Bongo Joe Records

Last updated

Bongo Joe Records
Founded2015;10 years ago (2015)
Founder
  • Cyril Yeterian
  • Vincent Bertholet
Location Geneva, Switzerland
Official website www.bongojoe.ch

Bongo Joe Records, also known as Les Disques Bongo Joe, is a record label based in Geneva, Switzerland. It was established in 2015, and focuses on global music releases.

Contents

History

Bongo Joe Records was founded in 2015 by Cyril Yeterian (who owns a record store of the same name in Geneva) and Vincent Bertholet. [1] [2] The label is named after Bongo Joe Coleman, an American street musician. [3] Artists that Bongo Joe have released include Altın Gün, Meridian Brothers, and Yīn Yīn. [4]

In 2025, Bongo Joe released the compilation album 2015–2025 Les Disques Bongo Joe: 10 Years of Sonic Explorations to celebrate a decade since their founding. [5]

Reputation

WOMEX named Bongo Joe one of the 20 top independent record labels of 2023. [6] In a review of Bono Joe's 10 year anniversary compilation album, Stephen Dalton of Uncut wrote that "much of Bongo Joe's catalogue also serves as valuable cultural archaeology, shining a contemporary spotlight on category-defying "post-world" music." [2] PopMatters wrote that "an inarticulate harmony and a tasteful eclecticism hold their discography together." [7]

Notable releases

References

  1. "Globaler Mikrokosmos", Radio 3fach  [ de ] (in German), 25 March 2017, retrieved 25 September 2025
  2. 1 2 Stephen Dalton, "Various Artists – 2015–2025 Les Disques Bongo Joe: 10 Years of Sonic Explorations", Uncut (review), no. 343 (October 2025), p. 46
  3. Julie Henoch; Lara Donnet (8 November 2023), "Le label genevois Bongo Joe célèbre ses dix ans lors d'une fête à son image" [The Geneva-based label Bongo Joe celebrates its tenth anniversary with a party that reflects its image], Radio Télévision Suisse (in French), retrieved 25 September 2025
  4. Ghislain Chantepie (8 August 2025), "Bongo Joe fête 10 ans de flair sans frontière avec une jolie compilation" [Bongo Joe celebrates 10 years of boundless flair with a delightful compilation], Radio France (in French), retrieved 25 September 2025
  5. Russ Slater Johnson, "A Decade of Disques", Songlines , no. 212 (October/November 2025), p. 12, ISSN   1464-8113
  6. "The World Music Charts 2023: 20 Top Labels of the Year", WOMEX , archived from the original on 15 September 2024, retrieved 8 September 2024
  7. Adriane Pontecorvo (23 September 2025), "Bongo Joe Celebrates 10 Years of Eclectic Releases", PopMatters , retrieved 25 September 2025