The Whole Music Experience

World / Native American   Wayne Silas, Jr. Infinite Passion   Canyon Records Hey everyone, it’s that time of year for Native American round dances--a merry cycle of socializing, dancing, drumming and singing personal as well as, humorous songs.   A regular performer on the pow-wow trail and round dance circles, Wayne Silas, Jr. (Menominee/Oneida) brings us his newest collection of round dance songs, lullabies, and traditional women’s songs on Infinite Passion .   One minute he’s singing at the top of his lungs, another a moment he sings from the bottom of his heart with songs so sweet, intimate and tender that I feel like I’m eavesdropping on his family.   On the other hand, when his group of talented friends joins Silas, I feel like I dropped into a party. My favorite songs lean on the slower melodic side such as Tha Mash Up which features polyrhythms, chimes, and vocal harmonies.   Pray , a duet with Veronica Keeswood also hits th...

Native American / World   Tony Duncan Native Son   Canyon Records I had one of those days where I feel wound up and it doesn’t help that I have been consuming raw chocolate.   So listening to Apache/Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara flutist Tony Duncan’s third album with Canyon Records and I believe his second solo album, Native Son , comes as a relaxing godsend.   When you listen to numerous Native American flute recordings you begin to identify subtle and not so subtle differences and signatures of the many gifted flutists.   Some Native American flutists possess playfulness while others lean heavily into the ethereal realm and others provoke healing tears to flow.   Duncan combines all of those qualities in his playing, which if it was a wine, we would also call it full bodied and robust--not bad for a young musician. I survived a stressful summer in 2011 in part listening to Estan-Bah (acoustic guitar, Native American flute, Native American...

World / Native American   Cheevers Toppah A Good Day, A Better Tomorrow   Songs of the Native American Church Canyon Records Sacred music poses a challenge for review purposes because reviewing music requires the analytical brain and sacred music works the other side of the brain, leading to enhanced spiritual experiences.   Sacred music also requires undivided attention as well as, a focus on the heart and body to gage reactions.   Songs of the Native American Church have the ability to knock me right out of my mental space and land me in my heart center and I don’t want to be anywhere near my computer when this takes place. Kiowa/Navajo Vocalist Cheevers Toppah honors his ancestors by carrying on the Native American Church song tradition, also known as “peyote songs” on his latest CD, A Good Day, A Better Tomorrow .   The songs appear in 8 sets (the structure of a Native American Church song) and Toppah closes the recording with a ha...

Native American/World   Nitanis “Kit” Largo   Serenity   Canyon Records     Bear Creek   Kaagige-Forever   Pow-Wow Songs   Canyon Records Randall Paskemin   Christmas Cheer   Christmas Round Dance Songs   Canyon Records Sometimes I wonder why so few Native American woman musicians record albums or why labels release few recordings by Native American women.   I would love to see women pow-wow drumming and vocal groups, and more in Native American women musicians such as Joanne Shenandoah, Sandy Scofield, Mary Youngblood and Sharon Burch, personally.   So I can’t tell you how pleased I am to review First Nation vocalist-songwriter Nitanis “Kit” Largo debut solo album, Serenity . Largo has been around for a while, singing with the First Nation pow-wow group Bear Creek (also mentioned in this review round-up) and you’ll hear her vocals gracing the albums of Alex E. Smith ...

Fawn Wood Iskwewak Canyon Records Fawn Wood (Cree and Salish lineages) represents a new and powerful voice on Canyon Records. Along with her husband Dallas Waskahat and her Native American musician family members, Wood honors indigenous women on her CD, Iskwewak (means all women in the Cree language).   Her collection of mostly round dance songs sung in Plains Cree, vocables and English, reflect on the different situations women face from participating in relationships with the “wrong man” or honoring elders, as in Grandmother Song .   Mostly, Wood sings about love for her husband and for her baby son. I cannot emphasis enough the beauty and power in Wood’s vocals, along with her sense of humor, and songwriting skills.   The text to Mr. Wrong cracks me up every time I hear it, especially the line “Mr. Wrong with five kids on the side...” However, most of the songs fall on the tender side expressing love and appreciation for relations.   If y...