Motéma Music

Motéma Music
Founded 2003
Founder Jana Herzen
Status active
Distributor(s) Allegro Media Group
Genre Jazz, World Music
Country of origin US
Location New York, New York
Official Website motema.com

Motéma Music is an American record label focused on jazz and world music, as well as other creative projects by virtuosic musicians who also compose. It was founded by Jana Herzen in 2003, and is now based in Harlem, New York City. Among the artists on the label are Monty Alexander, Randy Weston, Charnett Moffett, Geri Allen, Lynne Arriale, Rufus Reid, Marc Cary, Jean-Michel Pilc, Malika Zarra, and René Marie. The name means "heart" in Lingala.[1] Motéma has been described as "what Bluenote was to the jazz labels of the 60s...for the 21st century"[2] and "a welcoming beacon, documenting brilliant improvisers who are rapidly expanding the art form."[3]

Contents

History

Motéma Music was begun in the San Francisco Bay Area. A production company since 1997,[4] it became a label after signing Babatunde Lea for his album, Soul Pools. Jana Herzen, a singer-songwriter who composed and performed on "'Round the World" on Soul Pools, was trying to get out some records and created the label to do so, never intending to be a CEO.[5] She chose the name because of its similarity to the sound of "Motown."[6] The label quickly caught the attention of Jazziz. Jazz represents about 70% of the label's output. Her own album, Soup's on Fire, is jazz-influenced, but not strictly jazz. The company was formed by Herzen, Lea, Ronnie Lippin, and Jean-Marc Lumbrano, mainly with money from Herzen's parents, Stanford University scientists Leonard and Leonore Herzenberg.[7]

Herzen moved the label to New York in 2005 to be closer to the action. At one time, it was based in the third floor of the Langston Hughes House, which was obtained for them by Shon 'Chance' Miller.[8] The label has since moved elsewhere on the same street. The logo is designed by Winston Smith.[9]

The label is very artist-centric and focused on each artist's career development. It was because of this reputation that such highly-respected artists such as Geri Allen and Rufus Reid came to the label.[10] Herzen attributes this to her being an artist herself. She has no plans to give up physical CDs so that her artists have something to sell at concerts.

Jazz Therapy

Roni Ben-Hur and Jana Herzen founded the Jazz Therapy series as a benefit for the Dizzy Gillespie Memorial Fund of the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center Foundation in Englewood, New Jersey, which underwrites medical care for uninsured jazz musicians who are unable to pay for medical care. The series so far has included CDs by Ben-Hur and Ithamara Koorax and Juarez Moreira. Ben-Hur met Nilson Matta in the performance lounge of Englewood Hospital, which led to their collaboration on the third release in the series.

Discography

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

References

  1. ^ http://www.cindybyram.com/artists/motema.htm
  2. ^ Christian Kallen. "Motéma Night at the Raven and the Ecstasy of Jazz." The Healdsburg Paper http://healdsburg.patch.com/articles/motma-night-at-the-raven-and-the-ecstasy-of-jazz June 10, 2011. Accessed August 24, 2011.
  3. ^ http://www.healdsburgjazzfestival.org/wordpress/motema-music-night-june-9/
  4. ^ http://www.motema.com/press/jana-herzen/134
  5. ^ Alex Henderson. "Motéma Music" All About Jazz, November 2010, pp. 12 & 39
  6. ^ ibid
  7. ^ Jeff Rivers. "Jana Herzen, Musician and Jazz Label's Chief Cook." The Hartford Courant, April 3, 2003. http://articles.courant.com/2003-04-03/entertainment/0304031618_1_motema-music-record-label-arriale
  8. ^ Arcynta Ali Childs. “Lawsuits and the Langston Hughes House.” The Village Voice, August 27, 2008. http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-08-27/news/lawsuits-real-estate-relics-and-the-langston-hughes-house/
  9. ^ http://winstonsmith.com/dossier/
  10. ^ ibid

External links

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