|
|
||||
|
Last month Canyon Records produced a special recording in which the artist was in Afghanistan, the producer in San Francisco and the production team in Phoenix (see December 21, 2011 post). We’re happy to announce that Canyon Records artist, Ruben Watan who has sung with Young Bird, has safely returned from Afghanistan to his new base at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Ruben is serving with the U.S. Army. Welcome home, Ruben!
“Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai joined the Philharmonia and conductor Robert Baldwin for a mesmerizing performance of James DeMars’ Two World Concerto. The work deftly combines Western classical music traditions with Native American idioms in a compelling and fascinating work. And Nakai brought a sense of spirituality to his soulful playing. This was a deeply moving and heartfelt performance.” Reichel’s review of the concert was headlined “R. Carlos Nakai in Breathtaking Performance with Utah Philharmonia” and described the artist and composition: “Nakai is an amazing performer. He brought wonderful expressiveness and lyricism to his playing [of the Two World Concerto]. Watching him one could see that for him this was more than just a concert. This was no mere music making. This was a ritual. He brought spirituality and profound feeling to the music. Nakai brought the audience with him on this journey of the soul. It was moving, mesmerizing and ethereal. “DeMars does a remarkable job bringing western and Native American cultures together in this work. He evokes a different world and time. The distinctive sound of the wooden flute, which was amplified in order to be heard over the orchestra, cast an aura of mysticism that grew in intensity as the work progressed. And while the three movements are fraught with heart wrenching feeling, it is the slow movement that is the most otherworldly. Time stands still here and Nakai captured the serenity and peace that DeMars created in this movement beautifully. The entire review can be read at Reichel Recommends. A recording of Two World Concerto is available from Canyon Records. Nakai will perform with the Tucson Symphony (conducted by George Hanson) on Friday, February 10, 2012 (8:00 p.m.) and Sunday, February 12, 2012 (2:00 p.m.) at the Tucson Music Hall. Nakai will perform James DeMars’ Desert Solitude composed for the celebration of Arizona’s Centennial. For more information: TucsonSymphony.org.  Alexis Santos (left) works with Stephen Butler (center on laptop screen) as Ruben Watan's performance is recorded over a phone patch directly to ProTools. Canyon Records recently produced a unique recording session that involved participants in Afghanistan, San Francisco, and Phoenix. The session featured Ruben Watan, who has appeared on the Canyon Records label with Young Bird, singing a round dance song from Afghanistan where he serves with the U.S. Army. Ruben connected via phone patch to the Canyon Records studio where producer Kristen Butler and engineer Alexis Santos oversaw the recording with executive producer Stephen Butler managing the session via video conferencing from San Francisco. Ruben, Cheyenne-Arapaho from Weatherford, Oklahoma, recorded his favorite round dance song for a special album of veterans’ songs to be released in 2012 as part of Canyon Records 60th Anniversary Celebration. Ruben is a Canyon Records artist who participated with the powerhouse Southern drum Young Bird on five Canyon releases: Deja Vu, Down 4 Life, Word Up, Rendezvous, and the Grammy-nominated Change of Life. When Ruben was deployed to Iraq on an earlier tour of duty he connected with Canyon Records through Kristen Butler who mentioned to executive producer Stephen Butler that a Canyon Records artist was serving overseas in a war zone. Stephen invited Ruben to contribute a song to the veterans’ album project and wanted to record it from where Ruben was based. The inclusion of Ruben’s song is to honor his sacrifice for his country and to emphasize that Ruben continues the tradition of military service in the Native American community which is the highest on a per capita basis of any group in the U.S. The entire Canyon Records family is proud of Ruben’s service and hopes for his safe and quick return home.
