Merusa Records is a small (very small) and independent (very independent) record label. It was founded by two anthropologists, who wanted to promote the great music they gathered on their field trips, music that deserves to be heard by a wider audience.
Based in the Netherlands and mainly working in Latin America, it is obvious the emphasis so far has been on those two regions.
Merusa Records has made and released field recordings of obscure, but highly interesting and artistically great, regional musical styles from Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia, as well as new studio recordings and some re-releases of long lost Latin gems. Not only just of etnomusicological interest, but highly enjoyable for everyone—and danceable!
From Holland there are lots of great world music groups with international line-ups like the Toro Ensamble and Mate, etnofunk bands like the Merusa All Stars, and more traditional European music like Manouche's gypsy-jazz and La Rosa's Sephardic music and flamenca chica.
With support from Fundación Interchange (a foundation for cultural research and exchange), Merusa also instigated some projects uniting musicians from different traditions and even different continents, like the ¡Vaya Mandinga!-project where the West-African kora meets the Venezuelan harp.
Our catalogue contains folklore, jazz, roots, salsa, latin, funk, gypsy, flamenco, joropo, ska, rock and world music and much more.
Most of our CDs contain extensive liner notes detailing the cultural origins and social use of the music.
We're not in it for the money... It's for the adventure, the excitement and the satisfaction of giving hitherto unheard artists the chance to present their music to the world.
