Baloji: Kinshasa Succursale
La Chiva Gantiva: Pelao
Zita Swoon Group: Wait For Me
Jagwa Music: Bongo Hotheads
Chicha Libre: Canibalismo

6 Six Degrees (USA)

Ceu: Caravana Sereia Bloom <
Loga Ramin Torkian: Mehraab
Niyaz: Sumud
Vieux Farka Touré: The Secret
Natacha Atlas: Mounqualiba – Rising: The Remixes

7 Mais Um Discos (UK)

Lucas Santtana: Sem Nostalgia
Arnaldo Antunes, Edgar Scandurra & Toumani Diabate: A Curva da Cintura
Various Artists: Mais Um Discos Presents Nova-Tropicalia
Various Artists: Electro-Amazonas
Lucas Santtana: Remix EP Um

8 Soundway Records (UK)

Various Artists: The Original Sound of Cumbia
Batida: Batida
Ondatropica: Ondatropica
The Funkees: Dancing Time, The Best of Eastern Nigeria’s Afro Rock Exponents 1973-77
MonoMono: Give the Beggar a Chance

9 Jaro Medien (Germany)

Aldona: Sonnet
Dona Rosa: Sou Luz
Hazmat Modine: Cicada
Warsaw Village Band: Nord
Red Baraat: Chaal Baby

10 Cumbancha (USA)

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars: Radio Salone
Bombino: Agadez
Sarazino: Everyday Salama
Novalima: Coba Coba Remixed

11 Nascente (UK)

Various Artists: BBC 3 – World Routes: On the Road
Various Artists: Beginner’s Guide to Scandinavia
Various Artists: Fly Bird Fly

12 Stern’s (UK)

Sory Kandia Kouyate: La Voix de la Revolution
Dawda Jobarteh: Northern Light Gambian Night
Criolo: No Na Orelha

13 Rockadillo (Finland)

Värttinä: Utu
Sakari Kukko & Humbalax: Paratiisi
Kuhnafar-I Feat. Johan Giorno etc.: Dubland

14 ARC Music (UK)

Hossam Ramzy & Special Guests: Rock the Tabla
Las Chicas del Tango: Tango de Norte a Sur
Black Umfolosi: Summertime – Best of Black Umfolosi

15 Real World (UK)

Juju: In Trance
Dub Colossus: Addis Thru the Looking Glass
Iarla O’Lionaird: Foxlight

16 Galileo MC (Spain/Germany)

Natasa Mirkovic & Nenad Vasilic: Soulmotion
Matuto: Matuto
Various Artists: Radio Beirut

17 Musiepoca (Spain)

Petrakis, Lopez, Chemirani: Mavra Froudia

18 Wrasse Records (UK)

Vusi Mahlasela: Say Africa
Angelique Kidjo: Spirit Rising
Javier Limon: Mujeres de Agua

19 Nubenegra (Spain)

Mariem Hassan: El Aaiun Agdat

20 Visage (Italy)

Riccardo Tesi & Banditaliana: Madreperla

Congratulations everyone!

Previous WOMEX Label Award Winners

The WOMEX Label Award, launched in cooperation with the World Music Charts Europe (WMCE) in 2006, has been presented to the following number one labels:

2011: world village / Le Chant du Monde / harmonia mundi (France/USA/UK/Spain)
2010: world village / harmonia mundi (France/USA/UK/Spain)
2009: Crammed Discs (Belgium)
2008: Cumbancha (USA)
2007: Stern’s (UK)
2006: World Circuit (UK)

Created as a joint project with the World Music Charts Europe (WMCE), the selection for the WOMEX Label Award is made using the monthly charts of 48 radio broadcasters from 25 countries.

The rules: Since we are awarding chart success of independent labels in creative production, we are counting the work of A&R teams from individual companies. Two or more labels in the same overall company under one direction are counted together. Different, autonomous A&R teams from different company locations are counted separately. Finally, if a given CD is simultaneously released by two different labels, it is credited to the label that has it in the greater number of territories. The eligible period is 9/2011 through 8/2012.

Special thanks to Johannes Theurer, World Music Charts Europe, for compiling the list.

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