Dan Storper
Encyclopedia
Dan Storper is the founder and CEO of the record label Putumayo World Music
.
. After graduating in 1973, he headed to Colombia
, Ecuador
, Peru
and Bolivia
to visit the countries he had studied. Putumayo, named after a beautiful river valley in Colombia, began as a hole-in the-wall retail store in New York City in 1975. Dan filled his small shop with handcrafts and clothing
collected in Latin America. The store received considerable media attention and by 1985 Dan found himself designing ethnic inspired contemporary clothing and supplying 600 other stores. Putumayo also had three successful New York stores patronized by such clients as Jane Fonda and Mia Farrow.
area. Dan knew he had to get involved with this compelling music and put together Putumayo’s first two world music collections in 1993. That same year, Dan was joined by his long-time friend Michael Kraus, who helped him launch the label.
After selling the Putumayo stores in 1997, Dan was able to focus full-time on his goal of introducing people to other cultures through great world music. He now travels extensively and, with the support of ethnomusicologist Jacob Edgar, pays attention to the music scenes in Paris
, Rio de Janeiro
, New Orleans, Johannesburg
and other music centers. The opening of Putumayo Europe, in Hilversum, Holland in 2000 enabled the company to connect with the European music and retail scene. The expansion of the label’s International division has also extended Putumayo’s presence in South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. The company now has offices in 12 countries. Putumayo has sold more than 15 million CDs since it began, with 50 of its collections selling more than 100,000 copies each and several surpassing 300,000. Currently, more than 3500 specialty retailers in the U.S. and thousands more around the world sell Putumayo CDs.
Storper was also a judge for the 5th and 10th annual Independent Music Awards
to support independent artists' careers.
Putumayo World Music
Putumayo World Music is a New York City based record label, now specialising in compilations of music from various nations, regions or musical styles which may be classified as world music.-Etymology:...
.
Early life
Dan grew up in Great Neck, NY. He was an excellent athlete and played varsity baseball and tennis at Great Neck South Senior High School. He began to hone his entrepreneurial skills at a young age by trading coins and antiques while in junior high and high school. As a college student he set up a store in his dorm providing the usual necessities of dorm life such as toiletries and ordering LP's at substantial savings to his fellow dormmates. Dan majored in Latin American Studies at Washington University in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. After graduating in 1973, he headed to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
to visit the countries he had studied. Putumayo, named after a beautiful river valley in Colombia, began as a hole-in the-wall retail store in New York City in 1975. Dan filled his small shop with handcrafts and clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
collected in Latin America. The store received considerable media attention and by 1985 Dan found himself designing ethnic inspired contemporary clothing and supplying 600 other stores. Putumayo also had three successful New York stores patronized by such clients as Jane Fonda and Mia Farrow.
Switch to music
In 1991, Dan fell in love with world music when he happened upon a live concert of Kotoja, an African band from the San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
area. Dan knew he had to get involved with this compelling music and put together Putumayo’s first two world music collections in 1993. That same year, Dan was joined by his long-time friend Michael Kraus, who helped him launch the label.
After selling the Putumayo stores in 1997, Dan was able to focus full-time on his goal of introducing people to other cultures through great world music. He now travels extensively and, with the support of ethnomusicologist Jacob Edgar, pays attention to the music scenes in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, New Orleans, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and other music centers. The opening of Putumayo Europe, in Hilversum, Holland in 2000 enabled the company to connect with the European music and retail scene. The expansion of the label’s International division has also extended Putumayo’s presence in South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. The company now has offices in 12 countries. Putumayo has sold more than 15 million CDs since it began, with 50 of its collections selling more than 100,000 copies each and several surpassing 300,000. Currently, more than 3500 specialty retailers in the U.S. and thousands more around the world sell Putumayo CDs.
Storper was also a judge for the 5th and 10th annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
to support independent artists' careers.