Jessica Crabtree

It is often said that music is the pulse of a people, and there is no better way to appreciate the many facets of a culture than by exploring its musical traditions. Most Native American musicians today combine traditional forms, such as wooden flute playing, vocal solos, and Plains-style group singing (or “powwow” music), with modern styles and instrumentation. I’ve put together a list of some of the top artists and a few notes on where to hear them.

Joanne Shenandoah

Shenandoah is a member of the Oneida nation and uses her music to express her passionate love of Iroquois history and culture. She’s a woman of remarkable grace and poise and her voice is truly divine! If you’ve never heard her singing you’re in for a wonderful experience.

Shenandoah’s music varies in genre to include traditional Iroquois songs, country ballads, symphonic music – even techno.

Top picks: Peacemaker’s Journey, a song cycle sung partly in English, partly in Oneida, recounts the founding of the Iroquois Confederacy.

  Listen to samples:

  “Deer Dance”
  Covenant: “100 Winters”
  Peacemaker’s Journey: “Aiionwatha Forgives”
  Peacemaker’s Journey: “Peace and Power”

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Robert Mirabal

Robert Mirabal hails from the pueblo of Taos in New Mexico where he grew up immersed in traditional Pueblo culture. He began his career as a flute maker and is now recognized as one of the pre-eminent producers of the Native American flute, with several of his instruments now part of the Smithsonian’s collection. His flute playing is masterful in itself; in his hands it is capable of an astonishing range of expression.

Mirabal has worked in many styles from traditional to rock, both solo and ensemble. Sings both in English and Tewa. His albums are remarkable for their vivid representation of Pueblo life and culture; personally I like his older music best.

Top Picks: Taos Tales is a colorful (but tasteful) blend of flute playing and native song with electronica. Music from a Painted Cave was recorded from a live performance and includes some of his best tracks.

  Listen to samples:

  Music from a Painted Cave: “Painted Caves”
  Taos Tales: “Popay Runner”
  Taos Tales: “Ee-You-Oo”
  Indians, Indians: “Blue Lake”

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Mary Youngblood

Youngblood is of Seminole and Aleut heritage, and an incredibly gifted songwriter and flute player. She’s one of the best choices for those interested in any genre of Native American music.

Top Picks: My two favorite albums are Beneath the Raven Moon (acoustic folk-blend with flute solos) and Heart of the World (also featuring Joanne Shenandoah).

  Listen to samples:
  “Beneath the Raven Moon”
  Beneath the Raven Moon: “Sacred Place”
  Heart of the World: “Tears for Kientepoos”

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Burning Sky

Contemporary acoustic fusion with a Southwest flavor, from a talented group of instrumentalists with Navajo/Ute background.

  Listen to samples:

  Spirits in the Wind: “Dog Soldiers”
  Blood of the Land: “Desert Wind”
  Blood of the Land: “Abalone Heart”
  A Simple Man: “Buffalo Chips”

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R Carlos Nakai

Nakai is one of the founders of the modern Native American music genre. He is a prolific artist whose contemporary portfolio includes many collaborations with musicians of other genres and artists from the international music scene.

  Listen to samples:

  “Morning Star”
  “When Worlds Collide”

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Joseph Firecrow

Traditional Cheyenne flute music. Some of his albums feature traditional Plains group singing or “powwow” music.

Northern Cheyenne Flute: “Wind in My Mind” (FULL TRACK)

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Where to find it:

If you’re like me, you go online to find the best music selection (especially if you spend as much time working at the computer as I do). Over the years I’ve tried more than a few avenues to get the best selection in traditional and contemporary Native American music. Here’s a few notes on what I’ve found.

-Rhapsody

Rhapsody allows 30 free plays per month without registration and has a very good selection. Beyond that you have to buy mp3′s or subscribe to a paid membership, which may be more cost-efficient than buying CD’s or tracks depending on your level of use.

-Got Radio

Similar to online streaming radio – completely free and no registration required. Very good selection and playlist quality, including all the major names like Shenandoah and Nakai as well as lesser known artists. Besides Native American music, they offer a wide range of other channels to choose from including acoustic, classical, world music/reggae, and film music, all of comparable quality.
I’ve used their music players for years, but they have just re-designed their site to include a lot more ads, social networking, etc. and I’m not pleased with the changes. In the past you were allowed to skip through anything you didn’t like (including occasional ads) but the option has been removed. Disappointing.

-Last FM

Registration-based. Free, with a very good selection and no play limits or radio ads. Simply browse by an artist’s charts and play the song you like. On the down side, they have recently updated to a beta version and eliminated virtually all of their free music inventory! I’ve had the Last FM widget on my sidebar for quite sometime but since I haven’t been able to update it I’ll be removing it shortly.

-Pandora

Based on the Music Genome system which gathers music for your playlist based on your preferences. Registration required. Start off by selecting an artist or a song you like, and songs with similar characteristics are drawn from the database. You can ban songs you don’t like but skipping is restricted, so create multiple playlists or “stations” for variety. Right now I find selection somewhat limited.
It’s pretty sophisticated but I’m not completely won over yet.

-Online Radio
Of course there is always the traditional streaming radio. On the down side, you can’t skip through the get all the commercials or other programming, but it’s free and no registration is required. If you use Windows Media Player, or RealPlayer, use the search feature to access stations that play Native music.

Several of the above artists work with the same recording studios. You can find more on their work/albums, and related artists, on these sites:
www.canyonrecords.com/
www.silverwave.com/native.shtml

See also:

Earthsong Online: Native American Artists

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One final note:

There is a plethora of music marketed mainly under the New Age genre as “Native American music” that is not performed or written by Native artists. Of course there’s nothing wrong with anyone playing Indian flute or making a creative living by drawing off of a traditional culture. But I do take issue when the traditions and lifeways of Indian peoples across the country are reduced to a sub-culture of Americana or of the New Age movement. It seems awfully easy to pirate a traditional culture until it metamorphosizes into the misplaced fantasy of a commercial public.

That said, there are many talented (and respectful) non-Native artists working in the Native American style who are definitely worth hearing. But my best advice is to get to know Native music through Native voices first, and learn to appreciate the sounds and rhythms of the culture from the people who actually live it.

Enjoy listening!