African and World Music specialists since 1983. 

First British record label to release recordings by Salif Keita, Youssou N'Dour, and Franco &amp; OK Jazz. 

Dedicated to bringing to the world the sublime music of Africa and its diaspora.



World Circuit Records has made its reputation by producing some of the finest albums of the past three decades. The label’s prestigious roster includes the Grammy-winning Buena Vista Social Club and associated solo artists (including Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González, Omara Portuondo and Orlando ‘Cachaíto’ López), Malian blues pioneer and Grammy-winner Ali Farka Touré, Malian divas and social activists Oumou Sangaré and Fatoumata Diawara, master kora player Toumani Diabaté, the illustrious Orchestra Baobab, musical iconoclast Cheikh Lô, and Fela Kuti’s legendary drummer and co-creator of Afrobeat Tony Allen. 
 
With reissues and brand new releases coming soon, World Circuit continues to bring diverse, genre-defying music to a wider audience.

The Joe Strummer Foundation is a registered charity that aims to create new opportunities for aspiring musicians.

Set up by the friends and family of Joe Strummer in the year after his death, the charity seeks to reflect Joe's unique contribution to the music world by offering support, resources and performance opportunities to artists who would not normally have access to them.

It is now over 20 years of exploring urban Africa. Countless trips to the buzzing megacities of Africa from Lagos, to Accra, Nairobi, Dakar or Jozi. But we also visited remote places such as Asmara the capital of Eritrea or Lusaka in Zambia. Back then we soon realized that the unknown side of Africa was not its exotic traditions, but the booming urban scenes on the continent. Now in 2022 with styles like Afrobeats, Gqom, Amapiano or Trap Africa is finally starting to reach the international markets.

Back then we asked ourselves: How come not a single kwaitostar from South Africa had an album out internationally. How come the international music market ignored the most popular music styles Africa was dancing to: Kwaito, Bongoflava, Hiplife, Afrohouse, Coupe Decaller … you name it. There was work to do. Work that took us to meet Jo’burgs kwaito cats, dive into the Bongoflava world of Dar es Salaam, meet people like a young 2face, D'Banj, Pee Square and others in Lagos or check out the Hiplife scene in Accra. We celebrated Urban Africa with concerts and tourprojects featuring the likes of Mzekezeke, Bongomuffin, D’Banj, Pee Froiss, Daara J, African China & many many others. Putting out compilations that introduced urban scenes such as Bongo Flava, Afrohouse, Senerap & Naija hiphop to an audience outside of Europe. The new urban music world was growing in Africa – but the rest of the world was just waking up to this new sound. We ended up sitting in a stretch limo end of the 90ies driving down Champs d’Elysee with Magic System. They had just dropped their major hit premier Gaou. In London to the Stratford Rex had 2Face take the stage playing his first show outside of Nigeria. 

Then the journey of Outhere records took a new direction in 2006. It all happend in a Pizza restaurant in Bamako. Bassekou Kouyate gave a relaxed early evening gig together with the likes of Kassemady, Lassana Diabate and other stars of Malian music – together with Westafrican music scholar Lucy Duran it was decided on the spot to record the international debutalbum of Bamako‘s king of the ngoni. The result was ‚Segu Blue‘ an album that became one of the world music successes of 2007. With three albums under his belt Bassekou Kouyate and his band have played everywhere from Mexico to Japan, to New York Central Park, Carnegie hall or London's Royal festival hall. The band has collected numerous awards, a Grammy nomination and has appeared 2 times on BBC‘s Jools Holland.

Today Outhere records works with artists from all over Africa celebrating all kinds of styles. There is the young and inclredible Mokoomba from Zimbabwe, who have fused the different local musicgenres of their country into a new urban style. It's an infectious blend of zamrock, congolese rumba guitars mixed with the raw spirituality of rural Zim traditions. From Accra, Ghana comes our other incredible liveact: Santrofi, named after a colourful bird. This collective is made up of some of the greatest young musicians from Ghana blending raw guitarband Highlife with contemporary afrobeats and trap styles. Never miss any of their shows.  And next coming up the hard hitting community vibes from BCUC .... 

here's a list of artists we've worked with:
Abass Abass / A.B. Crentsil / AK Yeboah / Afande Sele / African China / Afrikanboy / Afroganic / Alif / Awadi / AY / Azadus / Baay Sooley / Bantu / Bassekou Kouyate / Batman Samini / Bebe Cool / Bongo Maffin / Brown Dash / B.O.P. / C.B.V. / Carlou D /  Da Brains / Da Fugitivz / Danfo Drivers / Daniel Haaksmann / Daz Nundaz / Dede Mabiaku / Djoloff /Dully Sykes / Dread Maxim / D’banj / Dur Dur Band Int. / East African Bashment Crew / Faze / Gidigidi MajiMaji / Godessa / Gokh-Bi System / H2O / JJC & 419 Squad / Juma Nature / Kassemady Diabate / King Ayisoba / Kontihene / KwabenaKwabena / Kwaku-T / K’Naan / K-Sal / Lady JayDee / Leo Muntu / Les Escrocs / Lobi Traore / Lord Ekomy Ndong / Madera Limpia / Mafikizolo / Magic System / Mandoza / Mapaputsi / Modenine / Mokoomba / Mr. Ebbo / Mwana FA / Mzekezeke / Necessary Noize /  Ofori Amponsah / Oskido / Pee Froiss / Peter Miles / Pidgen Allstars / Positive Black Soul / Professor Jay / Rebellion the Recaller / Reggie Rockstone / Revolution / Rokia Traoré / Santrofi / Sbu / Schlachthof Bronx /  Sheriff Ghale Tata Pound / Teba Shumba / Terry Bonchaka / Tiken Jah Fakoly / Tumi / Tumi and the Volume /  V.I.P / WA BMG 44 / Weird MC / X Plastaz / Xuman / Zola / Zoumana Tereta / Zubz / 340ml / 994 Crew /

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