Luaka Bop

Luaka Bop
File:Luaka Bop logo.svg
Founded	1988 (1988)
Founder	David Byrne
Distributor(s)	Warner Bros. Records (1988–2000) Narada Productions/Virgin Records/EMI (2000–2005) V2 Records/BMG Records (2005–2006) The Orchard/!K7 (2006–present) Self (2006–present)
Country of origin	United States
Location	New York City
Official website	www.luakabop.com

Luaka Bop is a New York–based record label founded by musician David Byrne, former lead singer and guitarist for the art rock–new wave band Talking Heads. What began with Byrne making cassettes of his favorite Tropicália tracks for his friends became a full-fledged record label in 1988 after Byrne received a solo artist deal from Warner Bros.

Since then, Luaka Bop has developed into a label known for bringing eclectic music to new audiences. Though initially affiliated with Warner Bros, Luaka Bop has been wholly independent since 2006. Often categorized as a “world music” label, Luaka Bop considers its own music to be mostly contemporary pop.

Luaka Bop has released full-length albums, EPs, and singles from artists such as Alice Coltrane, William Onyeabor, and Floating Points, as well as compilations covering a wide range of musical movements and styles. The label’s maiden release eventually became the seven-album Brazil Classics series, which surveys genres from samba to Tropicália, as well as individual artists. This was the first of a number of region- or genre-specific compilation series released by Luaka Bop.

Name and logo

Byrne took the phrase "Luaka Bop" from the inner packaging of a specialty tea which is sold in England. Luaka is the name of a tea importer. Their "Broken Orange Pekoe" is packaged in a silver foil block; when the sleeve is removed, it reveals a white label that reads "Luaka BOP". Byrne found the phrase to be “strange, but musical”, a combination he liked.

The Luaka Bop logo design was conceived by David Byrne and illustrated by Tibor Kalman. According to Byrne:

The logo, whose use is granted through an agreement that is subject to certain conditions, is a rather obscure Masonic symbol linked at various times to the Trinity of the Illuminati and to the Egyptian Knights of Templar. … The eye of the Luaka Bop logo is the eye of Vilaç Trismegistes, the Balkan alchemist who gave his eyes to his work, and who was the first to uncover the secrets of the Egyptian Knights.

Musical philosophy

While often described as a “world music” label, Luaka Bop has no explicit musical focus. Asked about the original concept for the label, Byrne says “the initial concept was no concept”, going on to say “I’ve never had an artistic plan with this label—there are no guidelines as far as what we’re going to do or what kind of music it might be”.

In fact, the label has often tried to avoid the “world music” moniker and the changed perceptions that come with it. On Luaka Bop’s website, Byrne details this tension through the example of Zap Mama, who debuted on Luaka Bop as part of the Adventures in Afropea series:

We think of the music we work with as contemporary pop music, and we try to present it as such. While something like Zap Mama’s first record could be, and sometimes was, perceived as an ‘ethnic’ record, we did our damnedest to alter that perception. The CD covers go a long way, in my opinion, to creating this attitude. We don’t do covers that look like folkloric records or like academic records of obscure material of interest only to musicologists and a few weird fringe types… we work with the designers to come up with a graphic statement that says ‘this music is as relevant to your life and is as contemporary as Prodigy, Fiona Apple, or Cornershop.’ … So gradually, although Zap Mama might have initially been thought of as an ‘ethnic-folkloric’ ensemble, they are now thought of just as a cool group.

Connections

Title	Album details
Rei Momo	Released: October 3, 1989 Label: Luaka Bop, Sire
Uh-Oh	Released: March 3, 1992 Label: Luaka Bop, Warner Bros.
David Byrne	Released: May 24, 1994 Label: Luaka Bop, Warner Bros.
Feelings	Released: June 17, 1997 Label: Luaka Bop, Warner Bros.
Look into the Eyeball	Released: May 8, 2001 Label: Virgin

Year	Artist	Album	Aditional Notes
1989	Various Artist	Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical
		Brazil Classics 2: O Samba
1991		Brazil Classics 3: Forro etc.: Music of the Brazilian Northeast
	Silvio Rodriguez	Cuba Classics 1: The Best of Silvio Rodríguez