Peter Noble, best known as the founder of BluesFest in Byron Bay, is behind two Grammy nominations for 2008.
Artists from Noble's indie label AIM have been nominated for the Awards. Cubanismo is up for Best Tropical Latin Album for 'Greetings From Havana' and Terence Simien & The Zydeco Experience could take away the very first Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album award."The Grammy Awards have had an Hawaiian Guitar award and a Polka award but never a zydeco or cajun category", Noble tells Undercover News. Terence and his wife had to lobby to get the category. Before this, they were folded in 'folk'. He deserves to win this. He is being nominated for the category he helped create".
AIM, an Australian independent label specializing in world music is indeed a rarity. "I started the label in 1981," a proud Peter Noble says. "No-one even knows about it. It is a label that does lots of soul and blues from the USA. John Mayall, Canned Heat and Jimmy Witherspoon have been recorded here for the label. I have been recording the last few years in New Orleans. We would be the top 2 or 3 label in these categories in the world".
Peter Noble is one of Australia's true passionate music executives. His other landmark business is the world famous and respected Bluesfest, held in Byron Bay every Easter. "BluesFest was about getting the southern culture in the US recognized and the label is the same," he says.
Peter first discovered Cubanismo in 1995. "I was driving through New Orleans listening to WWOZ. They put on a record. It was Cubanismo," he says. "I went and bought the record and became a fan. They played at BluesFest a few years back and I asked them why they were no longer recording. They said they had a blue with their record label. A bottle and a few cigars later and I became their record label".
One of the tragedies of acts like Cubanismo is that they have not been able to tour the USA because of the Bush government. "They have been banned from touring the US since 2002," Peter says. This year they have done one show. That was in Malaysia. A Grammy nominated act cannot get a gig in the USA. They have put these people out of having a living. They are artists, not revolutionaries. If Buena Vista Social Club came out today, they would not be able to tour the USA," he points out.
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 10, 2008.
