Award-winning music producer and musician Ivan Duran is the founder and director of Stonetree Records[1], based in Benque Viejo del Carmen in Belize, Stonetree is one of the region’s leading independent record labels and music recording studios. To date, he has produced over 30 albums featuring the rich and unique musical styles of Belize and the region.
Since founding Stonetree in 1995, Duran has been an avid promoter of Belizean music overseas, attending numerous World Music trade fairs and presenting local artists in music festivals around the world. In 2007 he received the prestigious WOMEX award alongside the late great Andy Palacio for their work on the chart topping Watina album[2], voted by Amazon.com as the #1 World Music album of all time.[3]
In 2003, he co-founded MIAB (The Music Industry Association of Belize) As president of MIAB he is actively involved in promoting and creating awareness of all kinds of local music and produces the annual Belize Music Week.