Motéma Music
American record label
Motéma Music is a jazz and world music record label in the United States. It was founded in 2003 in San Francisco Bay Area by label president and recording artist Jana Herzen. The label has received Grammy recognition more than 25 times for albums in jazz, Latin jazz, reggae, and R&B. Motema's roster includes Gregory Porter, Joey Alexander, Deva Mahal, Pedrito Martinez, Randy Weston, Geri Allen, David Murray, Monty Alexander, and Charnett Moffett, Donny McCaslin, Mark Guiliana, and Terri Lyne Carrington and many other respected artists in jazz, world and soul music.
History
Motéma Music was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area. A production company since 2003, Motema was started by singer Jana Herzen to release her music, starting with her debut album Soup's on Fire 1999 released before the label had landed international distribution. She chose "Motema" because it translates to "heart" in the Bantu language Lingala. The label was officially founded in 2003 in San Francisco, and moved to New York City in 2005.
Awards and honors
Grammy Awards
2011: 53rd Grammy Nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album – Water - Gregory Porter
2012: 54th Grammy Nominated for Best Reggae Album – Harlem Kingston Express Live! – Monty Alexander
2012: 54th Grammy Nominated for Best Jazz Vocal – The Music of Randy Newman – Roseanna Vitro
2013: 55th Grammy Nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance – Real Good Hands, from Be Good – Gregory Porter
2015: 57th Grammy Win for Best Latin Jazz Album – The Offense of the Drum – Arturo O'Farrill
2015: 57th Grammy Nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album – I Wanna Be Evil – René Marie
2015: 57th Grammy Nominated for Best Instrumental Composition and Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album – Quiet Pride – The Elizabeth Catlett Project – Rufus Reid
2015: 57th Grammy Nominated for Best Latin Album – The Pedrito Martinez Group – Pedrito Martinez
2016: 58th Grammy Win for Best Instrumental Composition and Latin Grammy Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album – Cuba: The Conversation Continues - Arturo O'Farrill
2016: 58th Grammy Nominated for Best Large Ensemble Jazz Album – Cuba: The Conversation Continues – Arturo O'Farrill
2016: 58th Grammy Nominated for Best Jazz Improvisation and Best Instrumental Jazz Album – My Favorite Things – Joey Alexander
2016: 58th Grammy Nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album – Many A New Day – Karrin Allyson
2017: 59th Grammy Nominated for Best Improvised Jazz Solo – Countdown – Joey Alexander
2017: 59th Grammy Nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album – Sound of Red – René Marie
2017: 59th Grammy Won Best Large Ensemble Jazz Album and Best Instrumental Composition – Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom – Ted Nash
2018: 60th Grammy Win for Best Instrumental Composition – Familia: Tribute to Bebo and Chico – Arturo O'Farrill and Chucho Valdes
2019: 61st Grammy Nomination Best Contemporary Instrumental Album – Beat Music! Beat Music!
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