Editing Panart

{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| name        = Panart
| image       = PanartSleeve.jpg
| image_size  = 
| image_alt   = 
| caption     = Artwork from a Panart LP sleeve.
| parent      = [[Concord (entertainment company)|Concord]]
| founded     = {{start date|1944}}
| founder     = [[Ramón S. Sabat|Ramón Sabat]]
| defunct     = {{end date|1961|5|29}}
| status      = 
| distributor = 
| genre       = [[Cuban music]]
| country     = [[Cuba]]
| location    = Calle San Miguel No. 410, [[Centro Habana]], [[Havana]]
| url         = 
}}
'''Panart''' was one of the first and most successful independent [[record label]]s in Cuba, founded in 1944 by engineer [[Ramón S. Sabat|Ramón Sabat]]. In 1961, its studios were seized by [[Fidel Castro]]'s communist regime and the label was nationalized, becoming "Panart Nacionalizada", which shortly after was absorbed by [[EGREM]].

Together with [[RCA Victor]]'s, Panart studios were the main recording studios in Cuba during the 1950s. Since the 1960s, they are known as the Areito studios, owned by EGREM. In addition, Panart acted as a distributor for [[Odeon Records|Odeon]], [[Musart Records|Musart]], [[Sonora Records|Sonora]] and [[Capitol Records]]. Its only sublabel, '''Sonoro''', was established in 1949 and signed several [[trova]] acts such as [[Los Compadres]].

In 2016, Panart was acquired by [[Concord Bicycle Music]] (renamed [[Concord (entertainment company)|Concord]] in 2019) as a part of its purchase of Musart.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7340880/concord-bicycle-music-acquires-musart-music-group Concord Bicycle Music Acquires Mexican Indie Musart Music Group]</ref> Within Concord, Panart is operated as an [[Imprint (trade name)|imprint]] of the historical reissue label [[Craft Recordings]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-23|title=Billboard's Own Grammy Nominee On The Art of Writing Liner Notes|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8548587/billboard-grammy-nominee-liner-notes-complete-cuban-jam-sessions|access-date=2020-08-17|website=Billboard}}</ref>

== History ==
===Origins and expansion===
After studying music, joining the army and obtaining a degree in engineering, [[Ramón S. Sabat|Ramón Sabat]] began working in several music labels in [[New York City]]. In 1943, the label he was working in, [[Musicraft]], folded, and he decided to bring the necessary assets to Cuba to fulfill his desire of establishing his own Cuban-based record company.<ref name="Schlicke">{{cite book|last1=Schlicke|first1=Cornelius|title=Tonträgerindustrie und Vermittlung von Livemusik in Kuba|date=2003|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin|pages=225–238|isbn=9783825802400|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gtlb5tMKp1wC|language=German}}</ref> Thus in 1944 Sabat became the founder and president of the '''Cuban Plastics & Record Corporation'''. According to Irais Huerta Rubio, the majority stockholder of the company was a Cuban electric company controlled by an American [[holding company]]. In 1945, the company sold the whole of its shares to Sabat, becoming the sole owner of the company and launching it under the name Panart (sometimes stylized Pan-Art, short for Panamerican Art).<ref name=Cantor>{{cite news|last1=Cantor|first1=Judy|title=When Cuba Sang|url=http://www.miaminewtimes.com/1996-12-26/news/when-cuba-sang/|work=[[Miami New Times]]|date=December 26, 1996|access-date=October 18, 2015}}</ref> His wife, Julia Sabat, became the vice-president, and millionaire Enrique Gorrín became its treasurer.<ref name="Schlicke" /> The company's headquarters and recording studios were at San Miguel 410, between Campanario and Lealtad, in Havana, while the pressing plant was located outside of the city.

