Source: Native American Music Awards Press Release
New York, NY — The Native American Music Association, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) has just released a special benefit CD entitled, WOLF, featuring songs from award-winning and nominated recording artists in an effort to honor and pay tribute to the wolf, especially the Gray Wolf which may become delisted as an endangered species.
The WOLF CD is being released nationally on Thursday, January 16th or during a full Wolf Moonreferred to by Native Peoples because wolves could be heard howling and echoing on the clear moonlit snow-covered nights of January. The WOLF CD retails for $9.99 and is available nationally for purchase through Amazon.com. The CD is also available on the NAMA website www.NAMALIVE.com as a digital download or hard copy.
WOLF features songs by various tribal nation voices and wolf clan members including; Jack Gladstone (Blackfeet), Jimmy Lee Young (Mayan) & international Swiss artist Davide Buzzi, Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida), Joe Firecrow (Northern Cheyenne), Lee Plentywolf & The PlentyWolf Singers (Lakota), The Gray Wolf Blues Band (Yaqui), Jan Michael Looking Wolf (Grand Ronde), Bobby Bullet St Germaine (Lac du Flambeau), Austrian group Big City Indians, world music duo Painted Raven, Rushingwind & Mucklow (Cashuilla/Opata), Silverwolf (Cherokee), a special bonus track for the download version by Wade Fernandez (Menominee) and more including artist Cal Silverfox’s (Apache’) own little set of howling wolf pups he’s helping to raise which can be heard on the CD.
The CD which aims to honor and pay tribute to the wolf, will be donated as a fundraiser for the NY Wolf Conservation Center (http://www.nywolf.org)and other wildlife organizations who fear that a delisting of the Gray Wolf’s endangerd species protection by the US Fish & Wildlife service is premature in its recovery and will leave it subject to recreational hunting and trapping.
The concept behind the CD was sparked when NAMA Founder, Ellen Bello, made a visit with Ambassador Wolf, Atka, at the NY Wolf Conservation Center who was recently featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams and following news that the Gray Wolf may be removed from endangered species protections.
Currently, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission calls for hiring a hunter-trapper to eliminate two of six packs of wolves due to a low elk population. In 1995 – 1996 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service introduced 35 wolves into Idaho, augmenting several lone wolves living in the state. In 2002, Idaho had 300 wolves and the number was growing; the Legislature approved a state management plan. In 2011, Congress removed wolves from the threatened species list in the states of Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and northern Utah. Wolf and wildlife advocates believe that removing any protections are premature.
At one time there were hundreds of thousands of wolves that roamed the lower 48 states. Today, there are 5,000 – 6,000 remaining after facing extinction.
Native American music was distinctly born outdoors and is expressly connected to the nature world and all related living things. The Native American Music Association which also presents the annual Native American Music Awards is the world’s largest professional membership-based organization for contemporary and traditional Native American music initiatives.
NAMA’S ARTIST OF THE YEAR TONY DUNCAN FEATURED ON THE COVER OF NATIVE PEOPLE’S MAGAZINE THIS MONTH
Tony Duncan, voted Artist of the Year by the Native American Music Awards international voting membership, is now featured on the cover of Native Peoples Magazine out this month.
Native Peoples magazine is the first and the largest, paid-circulation, consumer magazine devoted to the arts and cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Founded in 1987, it has an estimated readership of over 100,000; with subscribers and readers in 36 foreign countries. Their editorial perspective pays homage to the dignity of the history of Native America and the vibrant contemporary world of Native “living cultures”. Their ongoing mission is to provide a “sensitive portrayal” of the Native peoples of the Americas; inviting readers to journey and explore the rich evolving lives of American Indians.
On Friday, May 10 2013 at the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York, the Native American Music Awards honored musicians from all across North America through a flawless ceremony that also featured outstanding musical performances by both traditional and contemporary artists. Over 30 Awards were presented in a variety of different genres and categories that evening. All winners were selected by the votes of the general public. Nominations were made by registered Advisory Board members of the Native American Music Association.
Hoop dancer and flute player, Tony Duncan took the highly esteemed Artist of the Year award after performing solo and with his band Estun Bah that captured the capacity crowd. The Artist of the Year Award went to Duncan for his latest recording entitled, “Earth Warrior”. As a previous multiple nominee, this was Duncan’s first ever Native American Music Awards win.
