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! Beat Music! – Mark Guiliana 2019: 61st Grammy Nomination Best Instrumental Solo – La Madrina – Melissa Aldana
Discography
2001 Jana Herzen – Soup's on Fire
2003 Babatunde Lea – Soul Pools Lynne Arriale – Arise
2004 DJ Jackie Christie – Made 4 U
2005 Babatunde Lea – Level of Intent Babatunde Lea – Suite Unseen: Summoner of the Ghost Lynn Arriale Trio (Jay Anderson, Steve Davis) – Come Together Bujo Kevin Jones – Tenth World
2006 Marc Cary – Focus Lynne Arrialle Trio – Live
2007 Marc Cary & Shon "Chance" Miller – XR Project: AbStraKt|BlaK Pete Levin – Deacon Blues Roni Ben-Hur – Keepin' It Open Rufus Reid – Live at the Kennedy Center Amy London – When I Look in Your Eyes Ryan Cohan – One Sky
2008 Antonio Ciacca – Rush Life Bujo Kevin Jones – Bujo Kevin Jones & Tenth World Live! The New Jazz Composers Octet – The Turning Gate Roni Ben-Hur, Gene Bertoncini – Smile: Jazz Therapy, Volume 1
2009 Charnett Moffett – The Art of Improvisation Lynne Arriale – Nuance: The Bennett Studio Sessions Sertab Erener, Demir Demirkan – Painted on Water Oran Etkin – Kelenia Tessa Souter – Obsession Babatunde Lea – Umbo Weti: A Tribute to Leon Thomas N.E.D. – No Evidence of Disease Alexis Cole – The Greatest Gift: Songs of the Season Ithamara Koorax, Juarez Moreira – Bim Bom: The Complete João Gilberto Songbook Roni Ben-Hur – Fortuna Antonio Ciacca Quintet – Lagos Blues
2010 Geri Allen – Flying Toward the Sound Rufus Reid featuring Steve Allee & Duduka da Fonseca – Out Front Tomoko Sugawara – Along the Silk Road Marc Cary – Focus Trio Live 2009 Gregory Porter – Water Patrick Stanfield Jones – A Heart and an Open Road Charnett Moffett – Treasure Geri Allen and Timeline – Live Oran Etkin – Wake Up Clarinet! Ryan Cohan – Another Look Sameer Gupta – Namaskar Bettina Jonic – The Bitter Mirror: Songs by Bob Dylan and Bertolt Brecht Randy Weston – The Storyteller
2011 Lynne Arriale – Convergence Rondi Charleston – Who Knows Where the Time Goes Amy London – Let's Fly T.K. Blue – Latin Bird Rufus Reid & Out Front (Steve Allee & Duduka da Fonseca) René Marie – Voice of My Beautiful Country Malika Zarra – Berber Taxi Nilson Matta and Roni Ben-Hur with Victor Lewis and Café – Mojave - Jazz Therapy, Vol. 3 Jean-Michel Pilc – Essential Roseanna Vitro – The Music of Randy Newman Monty Alexander – Harlem - Kingston Express Live! JC Stylles featuring Pat Bianchi and Lawrence Leathers – Exhilaration and Other States Geri Allen – A Child Is Born A Moving Sound – A Moving Sound Pilc Moutin Hoenig – Threedom David Murray Cuban Ensemble – Plays Nat King Cole en Español Pilc Moutin Hoenig – Threedom Gregory Porter – 1960 What? The Remixes Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio – The 11th Gate
2012 Elio Villafranca, Arturo Stable – Dos y Mas Gregory Porter – Be Good Lynne Arriale – Solo Joe Locke / Geoffrey Keezer Group – Signing Ablaye Cissoko / Volker Goetze – Amanke Dionti Tessa Souter – Beyond The Blue Brazilian Trio – Constelação The Cookers – Believe Lakecia Benjamin – Retox Roni Ben-Hur, Santi Debriano – Our Thing Alexis Cole, Jeremy Kahn, Frank Basile, Kevin Bales, et al. – Joy Road: The Complete Works of Pepper Adams, Volumes 1-5
2013 David Murray Infinity Quartet featuring Macy Gray & Gregory Porter – Be My Monster Love Marc Cary – For the Love of Abbey Geri Allen – Grand River Crossings 'The Joe Locke Quartet with Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra – Wish Upon A Star
2014 Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – The Offense of the Drum Ginger Baker – Why? Kellylee Evans – I Remember When Omer Avital – New Song Oran Etkin – Gathering Light The Cookers – Time and Time Again Brian Jackson & Kentyah Frazer – Evolutionary Minded, furthering the Legacy of Gil Scott-Heron
2015 Joe Locke – Love Is A Pendulum Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – Cuba: The Conversation Continues Shai Maestro Trio – Untold Stories
2016 Jaimeo Brown Transcendence – Work Songs René Marie – Sound of Red Motema Compilations – The Same Heart (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) David Murray, Gerri Allen, and Terri Lyne Carrington Power Trio – Perfection The Pedrito Martinez Group – Habana Dreams Ben Wendel – What We Bring Will Calhoun – Celebrating Elvin Jones Joey Alexander – Countdown Ted Nash – Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom Donny McCaslin – Beyond Now
2017 Kneebody – Anti-Hero Petros Klampanis – Chroma Gerald Clayton – Tributary Tales Charnett Moffett – Music From Our Soul Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, John Medeski, Larry Grenadier – Hudson Chucho Valdés and Arturo O'Farrill – Familiar: Tribute to Bebo and Chico Mark Guiliana – Jersey Joey Alexander – Joey.Monk.Live! Deva Mahal – EP
2018 David Murray – Blues for Memo Deva Mahal – Run Deep Playing for Change – Listen to the Music Kneebody – How High feat. Inara George Joey Alexander – Eclipse Gilad Hekselman – Ask for Chaos Stefon Harris – Sonic Creed Donny McCaslin – Blow Ben Wendel – The Seasons Lori Henriques – Legion of Peace Joey Alexander – A Joey Alexander Christmas Nett Duo, Jana Herzen, Charnett Moffett – Overtones
2019 Mark Guiliana – BEAT MUSIC! BEAT MUSIC! BEAT MUSIC! Melissa Aldana – Visions Gilad Hekselman – Further Chaos Charnett Moffett – Bright New Day Deva Mahal – Goddamn/Your Only One Donny McCaslin – Head of Mine/Tokyo Terri Lyne Carrington – Waiting Game
2020 Jana Herzen – Nothing But Love Jana Herzen and Charnett Moffett – 'Round the World Jana Herzen – Kapolioka'ehukai The Royal Bopsters – Party of Four
2021 Jana Herzen – Jana Herzen: LIVE Jihye Lee Orchestra – Daring Mind Charnett Moffett – New Love Charnett Moffett – Charnett Moffett Trio Live Feat. Jana Herzen
2022 Jana Herzen – Over the Rainbow (Single)
2023 Volker Goetze, Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko, Alejandro Moreno – Flamenkora Shuteen Erdenebaatar – Rising Sun Geri Allen and Kurt Rosenwinkel – A Lovesome Thing
2024 Awa Sangho – MAMA! Jihye Lee Orchestra – Infinite Connections Stefon Harris and Blackout – Sonic Creed II: Life Signs Guy Klucevsek and Volker Goetze – Little Big Top
2025 Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko and Volker Goetze – Sargal Shuteen Erdenebaatar and Nils Kugelmann – Under the Same Stars
2026 Django Festival Allstars – Evolution
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References
External links Official site Motéma Music's channel on YouTube