Luaka Bop

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: Tibor Kalman designed the first two Brazil Classics albums, and several other designers from Kalman's M&Co. design firm have provided the label with distinctive album art.

• Artist — Title — Year • David Byrne — Rei Momo — 1989 • Various Artists — Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical • Brazil Classics 2: O Samba • Tom Zé — Brazil Classics, Vol. 4: The Best of Tom Zé – Massive Hits — 1990 • Various Artists — Brazil Classics 3: Forro etc.: Music of the Brazilian Northeast — 1991 • Silvio Rodríguez — Cuba Classics 1: The Best of Silvio Rodríguez • Various Artists — Cuba Classics 2: Dancing With the Enemy • To Scratch That Itch - A Luaka Bop Compilation • David Byrne — The Forest • Uh-Oh — 1992 • A.R. Kane — Americana • Vijaya Anand — Asia Classics 1: The South Indian Film Music of Viajaya Anand: Dance Raja Dance • Various Artists — Asia Classics: Dancing is Beautiful (Remixes of tracks from "Asia Classics 1") • Cuba Classics 3: Diablo al Infierno • Tom Zé — Brazil Classics, Vol. 5: The Hips of Tradition • Balanescu Quartet — Balanescu Quartet Play Byrne/Moran/Lurie/Torke • Zap Mama — Adventures in Afropea 1 — 1993 • Djur Djura — Adventures in Afropea 2: The Best of Djur Djura: Voice of Silence • Shoukichi Kina — Asia Classics 2: The Best of Shoukichi Kina: Peppermint Tea House — 1994 • Zapa Mama — Sabsylma • David Byrne — David Byrne • Geggy Tah — Grand Opening • A.R. Kane — New Clear Child • Various Artists — Afro-Peruvian Classics: The Soul of Black Peru — 1995 • Blue In The Face - Music From The Miramax Motion Picture • Cornershop — Woman's Gotta Have It • W.O.G. – The U.S Western Oriental mixes • Various Artists — Adventures in Afropea 3: Telling Stories to the Sea • King Changó — King Changó • Geggy Tah — Sacred Cow — 1996 • Paulo Bragança — Amai • Jim White — Wrong-Eyed Jesus • Zap Mama — Seven — 1997 • David Byrne — Feelings • Susana Baca — Susana Baca • Cornershop — When I Was Born for the 7th Time • Waldemar Bastos — Pretaluz — 1998 • Los Amigos Invisibles — The New Sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera • Mimi Goese — Soak • Los de Abajo — Los de Abajo • Bloque — Bloque • Various Artists — Beleza Tropical 2: Novo! Mais! Melhor! (Brazil Classics 6) • Tom Zé — Fabrication Defect • Postmodern Platos (EP) — 1999 • Os Mutantes — World Psychedelic Classics 1: Everything is Possible: The Best of Os Mutantes • Zap Mama — A Ma Zone • King Changó — Return of El Santo — 2000 • Various Artists — Luaka Bop 10th Anniversary: Zero Accidents on the Job • Clinton — Disco and the Halfway to Discontent • Los Amigos Invisibles — Arepa 3000 • Susana Baca — Eco do Sombras • Jim White — No Such Place — 2001 • Gimme Five • David Byrne — Look into the Eyeball • Geggy Tah — Into the Oh • Shuggie Otis — World Psychedelic Classics 2: California Soul: Inspiration Information • Los de Abajo — Cybertropic Chilango Power • Si*Sé — Si*Sé • The Rain (Where Do I Begin?) (EP) • Susana Baca — Espiritu Vivo — 2002 • Moreno + Two — Music Typewriter • Various Artists — The Only Blip Hop Record You’ll Ever Need, Vol. 1 • Cuisine Non-Stop: Introduction to The French Nouvelle Generation • World Psychedelic Classics, Vol. 3: Love's a Real Thing — 2004 • Domenico + Two — Sincerely Hot • Los Amigos Invisibles — The Venezuelan Zinga Son, Vol. 1 • Zap Mama — Ancestry in Progress • Jim White — Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See • Music from Searching For the Wrong-Eyed Jesus — 2005 • Zap Mama — Push It To The Max (EP) — 2006 • Tom Zé — Estudande O Pagode: Na Opereta Segregamulher E Amor • Various Artists — Luaka Bop Remix • Susana Baca — Travesías • Os Mutantes — Mutantes Ao Vivo – Barbican Theatre, Londres 2006 — 2007 • Kassin +2 — Futurismo — 2008 • Various Artists — Brazil Classics at 20: Anti-Aging Secret • Brazil Classics 7: What's Happening In Pernambuco: New Sounds of the Brazilian Northeast • Jim White — Transnormal Skiperoo • A Funny Little Cross To Bear — 2009 • Susana Baca — Seis Poemas • Yoñlu — A Society In Which No Tear Is Shed Is Inconceivably Mediocre • Marcio Local — Says Don Day Don Dree Don Don: Adventures In Samba Soul • Various Artists — Luaka Bop: Twenty First Century, Twenty First Year • The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! — I Love You I Love You I Love You and I’m In Love With You! Have an Awesome Day! • Kings Go Forth — The Outsiders Are Back — 2010 • Don't Take My Shadow: The Tom Moulton Mixes • Tom Zé — Studies of Tom Zé: Explaining Things So I Can Confuse You (Compilation) • Estudando A Bossa (Nordeste Plaza) • Javelin — No Mas • "Coleridge" b/w "Colleagues" — 2011 • Canyon Candy • Susana Baca — Afrodiaspora • Delicate Steve — Wondervisions • Positive Force — 2012 • Bright Moments — Natives • Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang — En Yay Sah • Tim Maia — World Psychedelic Classics 4: Nobody Can Live Forever – The Existential Soul of Tim Maia • Javelin — EP 1 & EP 2 • Hi Beams — 2013 • Various Artists — Adventures in Afropea 3: Telling Stories to the Sea • William Onyeabor — World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who is William Onyeabor? • Moreno Veloso — Coisa Boa — 2014 • William Onyeabor — Box Set 1 • Box Set 2 • What?! (Remixes and covers) • Body & Soul — 2015 • Crashes in Love (Original Version) • Crashes in Love (2nd Version) • Good Name • Tomorrow • Body & Soul • Great Lover • Hypertension • Anything You Sow • Doug Hream Blunt — My Name Is Doug Hream Blunt • Floating Points — Elaenia • Kuiper — 2016 • William Onyeabor — Atomic Bomb • Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang — Build Music — 2017 • Floating Points — Reflections: Mojave Desert • Alice Coltrane — World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda • Kassin — Relax — 2018 • Domenico Lancellotti — The Good Is a Big God • Panduranga John Henderson — Ocean Of Love • Preacherman — Universal Philosophy: Preacherman Plays T.J. Hustler's Greatest Hits • Various Artists — World Spirituality Classics 2: The Time for Peace Is Now: Gospel Music About Us — 2019 • Bremer/McCoy — Utopia • Natten — 2021 • Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra — Promises • Pastor Champion — I Just Want to be a Good Man — 2022 • Alhaji Waziri Oshomah — World Spirituality Classics 3: The Muslim Highlife Of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah • Vol. 1-5 (1978-1984) • Staples Jr. Singers — When Do We Get Paid • Tell Heaven (EP) — 2023 • Pharoah Sanders — Pharoah • Staples Jr. Singers — Searching — 2024 • Bremer/McCoy — Kosmos • Annie & The Caldwells — Can't Lose My (Soul) — 2025 • Leenalchi — Here Comes That Crow (EP) — 2026