The first record released by Panart (cat. no. 1001) was a 10" single by [[Cascarita]] with the [[Julio Cueva]] Orchestra ("Ampárame" / "En el ñongo").<ref name="RF1">{{cite book|last1=Reyes Fortún|first1=José|title=Música cubana: La aguja en el surco|date=2016|publisher=Ediciones Cubanas Artex|location=Havana, Cuba|pages=43–47|isbn=9789597230892|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LP8oDgAAQBAJ|language=Spanish}}</ref> Eight more singles were released in 1944 and 83 in 1945,<ref name="RF1" /> starting with Orquesta Hermanos Castro "Cucha el eco del tambó" / "Toda una vida" (cat. no. 1010).<ref name="Schlicke" /><ref name="Diaz">{{cite web|last1=Díaz Ayala|first1=Cristóbal|title=Orquesta Hermanos Castro|url=http://latinpop.fiu.edu/SECCION02H.pdf|website=Encyclopedic Discography of Cuban Music 1925-1960|publisher=Florida International University Libraries|accessdate=October 18, 2015|date=Fall 2013}}</ref> Although Panart is frequently mentioned as the first independent record label in Cuba, a small label called Star was established a few years prior, recording four songs by the [[Septeto Nacional]] in 1940.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Díaz Ayala|first1=Cristóbal|title=Ignacio Piñeiro tiene ya su libro|url=http://www.diariodecuba.com/cuba/1374674552_4356.html|website=Diario de Cuba|accessdate=February 24, 2018|date=July 28, 2013}}</ref> In 1949, Panart launched Sonoro, a sublabel dedicated to traditional folk music (mainly [[son cubano|son]] in the [[trova]] style), including [[Trío Servando Díaz]], Trío Caney, Los Incógnitos, [[Los Compadres]] and [[Compay Segundo]] in its initial roster.<ref name="RF1" />

In 1952, Panart obtained exclusive rights for the pressing of music licensed by [[Decca Records|Decca]]. A few years later this contract was broken as Decca reached an agreement with [[EMI]]/[[Capitol Records|Capitol]].<ref name="Schlicke" /> The expansion of the record label was nonetheless unprecedented for a Caribbean label. After establishing a subsidiary (Panart Recording Corporation) in New York in 1952, the same year it pressed its first LPs,<ref name="RF1" /><ref>Reyes Fortún, José (2004). "[http://www.lajiribilla.cu/2004/n150_03/150_04.html Los fabulosos años 50] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202131347/http://www.lajiribilla.cu/2004/n150_03/150_04.html |date=2010-12-02 }}". ''La Jiribilla''. No. 150. Retrieved October 15, 2015.</ref> Panart was pressing half a million records a year, 20% of which was exported outside of Cuba (over 50% by 1959).<ref name="Schlicke" /><ref name="Moore">{{cite book|last1=Moore|first1=Robin|title=Music and Revolution: Cultural Change in Socialist Cuba|date=2006|publisher=University of California Press|location=Los Angeles, CA|pages=40–41|isbn=9780520247109|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q55Z8YPH_XoC}}</ref> Its dominance over the [[jukebox]] business in Cuba and the strategic (geographical) advantage over its main competitor, RCA Victor, explain part of Panart's success. Moreover, Panart was able to secure contracts with some of the most popular and innovative musicians and groups in the country, from [[Conjunto Casino]] to [[Julio Gutiérrez (musician)|Julio Gutiérrez]] and [[Cachao]].

