Modiba is a New York City-based independent record label, production company, and music publishing company focused on international artists and social activism. The label was started in 2004 by Wesleyan University seniors (at the time) Eric Herman and Jesse Brenner [1]. The initial success of the company's unique formula of top Afro-centric music and social activism allowed them to expand this formula further to artists all over the world, especially with the 2008 release of Modiba Publishing+. The record label currently represents Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure, Brazilian fusion band Nation Beat, and Sierra Leone's mega-star hip hop and dancehall trio Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew, while their publishing division handles the licensing of over 100 artists from around the globe [2].
Modiba Productions began when Wesleyan University seniors Eric Herman and Jesse Brenner created an Afrobeat compilation CD, the profits of which were donated to humanitarian workers in Darfur [3]. The album was called the Afrobeat Sudan Aid Project (ASAP), and its widespread success has raised over $140,000 for Save the Children in Darfur [4]. In 2007 Modiba signed its first artist, beginning the career of Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure, son of the legendary Ali Farka Toure. The company released his widely acclaimed self-titled debut, and, in line with their humanitarian mission objective, donated 10% of the album's proceeds to their Fight Malaria campaign in Toure's hometown, Niafunke[5].
Modiba's international reach broadened into the African Diaspora with the signing of the Brazilian-American band Nation Beat. The band fuses the traditional music of Brazil with the folk music of the Deep south in the United States and has released two albums under Modiba's representation, Maracatuniversal and Legends of the Preacher [6]. 10% of the profits from Legends of the Preacher are donated to Corpos Percussivos, percussionist Jorge Martin's organization for teaching arts and culture to the street children of Reclife, Brazil. The band has enjoyed widespread success, being featured on NPR and on stage with Willie Nelson at his 2008 Farm Aid benefit concert [7]. The record label's most recent project is the anticipated global release of Sierra Leone's superstars and top hip hop artists Bajah + Dry Yai Crew. The group was most famously featured in the film Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, but their popularity has also earned them the support of artists like Talib Kweli, Moby, and Wyclef Jean [8]. Their first album is slated for release in 2009 under Modiba Productions.
In 2008, Modiba officially launched, with the help of staff member Eileen O'Neill, Modiba Publishing+, a sector of the company that handles the licensing of an array of artists for use in various forms of media, including advertisements, television shows, and movies. This endeavor has enlarged their global range considerably, officially adding 35 artists from around the world to their catalog, and handling licensing in some form for over 100 artists [9]. Modiba Publishing+ operates in conjunction with Evergreen Copyrights and aims to change the way the United States views international music. The "plus" in the division's title refers to the additional services Modiba offers in addition to publishing, including consultations and original music composition [10].