In a surprise special guest appearance, Grammy Award winner and 10 time Juno Award winning pop star, Nelly Furtado, treated the audience to acoustic versions of her songs, “All Good Things” and “Say It Right” which featured Tony Duncan on flute, along with Richard Whitefish, a member of Big River Cree on pow wow drum and Wayne Silas Jr. on hand drum who won Best Male Artist. Furtado was awarded a Living Legend Award for her support of Native American culture and featuring hoop dancer Tony Duncan at her major Awards and television appearances throughout the past year.
Tony Duncan is a five-time World Champion Hoop Dancer and is consistently ranked among the top ten in the world. Of Apache/Mandan/Arikara/Hidatsa descent, he also performs with his family’s performance group, the Yellow Bird Indian Dancers. Tony’s roots have taught him the sacredness of the circle, the hoop, and his dance. Tony Duncan’s CD, “Earth Warrior” received three nominations for Artist of the Year, Flutist of the Year and Record of the Year. As leader of the recording group, Estun-Bah, Duncan captures the true essence of Native America. Estun-Bah also features Darren Yazzie on guitar, and drummer Jeremy Dancing Bull, and together they blend traditional and contemporary styles to create an elegantly Native American music. Tony Duncan is now on tour in Europe with his family’s performance group, The Yellow Bird Indian Dancers.
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ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Tony Duncan (Apache Arikara, Hidatsa) – Earth Warrior
The one thing the Internet has allowed music lovers to do is explore the vast amount of independent and undiscovered musicians and artists out there in the world. One is no longer limited to what is on the radio, the television or the local scene and record shops. You can learn about the music of just about any country in the world. From traditional music to interpretations of pop music with a cultural twist.
Riding in a car with an eight year old who will listen to the same song as many times in a row as you let her, the phrase expand your horizons comes up quite a bit. If we play her other music, she’s quick to ask to get back to her songs. I am guilty of playing the some playlist every day, but I always make time for finding new music, pulling out an old playlist or even those old-fashioned vinyl records. Even though I love my daily playlist, I have a vast music collection and I always have to dip into it every now and again.
I have been expanding my horizons in a bunch of different directions over the last couple years. Looking for digital versions of songs that I heard on the radio and watched on MTV as I was growing up, looking for vinyl albums that have the songs I can’t find digitally and finding new music where I haven’t looked before. I have been listening to deep album cuts of my favorite artists and listening to more of other artists I like. I use the similar artists feature on Rhapsody to find more music similar to what I like. I almost always find stuff I hadn’t heard before, some old and some new, and much of the time I wondered I how missed the stuff that was around when I was growing up.
Sometimes mainstream artists lead you to the not-so-mainstream stuff. That’s the case with this week’s CreativelyMusical.com Artist of the Week, Arvel Bird. I would have probably never discovered his music if I hadn’t spent so much time expanding my horizons. My path to him is Rickey Medlocke. When I first started learning more about Rickey, I found out that he was inducted in to the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame at the 10th Annual Native American Music Awards. That’s where the path started…the NAMALIVE.com web site. I started listening to pow wow recordings and various traditional artists of the Native American tribes.
That led to learning more about the cultures and eventually I attended my first pow wow here in Middle Tennessee. It was my second pow wow in October of 2012 that I first heard of Arvel Bird. He mixes Native American music with Celtic music for a unique blend of beautiful harmonies. He plays the violin or fiddle, which was a big draw for me. Although I hadn’t played much in years, I did play the violin for 10 years of my life in school. From the second grade to the twelfth grade, I played the violin. I played mostly classical music, but a few popular tunes and standards along the way. I even found sheet music of some of my favorite songs and learned to play them.
Like I said, I haven’t really played in years. Arvel’s mix of Celtic and Native American music is really appealing to me. My heritage is a large part Irish, and I do like some traditional Irish music. Add in the violin and it’s a winner to me.
At the pow wow he went through a variety of selections from his catalog, but the one song I remember the most had a verse in it about a hawk and it not letting the other smaller birds around it bother it or distract it from it’s goal. I have witnessed hawks do just that and it is amazing every time. Listening and watching Arvel perform was spiritual for me. Although I can’t claim any Native American heritage that I know of, the two pow wows I have attended have felt that way – spiritual experiences that are enlightening.