=== Nationalization and aftermath ===

After the [[Cuban Revolution]], Cuban culture, including the record industry, was to be nationalized. Most Cuban record companies either folded or quickly relocated to [[Florida]] or [[Puerto Rico]]. Panart's fate was somewhat different, on May 29, 1961, its studios and factory were seized by the government. By that time, Ramón and Julia Sabat were already in the US.<ref name="Schlicke" /> For a short period of time, until 1962, Panart's records were sold as "Panart Nacionalizada" to reflect this. Between 1962 and 1964, the Imprenta Nacional the Cuba acted as the only legal Cuban label.<ref name="Schlicke" /> In 1964, the [[EGREM]] "trumpet" logo began to be used in stickers put over the Panart logo of previously released albums, and by the time [[Areito (record label)|Areito]] was founded as EGREM's main imprint in Panart's former facilities, Panart had disappeared from Cuban record stores.<ref name="Schlicke" />

Thanks to Julia Sabat, who sent the master copies from Havana to New York, around 80% of Panart's catalogue was "saved" before the government took over the company. Julia and her daughters then left Havana shortly after the Revolution, while Ramón remained in Cuba in charge of the company. Finally, in 1961, they managed to get Ramón out of Cuba. He and his wife established themselves in Miami. Julia started working in a record factory in [[Hialeah]] with Ramón's brother, Galo.<ref>Gil, Pablo. "[http://proust.library.miami.edu/findingaids/?p=collections/findingaid&id=185 Ramón S. Sabat Panart Collection]", ''University of Miami Cuban Heritage Collection''.</ref> Together they issued 1950s recordings made in Cuba on various imprints, including Adria Records and Puchito Records, all manufactured in Hialeah.

== Competition ==
Besides having to compete with major American record labels, primarily RCA Victor (or its subsidiary, [[Discuba]], between 1959 and 1961), and to a lesser extent, Capitol, Panart had to compete with numerous independent Cuban records labels that were established during the 1950s following the success of Sabat's company. These Cuban labels include [[Puchito Records|Puchito]], [[Kubaney]], Suaritos, [[Gema Records|Gema]] and [[Maype]] amongst others.<ref name="Moore" />

== Roster ==
{{div col}}
*[[Fernando Albuerne]]
*Orquesta Almendra
*Orquesta América
*Orquesta América del 55
*Carlos Barbería
*[[Guillermo Barreto]]
*[[Candita Batista]]
*[[Alberto Beltrán (singer)|Alberto Beltrán]]
*Lino Borges
*[[Cachaíto]]
*[[Cachao]]
*[[Orquesta Hermanos Castro]]
*[[Compay Segundo]]
*[[Conjunto Casino]]
*[[Conjunto Chappottín]]
*[[Caridad Cuervo]]
*[[Barbarito Díez]]
*[[Carlos Embale]]
*Dúo Cabrisas-Farach
*Mary Esquivel
*[[José Fajardo (musician)|José Fajardo]]
*[[Roberto Faz]]
*[[Joseíto Fernández]]
*[[Frank Emilio Flynn]]
*[[Neno González]]
*[[Bienvenido Granda]]
*[[Los Guaracheros de Oriente]]
*[[Julio Gutiérrez (musician)|Julio Gutiérrez]] 
*Gina Martin
*[[Obdulio Morales]]
*[[Miguel Matamoros]]
*[[Ñico Membiela]]
*[[Chico O'Farrill]]
*[[Armando Oréfiche]]
*Orquesta Típica Panart
*Mario Patterson y su Orquesta Oriental
*[[Peruchín]]
*[[Orquesta Revé]]
*[[Niño Rivera]]
*[[Orquesta Riverside]]
*Orquesta [[Antonio María Romeu]]
*[[Conjunto Rumbavana]]
*[[Filiberto Sánchez]]
*[[Luis Santí]]
*[[Daniel Santos (singer)|Daniel Santos]]
*[[Ñico Saquito]]
*Orquesta Serenata Española
*[[Sonora Matancera]]
*[[Merceditas Valdés]]
*[[Orlando Vallejo]]
*[[Ramón Veloz]]
*[[Alberto Zayas]]
{{div col end}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Cuba}}
* [[List of record labels]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.discogs.com/label/346707-Panart Panart] at Discogs.
*[https://rateyourmusic.com/label/panart Panart] at Rate Your Music.

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Panart| ]]
[[Category:Cuban record labels]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1944]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 1961]]