Cameron Davidson
Associate Professor Karen Werner
Music of America
28 September 2015
Paper #1: R. Carlos Nakai and Native American Music
The field of Native American music is an interesting one. For myself, I have never heard much Native American music, but I have seen the rituals and dances that they perform in movies, most of them in history classes in my past. There is one person that I had never heard of before taking Music of America. That man is R. Carlos Nakai. He relates to the field of Native American music well, and I have always enjoyed looking up history, whether it be composers or something other that I enjoy. Throughout this paper, I will discuss Nakai’s life, as well as some of his compositions and songs. Nakai was born …show more content…
Nakai began releasing albums in the early 1980s. Also, according to his website, his first album, titled “Changes”, was released in 1983.(“Biography”). His life did not stop there. In 1994, he was a Northern Arizona University Honorary Doctorate. He has released many albums in his lifetime since beginning in the early 1980s. He has released over 50 albums and in 2014, “Canyon Trilogy” reached platinum, “the first ever for a Native American artist performing traditional solo flute music”(“Biography”).
In relation to Nakai's music, or to be more specific, his style meaning what he plays, how he does it.
R. Carlos Nakai's impressive flute playing features prominently in this recording. “Winter Camp” shows his incredible pitch-bending control. Availing of a variety of vibratos and articulations, his playing is expressive and evocative. The funky groove of “Retire the Colors” is entirely unexpected if one reads the liner notes before listening to it. This version of a flag song is unlike any heard before. The layering of the emcee's voice, the high-pitched singing of the Blackstone Singers with members of the Black Lodge Singers, and the electronica create a unique sonic experience.(Esther
Associate Professor Karen Werner
Music of America
28 September 2015
Paper #1: R. Carlos Nakai and Native American Music
The field of Native American music is an interesting one. For myself, I have never heard much Native American music, but I have seen the rituals and dances that they perform in movies, most of them in history classes in my past. There is one person that I had never heard of before taking Music of America. That man is R. Carlos Nakai. He relates to the field of Native American music well, and I have always enjoyed looking up history, whether it be composers or something other that I enjoy. Throughout this paper, I will discuss Nakai’s life, as well as some of his compositions and songs. Nakai was born …show more content…
Nakai began releasing albums in the early 1980s. Also, according to his website, his first album, titled “Changes”, was released in 1983.(“Biography”). His life did not stop there. In 1994, he was a Northern Arizona University Honorary Doctorate. He has released many albums in his lifetime since beginning in the early 1980s. He has released over 50 albums and in 2014, “Canyon Trilogy” reached platinum, “the first ever for a Native American artist performing traditional solo flute music”(“Biography”).
In relation to Nakai's music, or to be more specific, his style meaning what he plays, how he does it.
R. Carlos Nakai's impressive flute playing features prominently in this recording. “Winter Camp” shows his incredible pitch-bending control. Availing of a variety of vibratos and articulations, his playing is expressive and evocative. The funky groove of “Retire the Colors” is entirely unexpected if one reads the liner notes before listening to it. This version of a flag song is unlike any heard before. The layering of the emcee's voice, the high-pitched singing of the Blackstone Singers with members of the Black Lodge Singers, and the electronica create a unique sonic experience.(Esther