Music is supposed to touch your soul, it does touch your soul. Native American music, Arvel Bird’s music in particular, does just that in a spiritual way. I will share just a few selections of his catalog, but I strongly recommend that you give his full catalog a listen. It has a little bit of everything, a fusion of styles and music for your spirit.
Here are some of the photos that I took of him at the Tennessee State Pow Wow in October, 2012.
Arvel Bird, TN State Pow Wow (Photo Christine A Ellis)
Arvel Bird, TN State Pow Wow (Photo Christine A Ellis)
Arvel Bird, TN State Pow Wow (Photo Christine A Ellis)
Arvel Bird, TN State Pow Wow (Photo Christine A Ellis)
Arvel Bird, TN State Pow Wow (Photo Christine A Ellis)
Arvel Bird, TN State Pow Wow (Photo Christine A Ellis)
After listening to Arvel Bird for the first time, I pulled out my phone and looked him up on Facebook. I went home and added him to my Rhapsody and Amazon libraries, too. The Animal Totems CDs are my favorites, but I recommend listening to his entire catalog.
WATCH NAMA LIVING LEGEND NELLY FURTADO’S LIVE PERFORMANCE AT THE 14TH ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS WITH SPECIAL GUESTS TONY DUNCAN (ARTIST OF THE YEAR), BIG RIVER CREE (DEBUT GROUP OF THE YEAR), AND WAYNE SILAS, JR (BEST MALE ARTIST).
Photos and a full list of winners can be found at http://www.namalive.com. See release below from NAMA for more information.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD’S RICKEY MEDLOCKE AND NELLY FURTADO AMONG THE HONOREES AT THE SOLD OUT
14TH ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN MUSC AWARDS
l-r Tony Duncan, Nelly Furtado, Radmilla Cody, Wayne Silas Jr
New York, NY – On Friday, May 10 2013, the Native American Music Awards honored musicians from all across North America through a flawless ceremony that also featured special performances by Lynryd Skynyrd’s Rickey Medlocke and Nelly Furtado. Over 30 Awards were presented in a variety of different genres and categories that evening. Winners were selected by the votes of the general public.
In a sold out show, the Native American Music Association held their 14th annual Awards gala at the Seneca Niagara Events Center in Niagara Falls, New York. This marked the sixth consecutive year that the Seneca Nation hosted the event. The event was hosted by comedian Don Kelly. The performance-packed night began with a prayer and a song for peace from NAMA award winner for Best Flute Recording, Joseph Firecrow. NAMA’s Best Female Artist, Fawn Wood, then performed a song which was followed by Edmund Bull and Big River Cree who would later win Debut Group of the Year.
The first presented award of the evening was Best Traditional Recording to the Akwesasne Women Singers for “Tsionathonwisen”. Hoop dancer and flute player, Tony Duncan took the highly esteemed Artist of the Year award after performing solo and with his band Estun Bah that captured the capacity crowd. The Artist of the Year Award went to Tony Duncan for “Earth Warrior”. As a previous multiple nominee, this was Duncan’s first ever Native American Music Awards win. Radmilla Cody sang and played the hand drum to several tracks from her Record of the Year recording, “Shi Keyah Songs For the People”. She was also joined on one song by Tony Duncan playing the flute.
The next presented award was for Best Female Artist to Fawn Wood for “Iskewewak: Songs of Indigenous Womanhood”. This was followed by the award for Best Male Artist to Wayne Silas Jr. for “True Round Dance Songs”.
Joanne Shenandoah and Rickey Medlocke paid tribute to actor, musician, and activist Russell Means and inducted him into the Native American Music Hall of Fame. Means widow, Pearl, gave a touching and somber acceptance speech. CC Murdock performed a musical tribute to Means – “Go Rest High on that Mountain” featuring Dylan Jenet as a backing vocalist who just signed a new record deal with Stevie Wonder as her Executive Producer.
Indian E, aka CC Murdock, launched the second half of the show dresed in a black and white jumpsuit and performed a medley of Elvis Presley hits with several nominees as backing female vocalists.
