Native American Musical Groups
Native musicians now encompass every instrument that is played in the world. I could begin naming names, but know I would miss some. I grew up listening to my mother who is of Lakotah descent play classical music. She was a concert pianist. She has not left us yet but in her mid-80s she can no longer perform as she did in my early years. We woke up each morning to Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Grieg and many other classical artists. Mom can also sing, so it was a wonderful thing to be awakened many mornings to her music and voice.
Out of this came an appreciation for music. I don’t care for every song I have heard, but I like all of the styles of music that are in the world today. The number of Native musicians is growing, as well as the number of Native musical groups. I have been privileged to hear the mixture of beat, international instruments, and a great cross section of artists in different kinds of productions, but one of the most prolific has been the quality of production and choreography evident in the musical Spirit Journey recorded in the 1990’s in Green Bay, Wisconsin by a score of performers from all walks of life. It is a good presentation of what can be accomplished when we can unite our musical expression from the depths of our spirit under the influence of Spirit.
Explore the variety of music through online radio feeds like www.NativeRadio.com and by becoming familiar with some of the many musical groups listed on this page, from the mystical/classical/world music of R. Carlos Nakai to the grinding blues of Digging Roots.
