It's a Rough Iiná: Def-I and "Tour Life"

Some rap on tap for today. Tour Life is performed by Def-I, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Native American rap and hip hop artist. A member of the Diné Nation (Navajo), Def-I ranges his styles from hip hop to spoken word to contemporary Native American acoustic. He recently formed a fusion quartet called DDAT and has performed around the country on tour and at festivals. He is also an active member of the community, leading workshops for students ranging in age from elementary school to college in creative writing, song creation and the art of hip hop recording and hip hop culture. He was an active supporter of the Standing Rock protests and helped raise $1.8 million dollars to support the cause with the aid of celebrities such as Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas. His example has made him a model and inspiration for a new generation of indigenous artists. You can find Tour Life on his solo CD Arrow-Rhymanics, released in 2017.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://dreamwarriors.co/artists/def-i/

Ways of Seeing: William Gutierrez and "Visions"

Native recording artist William Gutierrez, who is a flute maker and musician of Dineh and Ute heritage, brings us the random tune for today. There isn't much information on him personally that I've been able to find, though his flutes are highly prized. This song, Visions, can be found on his 1995 album Eagle Canyon.

Music of Nature: R. Carlos Nakai and "Resonance: The Sacred Reed"

We hear from R. Carlos Nakai in our random tune today. Born in Flagstaff, Arizona, R. Carlos Nakai is of Navajo and Ute heritage. Given that his music is so peaceful, it is hard to believe that he started out his musical career at Northern Arizona University playing brass instruments in a marching band, and that he enlisted in the US Navy as a sophomore so that he might play with the US Navy Band. After passing the audition, he was 28th on the Armed Forces School of Music waiting list, but an auto accident damaged his mouth and made it impossible for him to play brass. Not long after his accident, he was presented with a traditional cedar flute as a gift, and challenged to master it. And master it he has! Drawing from Native tradition but also blending Native music with that of other cultures, Nakai has created the only two Native American albums to be certified gold and platinum. He has worked with musical luminaries such as American composer Philip Glass, Israeli cellist Udi Bar-David, Tibetan flautist Nawang Khechog, American flautist Paul Horn and slack key guitarist Keola Beamer. He has been inducted into the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. This song, Resonance: The Sacred Reed is on his 1993 platinum album Canyon Trilogy.

Ageless: R. Carlos Nakai and "Dawn's Mirage: Echoes of Time"

Noted Native American flautist R. Carlos Nakai performs today's random tune, Dawn's Mirage: Echoes of Time. Born in Flagstaff, Arizona, Nakai is of Navajo and Ute heritage. Given that his music is so peaceful, it is hard to believe that he started out his musical career at Northern Arizona University playing brass instruments in a marching band, and that he enlisted in the US Navy as a sophomore so that he might play with the US Navy Band. After passing the audition, he was 28th on the Armed Forces School of Music waiting list, but an auto accident damaged his mouth and made it impossible for him to play brass. Not long after his accident, he was presented with a traditional cedar flute as a gift, and challenged to master it. And master it he has! Drawing from Native tradition but also blending Native music with that of other cultures, Nakai has created the only two Native American albums to be certified gold and platinum. He has worked with musical luminaries such as American composer Philip Glass, Israeli cellist Udi Bar-David, Tibetan flautist Nawang Khechog, American flautist Paul Horn and slack key guitarist Keola Beamer. He has been inducted into the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. Dawn's Mirage: Echoes of Time is on his 1993 platinum album Canyon Trilogy.

Vision Quest: William Gutierrez and "Visions"

Native recording artist William Gutierrez, who is a flute maker and musician of Dineh and Ute heritage, brings us the random tune for today. There isn't much information on him personally that I've been able to find, though his flutes are highly prized. This song, Visions, can be found on his 1995 album Eagle Canyon.

Labyrinthine: R. Carlos Nakai and "Resonance: Into the Maze"

Today's song is by Khaira Arby, often called the Queen of Desert Rock and also the Nightingale of the North. An artist from the northern deserts of Mali, she is a cousin to the great Ali Farka Touré. She uses a varied assortment of instrumentation, such as electric guitar, calabash, traditional violin, acoustic guitar and drumming, and she sings in languages such as Sonrai, Arabic and Tamashek. She is the only singer in her family. She started singing when she was eleven years old. Before working with her own band, she performed with the Troupe du Cercle de Tomboctou and later the Troupe Regionale de Gao. This song, Khaira, is from her 2013 release Timbuktu Tarab.