#4925, Native American Concert Music

Listen to indigenous North American music that incorporates the sounds of western orchestral instruments: strings, piano, brass quartet in music by Inuk singer Elisapie and the brass group the Westerlies; from pianist Lara Downes playing work by Diné composer Michael Begay; and Pueblo musician Robert Mirabal with ETHEL. Plus, music by Inuk singer Tanya Tagaq.

Inuk singer Elisapie recently released an album of covers called Inuktitut, which reinvents Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” Metallica’s “Unforgiven”, “Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time”, and a bunch of other familiar tunes in the Inuktitut language. We’ll hear “Qaisimalaurittuq”, aka as “Wish You Were Here”, by Pink Floyd, featuring brass quartet The Westerlies. Hear music from pianist Lara Downes's album This Land in a work by Diné composer Michael Begay. [The Navajo refer to themselves as the Diné, meaning '(the) people', and “Navajo” actually comes from Spanish missionaries and historians who referred to the Pueblo Indians through this term, (Wikipedia)].

Then there’s music from the contemporary string quartet ETHEL, a group who champions new music, young composers, and musicians from underserved traditions, including several projects with Native American players and composers. Listen to work from the collaborative album, The River from ETHEL and Native American flutist, singer, and instrument maker Robert Mirabal. Also, sample music by Inuk throat-singer, activist, composer, and Polaris Prize Winner Tanya Tagaq, both from an album featuring multiple cellos, and music that she wrote for a soundtrack to the museum exhibit, Polar Worlds, at the National Maritime Museum in London. And more. - Caryn Havlik

Program #4925, Native American Concert Music (First aired 9/20/2024)

ARTIST: Elisapie
WORK: Qanniuguma (feat. Beatrice Deer) [1:11]
RECORDING: The Ballad of the Runaway Girl
SOURCE: Bonsound
INFO: https://bonsound.co/balladYT

ARTIST: ETHEL & Robert Mirabal
WORK: Gat'te [6:56]
RECORDING: The River
SOURCE: Innova 946
INFO: innova.mu

ARTIST: ETHEL & Robert Mirabal
WORK: Chant  [6:18]
RECORDING: The River
SOURCE: Innova 946
INFO: innova.mu

ARTIST: Elisapie
WORK: Qanniuguma (feat. Beatrice Deer) [5:11]
RECORDING: The Ballad of the Runaway Girl
SOURCE: Bonsound
INFO: https://bonsound.co/balladYT

ARTIST: Tanya Tagaq, with Chris Derksen, cellos
WORK: Force [3:22]
RECORDING: Auk/Blood
SOURCE: Ipecac Recordings
INFO: tanyatagaq.bandcamp.com/album/auk-blood

ARTIST: Elisapie, The Westerlies
WORK: Qaisimalaurittuq (Wish You Were Here) [4:42]
RECORDING: Inuktitut
SOURCE: Bonsound
INFO: https://bonsound.co/inuktitutYT

ARTIST: Lara Downes
WORK: Michael Begay: Adéihozhdílzin / Know Who You Are [5:07]
RECORDING: This Land
SOURCE: Pentatone
INFO: https://lnk.to/ThisLand

ARTIST: Tanya Tagaq
WORK: Snowblind [3:47]
RECORDING: Toothsayer
SOURCE:  Six Shooter Records
INFO: https://sixshooterrecords.lnk.to/SnowblindWE

ARTIST: ETHEL
WORK: Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate: Pisachi (You See) [9:18]
RECORDING: Documerica
SOURCE: Innova
INFO: https://www.innova.mu/albums/ethel/documerica