The Gift of Life by Randy Wood was a nominee for Best Hand Drum Album. The Best International Album category is the only category in the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards open to non-Canadians. The winners were announced at the 13th Annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards on Friday, November 18 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario. The Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards program is developed and coordinated by Aboriginal people from across Canada and is open to First Nations, Inuit and Metis artists with a special category open to non-Canadians. The mission of the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards is to acknowledge and honour the keepers, teachers, promoters, creators and performers of Aboriginal music, to continue to develop and promote the diversity of all Aboriginal music, to showcase and celebrate the excellence of Aboriginal music, and to recognize the unique vision of Aboriginal musicians and encourage this rich cultural voice. For a complete list of winning albums visit http://www.canab.com/mainpages/events/musicawards_files/2011/winners/. Canyon Records artists received five Native American Music Awards (Nammys) at the Thirteenth Annual Native American Music Awards at the October 7, 2011 ceremony in Niagara Falls, New York:
Additionally, a good friend of Canyon Records, Shelley Morningsong received Record of the Year for Full Circle. Other winners:
For more information about the Native American Music Awards visit www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com. The Native American Music Awards (Nammies) has announced the performers and nominees for the Thirteenth Annual Awards. Canyon Records artists Gabriel Ayala and Pipestone will perform at the October 7, 2011 ceremony in Niagara Falls, New York. Canyon Records artists are up for 24 awards.
To vote for your favorite artists visit www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com. Winners will be announced on Friday, October 7, 2011 at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, New York.
Toppah will be one of three Native Americans inducted in this year’s celebration. “We are thrilled to have such a prestigious group of inductees this year,” said Andrea Chancellor, Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame Board President. “This slate of nominees serves as a tribute to Oklahomans who are contributing and have enhanced our lives with music, leaving their legacy on the world stage.” Cheevers Toppah (Kiowa/Navajo) is a native Oklahoman from Weatherford, and is one of the leading singers and composers of Southern-style Pow-Wow songs, Native American Church (peyote rite) songs as well as Kiowa hymns from the Christian traditions. Toppah performed in his high school choir which brought a different artistic and technical background to his Native American musical expressions. Intonation, an album recorded with Alex E. Smith for Canyon Records, was nominated for multiple awards and was a finalist at the 2005 GRAMMY Awards in the Best Native American Album category. His Native American Church music recording with Kevin Yazzie, First Light, also for Canyon Records, was a finalist for the 2008 Indian Summer Music Awards and 2008 Native American Music Awards. Toppah also released on the Canyon Records label Harmony Nights, Rain in July, Awakening of Life, and Renewed Spirit, Harmonized Hymns of the Kiowa. The 2011 Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductees include: Jesse Ed Davis (Kiowa-Comanche), born in 1941 in Norman, Oklahoma, began playing the guitar at 16 and two years later joined Conway Twitty on tour. Davis’ recordings with Twitty led him to become a prominent pianist, organist, and guitarist for the Taj Mahal band, and to more opportunities with musicians such as Leon Russell, Jackson Browne, George Harrison and John Lennon among many. Davis passed away in 1988. Nole “Nokie” Edwards (Cherokee) was born in 1935 in Lahoma, Oklahoma. Edwards was lead guitarist for The Ventures, as well as guitarist for country greats Buck Owens, Lefty Frizzell, and Ferlyn Husky. Edward’s recent accomplishments include induction in 2008 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the GPA 2009 Guitar Legends Award, induction in 2006 to the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, and a 2010 Native American Music Award (Best Instrumental Recording). Singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth attended college at the Oklahoma City University where she earned a BFA in Musical Theater and a Master’s in Opera Performance. After moving to New York City her career took off in theater, television, film, and recordings including a Tony-winning performance in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown and originating the role of Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked. In 2003, she won an Emmy for her role in the comedy, Pushing Daises. Chenoweth has been featured in Disney movies such as Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure and You Again. Chenoweth has released four albums as well as a comedic autobiography, A Little Bit Wicked. Wayman Tisdale was a NBA star who played for the Indian Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. He played for the University of Oklahoma where he received national recognition and set records that still stand. He was also a talented jazz bass player