Columbia Graphophone Company, S.A.E.

Spanish company and pressing plant in San Sebastian founded in August 30th of 1923 by Juan Inurrieta (previously owner of "Casa Inurrieta" and "Sociedad Hispano Americana" with his brother Antonio Inurrieta), Eduardo Vega de Seoane Echeverría and Baltasar Repáraz. They started with a contract with Columbia Graphophone Limited of London signed in January 18th of 1923 but due legal problems with Barcelona based company "Compañía del Grafófono Columbia S.A." they could not use "Columbia Graphophone Company, S.A.E." until December 9th of 1931 and only if the contract with Columbia Graphophone Limited of London is active. They used the extinted "Sociedad Hispano Americana" experience for distribution. At first stage engineering and recording was done by English technicians with mobile studios around Spain with CEO Juan Inurrieta and artistic director José Fernández Grados. Signed to prestige illustrator Juan Penagos for catalogue artwork, an excellent and exhaustive commercial effort (unique in Spain for that period) with many catalogues in a year. In December 23th of 1934 office address moved to pressing plant address in Eustasio Amilibia (San Sebastian). Active from 1923 to 1935, later become Fábrica De Discos Columbia S.A. / Discos Columbia, S.A.. Released records with Regal (more focused on regional artists) and Columbia label. Worked on recordings with Orquesta Sinfónica De Madrid orchestra and Enrique Fernández Arbós conductor, with Orquesta Bética de Cámara de Sevilla for Manuel de Falla works or Orquesta de Barcelona