Perennial favorite and NAMA regular Buddy Big Mountain was joined by his sidekicks Windel and Awesome Fox for some comedy and musical interludes.
Jana Mashonee who won Best Pop Recording for “Stay with Me Baby” was joined by an entourage of local hip hop dancers on stage and throughout the aisles during her high energy performance.
The next award was for Best Instrumental Recording to Lynyrd Skynryd guitarist and Blackfoot founder, Rickey Medlocke for his “Homeland Nation Soundtrack”. Medlock also won Best Long Form Video for the “Homeland Nation” documentary series.
The Best Rock Award was presented to Saving Damsels for “Find My Way” in which lead member JJ Otero gave an emotionally charged and humbling recipient speech.
In a surprise guest appearance, Grammy Award winner and 10 time Juno Award winning pop star, Nelly Furtado, treated the audience to acoustic versions of her songs, “All Good Things” and “Say It Right” which featured Tony Duncan on flute, a member of Big River Cree on pow wow drum and Wayne Silas Jr. on hand drum. Furtado was awarded a Living Legend Award for her support of Native American culture and featuring hoop dancer Tony Duncan at her major Awards and television appearances throughout the past year.
The winner of the Record of the Year was awarded to Radmilla Cody for “Shi Keyah Songs for the People”.
In the final performance of the evening, the fierce southern rock blues band, Blackfoot rocked the house with songs like “Train Train” and “Highway Song.” Founding member Rickey Medlocke joined the band for one number, a new single by the band entitled, “Whiskey Train”.
The Executive Staff & Event Production team of the Native American Music Awards would like to thank the 2012 – 2013 Advisory Board members for submitting and selecting the nominees for the 14th Annual Native American Music Awards.
The Native American Music Association and its Advisory Board members would like to thank the general public for voting and selecting this year’s award winners!
NAMA 14 WINNERS All NAMA photos by Kim Acosta
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Tony Duncan (Apache Arikara, Hidatsa) – Earth Warrior
BEST BLUES RECORDING
Up From The Ashes – Mitch Walking Elk (Cheyenne/ Arapaho)
BEST COMPILATION RECORDING
The Longest Walk: Reversing Diabetes –– Lorena Windfeather Navarez
BEST COUNTRY RECORDING
Ali Fontaine – Ali Fontaine (Ojibway)
DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ryan Little Eagle Molina (Lakota) – Straight From The Heart
DEBUT DUO OR GROUP OF YEAR
Big River Cree (Plains Cree) – The Old Way
BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Fawn Wood (Cree) – Iskewewak: Songs of Indigenous Womanhood
BEST FOLK/AMERICANA RECORDING
Spirit of a Woman – Kelly Jackson (Lac du Flambeau)
BEST FLUTE RECORDING
Joseph FireCrow (Northern Cheyenne) – Night Walk
BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING
The Desire of Nations – Honey Dawn Karima and Cloudwalker (Creek/Cherokee/Cree)
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Big City Indians featuring Roy E Pete (Navajo) – Tuwa
HISTORICAL / LINGUISTIC RECORDING –
Celebrate – Kalan Wi (Salish)
The winners were announced last night (May 10, 2013) for the 14th Annual Native American Music Awards in Niagara Falls, NY. Congratulations to all of the nominees and the winners alike. For additional information about the NAMA organization and the awards please visit http://www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com.
Here is the release statement from NAMA:
WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT THE FOURTEENTH ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS
Niagara Falls, NY – The Winners for the 14th Annual Native American Music Awards were announced live on Friday, May 10th in the Events Center of the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, NY.
Winners were selected by the combined votes of the Native American Music Awards (N.A.M.A.) Advisory Board Membership Committee with an international general public voting membership. General Public voting was open on the Awards website VOTE NOW page where music tracks of all nominees were featured.
Both new and established artists shared the list of winners throughout a diverse array of over 30 music categories spanning all genres. Over 200 CD and DVD recordings submitted this year for nomination consideration. This year’s Awards celebration kept its promise to be unlike any before.
See below for a complete list of official winners from the 14th Annual Native American Awards. The Native American Music Awards & Association extends its sincerest congratulations to all the 2013 NAMA Award winners.
