Origins and expansion After studying music, joining the army and obtaining a degree in engineering,
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. 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). His wife, Julia Sabat, became the vice-president, and millionaire Enrique Gorrín became its treasurer. Eight more singles were released in 1944 and 83 in 1945, 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. In 1949, Panart launched Sonoro, a sublabel dedicated to traditional folk music (mainly
son in the
trova style), including
Trío Servando Díaz, Trío Caney, Los Incógnitos,
Los Compadres and
Compay Segundo in its initial roster. Panart was pressing half a million records a year, 20% of which was exported outside of Cuba (over 50% by 1959). 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 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. Together they issued 1950s recordings made in Cuba on various imprints, including Adria Records and Puchito Records, all manufactured in Hialeah. == Competition ==