Nick Gold

British record producer and music executive

Nick Gold

Occupations|

* Record producer
* Audio engineer
* Music executive

Years active| 1996–present
Labels| World Circuit

Musical artist

Nick Gold is a British record producer, multi-instrumentalist and music executive. He is the former CEO of World Circuit Records and the organiser of Buena Vista Social Club, a Cuban musical ensemble which he established in 1996. Gold is a two time Grammy Award winner. In 2006, The New York Times described him as a "Musical Matchmaker".[1][2]

## Biography

[edit]

Gold's parents were TV and film director Jack Gold and actress Denyse Alexander.[3] Gold graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in African history;[4] prior to graduation he began his career by working in a jazz record store in London where he learnt about Arts Worldwide, run by Anne Hunt and Mary Farquharson, which organised British concerts tours for musicians from Latin America and Africa. The organisation went on to create a record company to produce recordings to cater for the demand from audiences.[5] The organization hired Gold to run the label and he was tasked with finding a recording studio and producer for Kenyan musical group, Shiratti Jazz. According to the New York Times, this was his first visit to a recording studio and his first glimpse of a mixing console.[6]

In the early 1990s, Gold bought the organization and took over. Gold invited American musician Ry Cooder and Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré to London where they played together and decided to collaborate in the future.[7] In 1996, Gold planned to fly two Malian musicians to Cuba to record with Ry Cooder and a group of Cuban musicians, as an exploration of Afro-Cuban culture. However, the Malian musicians could not reach Cuba because they were denied the necessary visas. Gold went on to gather Cuban musicians from different performing backgrounds to create the Buena Vista Social Club.[6]

Gold produced the 1984 Grammy award-winning album Cherie by Ali Farka Touré, and co-produced the 1996 studio album Buena Vista Social Club. Gold is also noted for his production, engineering and coordination credits on Toumani Diabaté, London Symphony Orchestra, Afro-Cuban All Stars, Afel Bocoum, Tony Allen, Orchestra Baobab, Djeli Moussa Diawara, Fatoumata Diawara, Cheikh Lô, Oumou Sangaré and Hugh Masekela.[8]

In 2018, Gold sold World Circuit Records to the Bertelsmann Music Group.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Sisario, Ben (23 July 2006). "Nick Gold, the Musical Matchmaker Who Gave Mali the Blues". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
2. ^ "Nick Gold". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
3. ^ Durán, Lucy (22 October 2024). "Nick Gold talks to Lucy Durán about the making of Buena Vista Social Club" (PDF). soas.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
4. ^ "Biographies – Buena Vista Social Club". PBS. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
5. ^ "The man who sold the world another music". The Independent. 5 October 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
6. ^ a b Sisario, Ben (25 July 2006). "A master of mixing world musicians – Arts & Leisure – International Herald Tribune". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
7. ^ "Ry Cooder Interview 2 Excerpts – Buena Vista Social Club". PBS. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
8. ^ "Nick Gold | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 February 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Nick Gold Credits at AllMusic

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* Czech Republic

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

Portals:

* Biography
* Music
* United Kingdom