To those whose radio stations of choice venture little further than the Top 40, Latin pop and reggae are probably as close as you're going to get to "world music". But listening to a bit of Shakira and owning The Very Best Of Bob Marley do not a connoisseur of international genres make. Be thankful, then, for one record label that has made it its mission to show that there is more to world music than Ricky Martin.

Putumayo World Music grew out of an independent retail company established by young entrepreneur and culture junkie Dan Storper. As a Latin American studies graduate, Storper was visiting some of the places he had learned about when he found himself by Colombia's Putumayo River during carnival season in 1974, observing native Indians getting into their costumes, as you do. Moved by the colourful atmosphere, he returned home and set up a business named after the river, selling craftware he had brought home from his travels and clothes he designed himself. Through a small chain of shops, he aimed to introduce new cultures to his fellow Americans.

In the early '90s, he was on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, where he passed a multinational and wide-eyed crowd entranced by a performance by Nigerian band Kotoja. Excited by these lively African sounds, Storper began making mix tapes of world music artists to play in his shops. But what started as a nice-to-have element of the business changed Storper's entire commercial direction.

Customers were fascinated by what they were hearing and soon Storper decided to turn his passion for these uplifting melodies and tribal rhythms into a bona fide part of the business. He put his head together with Richard Foos of Rhino Records and, with help from Putumayo colleague Michael Kraus, set about developing his compilations into saleable CDs through the newly formed Putumayo World Music.

In April 1993, The Best Of World Music: World Vocal was released, along with an instrumental counterpart. The two albums included Storper's original inspiration, Kotoja, alongside acts as geographically diverse as Brazilian songwriter and now minister of culture Gilberto Gil, American banjo player Béla Fleck, Canadian harpist Loreena McKennit, German flamenco guitarist Ottmar Liebert, Nigerian reggae star Majek Fashek and Indian classical musician Ali Akbar Khan, a master of the 25-stringed lute-like sarod. There was even a thumb-piano player from Uganda. Clearly, those who like their compilations with "Now" in the title would have their eyes opened.

Within four years Storper had sold the clothing arm of the business to concentrate on the music. More albums were released, some spanning all the continents, others focused on specific regions, but all highly praised for using non-traditional sounds.

In 1998, Putumayo World Music signed its first artist, Democratic Republic of Congo-born singer Ricardo Lemvo. As part of 1990s US-based group Makina Loca, Lemvo had fused the energetic Congolese rumba with son montuno, a Cuban mambo built around bongos, congas, tres guitars, trumpets, cowbells and marimbulas. His solo debut on Putumayo, Mambo Yo Yo, was a success in the US and established him as a salsa star in Africa and Europe.

By the end of the century, the label's roster included more African artists, such as Sam Mangwana from Zaire, Habib Koite from Mali and Zimbabwean Oliver Mtukudzi. And in 2001, Putumayo earned its first Grammy nomination, when Homeland by 69-year-old South African Miriam Makeba was recognised in the Best World Music Album category.

Despite the plaudits and recognition, Storper remained dissatisfied with the limited variety on radio playlists. So when an offer to host a monthly world music programme on San Francisco's KFOG rock station came his way he snapped it up. The Putumayo World Music Hour, presented by Storper and KFOG's Rosalie Howarth, is now a weekly show, available online and on more than 120 US, Canadian and Caribbean stations, having also aired in Europe and Africa. The programme takes in established names like Santana, Nitin Sawney and Los Lobos, but dedicates most of its airtime to lesser-known acts from countries, islands and republics many of us would struggle to find on a map. St Croix, anyone? Tatarstan?

Putumayo's other ventures have garnered similar acclaim, such as its World Playground CDs for kids and a number of popular live events. All the while, the company has financially supported charities and non-profit organisations working to benefit people living in regions that have influenced its albums.

The latest releases suggest the cultural creative well is far from drying up, with Turkish Groove, Brazilian Lounge and Paris among its 2006 titles. Anyone looking for a diversion from more conventional guitars and percussion will find much to feel good about in Putumayo's back catalogue.