06/20/2026
From record collector, to record label owner, to Artist 🎤
In this video, I take a dive into Mike Noriega, the founder of Noriega Records, and his lasting impact on the Modern Soul movement. Long before launching his own label, Mike was a dedicated rare soul record collector throughout the 1980s, immersed in collecting Doowop, Northern Soul and Sweet Soul in the later 90’s Instead of simply collecting records, he took the rare path of creating them.
Mike Noriega went on to build Noriega Records, in 2006 writing songs, singing lead vocals, producing records, and helping shape the sound of independent Modern Soul. Very few record collectors have ever crossed over from collecting rare soul records to writing, recording, and releasing their own music at this level.
Whether you’re into Modern Soul, Rare Soul, Sweet Soul, Northern Soul, vinyl collecting, independent record labels, Chicano soul culture, or simply great soul music, this is the story of one collector who became a creator and left his own mark on soul music history.
What do you think Mike Noriega’s greatest contribution to Modern Soul has been? Let me know in the comments.
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