Luciano Cantone is an Italian music publisher, record producer, and entrepreneur, best known as the founder of Edizioni Ishtar and Schema Records, two companies that have, for more than three decades, stood among Italy’s leading independent forces in music publishing, record production, and the preservation and promotion of jazz, soul, funk, and internationally acclaimed artists.
In 1992, he founded Edizioni Ishtar, a music publishing company established with the aim of developing and managing a catalogue built on artistic excellence and the protection of authors’ rights. From the very beginning, the company distinguished itself through a vision that combined music publishing, historical research, and the international development of musical repertoires.
Shortly after, Davide Rosa joined the project, and together they formed a partnership. Their union of musical and cultural sensibilities strengthened the identity of the emerging record company.
Three years later, in 1995, Cantone launched Family Affair Distribution, an independent record distribution company created to ensure complete autonomy for his own productions while providing a dedicated distribution network for independent Italian and international labels. At a time when the music industry was still largely controlled by the major record companies, Family Affair Distribution offered an innovative alternative, overseeing every stage of the supply chain—from production to distribution—and playing a significant role in the growth of the independent music scene.
In 1997, he founded Schema Records, a label that would soon become one of Italy’s most respected independent imprints on the international stage. Renowned for its distinctive artistic identity, Schema seamlessly blends jazz, soul, funk, Brazilian music, electronic sounds, and cinematic influences. Over the years, the label has released recordings by artists from around the world, earning an outstanding reputation among DJs, collectors, musicians, and lovers of sophisticated contemporary music.
One of the defining features of Luciano Cantone’s career has been his unwavering commitment to the research, preservation, and rediscovery of musical heritage. Alongside the development of new artists, he has devoted considerable effort to acquiring and managing historically significant catalogues, safeguarding works of exceptional artistic value and making them accessible to new generations of listeners.
Among his most prestigious achievements is the acquisition of the historic Cawoo Campi Music catalogue, founded by legendary producer Gigi Campi, one of the most influential figures in post-war European jazz. Through this acquisition, Edizioni Ishtar assumed stewardship of an extraordinary musical legacy that includes the repertoire of the legendary Kenny Clarke–Francy Boland Big Band, widely regarded as one of the greatest large jazz ensembles ever assembled in Europe.
The catalogue also encompasses recordings and publishing rights associated with some of the most celebrated names in modern jazz, including Johnny Griffin, Sahib Shihab, Art Farmer, Benny Bailey, Jimmy Woode, Ronnie Scott, Idrees Sulieman, as well as Kenny Clarke and Francy Boland themselves, together with many other leading figures of the European and American jazz scenes of the 1960s and 1970s. Preserving and promoting this invaluable repertoire remains one of Edizioni Ishtar’s most significant cultural achievements.
Under Luciano Cantone’s artistic direction, Schema Records has also played a pivotal role in the international rediscovery of important Italian musical repertoires. Through carefully curated reissues, anthologies, and new productions, the label has brought renewed attention to Italian film soundtracks, Italian jazz, library music, rare groove, and Brazilian music, anticipating a global resurgence of interest that would later captivate collectors, DJs, producers, and musicians worldwide.
In 2019, Luciano Cantone embarked on a new chapter in his entrepreneurial journey with the launch of Space Is the Place, a creative platform conceived to further expand the artistic horizons of his activities while fostering both contemporary productions and the preservation of historical musical heritage. This vision led to the creation of Space Echo Records and Dialogo, two complementary labels that naturally extend the philosophy and experience developed through Edizioni Ishtar and Schema Records.
Space Echo Records is dedicated to exploring new musical languages and producing contemporary artists working across jazz, electronic music, Afro-inspired sounds, soul, funk, and international cross-cultural influences. Dialogo, by contrast, is devoted entirely to the restoration, preservation, and reissue of historically significant catalogues, with particular emphasis on Italian library music, film scores, avant-garde jazz, experimental music, and exceptionally rare recordings. Through these labels, Luciano Cantone continues his lifelong commitment to preserving musical heritage while embracing innovation and editorial excellence.
Today, Luciano Cantone is widely regarded as one of the leading figures in Italy’s independent music publishing and recording industry. Through Edizioni Ishtar, Family Affair Distribution, Schema Records, Space Echo Records, and Dialogo, he continues to champion new artists, preserve historically important catalogues, and develop acclaimed recording projects distributed throughout Europe, Japan, the United States, and South America. His work has played a significant role in bringing Italian musical creativity to an international audience, building a bridge between tradition and new generations of musicians and listeners.
More than simply a record producer or music publisher, Luciano Cantone is a musical researcher and custodian of recorded heritage. Throughout his career, he has transformed a lifelong passion for music into a far-reaching cultural vision—one dedicated to preserving landmark works of the twentieth century while nurturing the creation of new artistic expressions for audiences around the world.