Gallo Record Company
| Gallo Record Company | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Parent company | Times Media Group |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founder | Eric Gallo (Gallo Records), Arnold Golembo (Gramophone Record Company) |
| Distributor(s) | Gallo Music South Africa (South Africa) Gallo Music International / Warner Music (international) |
| Genre | All |
| Country of origin | South Africa |
| Official website | gallo |
Gallo Record Company is the largest (and oldest independent) record label in South Africa. It is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is owned by Times Media Group (formerly Johnnic Communications and Avusa). The current Gallo Record Company is a hybrid of two rival South African record labels between the 1940s and 1980s: the original Gallo Africa (1926–85) and G.R.C. (Gramophone Record Company, 1939–85). In 1985 Gallo Africa acquired G.R.C.; as a result, Gallo Africa became known as Gallo-GRC. Five years after the acquisition, the company was renamed Gallo Record Company.
The company owns over 75% of all recordings ever made in South Africa, including those by artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Stimela, West Nkosi, and Makgona Tsohle Band.
Although they both use the rooster as the basis for their logos (since "Gallo" is the Spanish and Italian word for "rooster"), the company is not affiliated with the American E and J Gallo Winery
Eric Gallo set up a one-man business, the Brunswick Gramophone House, in 1926. The record shop was originally devised to distribute records from the US-based Brunswick Records into South Africa. However, noticing the lack of recording facilities (as well as the amount of local talent) in the country, Gallo decided to form a recording studio in 1932 and, borrowing equipment (and a sound engineer) from the then just-defunct Metropole company in the United Kingdom, Gallo opened the "Gallo Recording Studios" under the auspices of Gallo Africa (using a red rooster as the company's symbol, which remains today). Gallo was South Africa's first recording company and became home to a number of classic recordings, including the infamous "Mbube" (recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda and his "Original Evening Birds"). A wealth of local artists had recordings released on Gallo's many labels, including "Singer", "Gallotone", "Gallo New Sound", "USA", and many more. African music (or "black music", as it was then known) was produced by Griffith Motsieloa, a local talent scout whom Gallo had recruited to his fold.
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