who would release eight albums after his retirement from sports. His 2001 release, Face to Face, would climb to No. 1 on Billboard’s contemporary jazz chart. He died in 2009 at the age of 45 after a battle with cancer. Ralph Blane (born 1914 as Ralph Hunsecker) was a composer, lyricist, and performer from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. After graduating from Tulsa Central High School, Blane was hired as a radio singer for NBC. By the mid-1930s, Blane appeared on Broadway where he was featured in various shows and collaborated with Harry Warren, Harold Arlen, and Kay Thompson. With partner Hugh Martin, Blane would progress to writing songs including the Oscar nominated, Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Blane died in 1995 in his hometown of Broken Arrow. Robert Bogle was a founding member of The Ventures. Born near Wagoner, Oklahoma, Bogle worked as a bricklayer in California from the age of 15 and in 1958 met Don Wilson when they worked together in construction. A self-taught guitar player, Bogle would form a band with Wilson, The Versatones, which evolved into The Ventures. Bogle has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Performer category. Gene Triplett, raised in Oklahoma City, is a highly respected writer for the The Oklahoman where he has written thousands of music articles and reviews as entertainment editor. Photo of Cheevers Toppah by John Running. The 7th Annual Indian Summer Music Awards have announced this year’s finalists and Canyon Records has received ten nominations. All five finalists in the Best Traditional Drum category, three in the Best Traditional Vocal category and one each in the Best Traditional Instrumental Album and Contemporary/Modern Instrumental Album categories were from Canyon Records and include:
Canyon Records has been honored with a nomination for Small Business Partner of the Year by The Arts and Business Council of Greater Phoenix who will recognize metro Phoenix companies, groups and individuals that have contributed to and supported the Valley’s arts scene. The nominees will be honored at the 21st Annual Business in the Arts Awards at a breakfast ceremony on August 17, 2011 at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort, Scottsdale, Arizona. Canyon Records recording artist Aaron White will demonstrate Native American flutemaking at the pre-breakfast reception and will donate a flute for auction. The nominees include: • Large Business Partner of the Year: Bank of America, Rural/Metro–Southwest Ambulance. • Small Business Partner of the Year: Canyon Records, Changing Hands Bookstore, ON Media, Salt River Solar and Wind. • Arts Organization of the Year: Arizona 5 Arts Circle, Arizona Magic of Music and Dance, ASU Art Museum, AZ Dance Group, Desert Sounds Performing Arts Inc., Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona, Phoenix Film Foundation. • Arts Advocate of the Year: James Covarrubias, Harold Dorenbecher, Amy Douglas, Jeff Evers, Howard Hirsch, Vern Mathern, Diane Goullard Parlante, Esther Vandecar. • Arts Board Member of the Year: Timothy Berg (Arizona Theater Center), Zelda Faigen (Arizona Theatre Co.), Katy Heth (Rosie’s House), Thomas Hudak (Scottsdale Artist School). The purpose of The Arts and Business Council of Greater Phoenix is to foster connections between corporate citizens and the Valley’s artistic community through services including governance training, educational opportunities for artists, leadership skills and board training for executives, and business-to-business opportunities. For more information visit: www.artsbusinessphoenix.org.
“Preserving the Heritage” is an excellent source of information about the Native American flute and its relationship to the cultures of the northern Plains. Locke provides clear explanations of the sources of his music and demonstrates traditional songs on the flute and by singing. This 61 minute recording is highly recommended for anyone interested in Native American culture and music, and is an excellent resource for teachers. Kevin Locke is flutist, singer, recording artist, educator, and scholar in the field of the traditional Native American flute, its repertoire, mythology, traditions, and performance practice. He presents Native American cultural values, traditions, music, dance, and language to people around the world through performances, recordings, and residencies. Oliver W. Jones is a retired doctor who taught at the UCSD School of Medicine and has had a life long interest in studying and making the Native American flute. Jones made the first flutes used by R. Carlos Nakai. INAFA, which is also known as the International Native American and World Music Flute Association, is a music and education-based organization whose goal is to foster the advancement, appreciation, preservation, and understanding of the Native American flute, as well as other world flute traditions. The first release in the Historic Flute Series, Woodnotes Wyld: Historic Flute Sounds from the Dr. Richard W. Payne Collection, by Peter Phippen was a 2011 Grammy Nominee for Best Native American Music Album. “Preserving the Heritage and “Woodnotes Wyld can be purchased by going to www.worldflutes.org/. |
 Call (800) 268-1141, (602) 266-7835 or click this logo to go to www.CanyonRecords.com. |
|||
|
© 2012 Canyon Records, 3131 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85017 * (800) 268-1141 * All Rights Reserved. |
||||
