EMI Hemisphere

EMI Hemisphere was a world music record-label imprint created by Gerald Seligman in 1993 within the EMI structure. It was designed to make music from international catalogues more accessible to a broad worldwide audience, drawing on recordings held by EMI Records while also adding its own signings and selected material licensed from outside sources. The imprint emerged during a period when specialist world music catalogues, compilations, and reissues were becoming increasingly important channels for introducing regional musical traditions and popular styles to listeners outside their countries of origin. Operating from London, EMI Hemisphere became one of the early international labels to pursue world music compilation on a substantial scale. Its catalogue covered a wide range of geographic and stylistic areas rather than concentrating on a single national market. In addition to anthology releases, the imprint reissued recordings by individual artists, using EMI’s catalogue resources and external licensing relationships to assemble releases for international distribution. Gerald Seligman led the label until 2000. During his tenure, he produced or executive-produced 76 releases for EMI Hemisphere. His work at the imprint was closely connected to the label’s broad curatorial approach: the catalogue presented music associated with traditions and popular-song cultures including tango, fado, flamenco, bossa nova, Arab music, French song, Cuban music, and Greek popular song. Around 2000, the label initiated The Story of Series, a commercially successful collection of themed releases organized around particular musical traditions or regional repertoires. The series included titles devoted to tango, fado, flamenco, bossa nova, Arab, French, Cuban, and Greek popular song performances. After Seligman’s departure from day-to-day leadership, EMI Hemisphere continued for a limited period and issued a few additional releases, but it subsequently ceased activity as an active imprint. The label’s remaining catalogue became associated with the wider EMI legacy and is currently owned by the Parlophone Label Group. Seligman later became General Director of WOMEX, the international world music expo based in Berlin. EMI Hemisphere is therefore best understood as a historically significant specialist imprint within EMI’s recorded-music operations rather than as an independently operating label today.

EMI Hemisphere was established in 1993 by Gerald Seligman as a world music imprint within EMI. Its purpose was to use EMI Records’ international catalogues as the foundation for a broad world music programme, while supplementing that material with new signings and recordings licensed from outside rights holders. The imprint was among the earlier international labels to make extensive use of world music compilation as a way of presenting regional musical traditions to audiences beyond their countries of origin. Based in London, the label operated under Seligman’s direction until 2000. Its output included both anthologies and reissues devoted to individual artists. The catalogue ranged across multiple traditions and popular-song cultures, including tango, fado, flamenco, bossa nova, Arab music, French song, Cuban music, and Greek popular song. Seligman produced or executive-produced 76 releases during his period with the label. Around 2000, EMI Hemisphere launched The Story of Series, a group of commercially successful themed compilations. The series organized performances around particular musical traditions and regional repertoires, providing accessible entry points for listeners unfamiliar with those catalogues. Following Seligman’s departure, the imprint lasted for several more releases but later ceased active operations. Its catalogue is currently owned by the Parlophone Label Group. Seligman subsequently became General Director of WOMEX, the world music expo headquartered in Berlin.

• 2000

  The Story of Series initiated

  [1]EMI Hemisphereen.wikipedia.org

  The imprint began its commercially successful The Story of Series, with themed compilations covering several world music traditions and regional popular-song repertoires.

• 2000

  Seligman’s label leadership ended

  [1]EMI Hemisphereen.wikipedia.org

  Gerald Seligman ran EMI Hemisphere until 2000; the imprint continued with a limited number of releases after his tenure before eventually becoming inactive.

• 1993

  EMI Hemisphere founded

  [1]EMI Hemisphereen.wikipedia.org

  Gerald Seligman established EMI Hemisphere as an EMI world music record-label imprint in London.

An internationally oriented specialist imprint focused on curating, compiling, licensing, and reissuing world music for broad cross-border distribution.

• World music compilation series · 2000

  The Story of Series

  A commercially successful set of themed anthology releases initiated around 2000. Individual volumes focused on musical traditions or popular-song cultures including tango, fado, flamenco, bossa nova, Arab, French, Cuban, and Greek repertoire. The series used compilation as its principal format for presenting international recordings to a broad audience.

• Artist reissues

  EMI Hemisphere artist reissues

  Alongside anthologies, EMI Hemisphere reissued performances by individual artists. These releases drew on EMI’s international holdings and, where applicable, recordings obtained through outside licensing, extending the imprint’s role beyond multi-artist compilations.

• International music compilations · 1993

  EMI Hemisphere world music anthologies

  Compilation albums assembled from EMI’s international catalogues, the imprint’s own signings, and selected externally licensed recordings. The anthologies covered a wide range of regional styles and popular music traditions rather than a single geographic market.

• 2000

  Launch of The Story of SeriesProduct launch

  Background

  The imprint sought to package international musical traditions in accessible, themed releases.

  Action taken

  EMI Hemisphere initiated The Story of Series, with volumes centered on tango, fado, flamenco, bossa nova, Arab, French, Cuban, and Greek popular song performances.

  Aftermath

  The series became a best-selling part of the imprint’s catalogue.

  Source

• 1993

  Build an international world music imprintStrategy

  Background

  EMI created Hemisphere to organize and distribute music from international catalogues for audiences across national borders.

  Action taken

  The imprint combined recordings from EMI Records with new signings and selected outside licensing, using compilations and reissues as its principal formats.

  Aftermath

  The strategy produced a substantial specialist catalogue and positioned EMI Hemisphere as an early international label with an extensive world music compilation programme.

  Source

1. 1EMI Hemisphereen.wikipedia.org