14th Annual Native American Music Awards
WINNERS
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Tony Duncan
Earth Warrior
BEST BLUES RECORDING
Up From The Ashes
Mitch Walking Elk
BEST COMPILATION RECORDING
The Longest Walk
Lorena Windfeather Navarez
BEST COUNTRY RECORDING
Ali Fontaine
Ali Fontaine
DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ryan Little Eagle Molina
Straight From The Heart
DEBUT GROUP OF YEAR
Big River Cree
The Old Way
BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Fawn Wood
Iskewewak: Songs of Indigenous Womanhood
BEST FOLK/AMERICANA RECORDING
Spirit of a Woman
Kelly Jackson
BEST FLUTE RECORDING
Joseph FireCrow
Night Walk
BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL RECORDING
The Desire of Nations
Honey Dawn Karima and Cloudwalker
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Big City Indians
Tuwa
BEST HISTORICAL /LINGUISTIC RECORDING
Celebrate
Kalan Wi
BEST INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING
Homeland Nation Soundtrack
Rickey Medlocke
BEST MALE ARTIST
Wayne Silas Jr.
True Round Dance Songs
BEST NEW AGE RECORDING
Among The Ancients
Rushingwind & Mucklow
BEST POP RECORDING
Stay With Me Baby
Jana Mashonee
BEST POW WOW RECORDING
Memories
Emmanuel Black Bear
BEST PRODUCER
Francois Couture
Yahndawa’
BEST RAP HIP HOP RECORDING
Love Me Down
Ralphael Deas
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Shi Keyah Songs For The People
Radmilla Cody
BEST ROCK RECORDING
Find My Way
Saving Damsels
SONG/SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Hear My Cry
Frank Waln & Cody Blackbird
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Peter Sackaney
Where Love Belongs
BEST SPOKEN WORD RECORDING
I Am Woman, Kwe
Lena Recollect
BEST TRADITIONAL RECORDING
Tsionathonwisen
Akwesasne Women Singers
BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO
A Tribute To Our Heros
CC Murdock
BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO
Homeland Nation
Various Artists
BEST WAILA RECORDING
In Loving Memory
T.O. Combo
BEST WORLD MUSIC RECORDING
Hostiles & Renegades
Gary Small & the Coyote Bros
Source: NAMA / Native American Music Awards E-mail Blast
FOURTEENTH ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS TO BE STREAMED LIVE ON WWW.NAMALIVE.COM AT 8PM EST
Live Broadcast Courtesy Single Feather Media
Niagara Falls, New York – On Friday, May 10th, at 8:00PM EST, the Fourteenth Annual Native American Music Awards (N.A.M.A.) will be streamed live on the home page of the Awards website, www.NAMALIVE.com. The show starts at 8:00PM EST.
Broadcast live from the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, New York, the Fourteenth Annual Native American Music Awards will feature a host of performances and special appearances by Native American and mainstream artists; Blackfoot with founding member Rickey Medlocke, Tony Duncan and Estun Bah, Grammy nominee Radmilla Cody, Pop artist Jana Mashonee, CC Murdock, Indian Elvis, Fawn Wood, Edmund Bull, drum group Big River Cree, Grammy Award winner Joseph Firecrow along with other special guests plus a special Living Legend Award to international superstar Nelly Furtado and a Hall of Fame tribute performance for the late Russell Means (Lakota). The live streaming and broadcast of this Awards program is made possible by Mike Johnson and www.Singlefeathermedia.com.
Visit the Native American Music Awards Website, www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com for pictures and video clips from previously featured awards programs.
This will be the sixth consecutive time the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel proudly hosts the Native American Music Awards and sets the stage for some serious star power. The 14th annual awards show that was nearly cancelled due to Superstorm Sandy last fall.
The Native American Music Awards honors North American’s top native musicians in 30 distinct categories and will feature more than a dozen live performances and collaborations. Canadian comic Don Kelly will emcee the event.
Nelly Furtado will receive the Living Legend Award during the event for her leadership and contributions toward the advancement of Native American culture. For her single “Big Hoops” from her current album “The Spirit Indestructible,” she featured Native American hoop dancer Tony Duncan in the music video, and the two have performed together throughout the past year for MTV’s Video Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, The Tonight Show and more. Furtado has sold 20 million albums worldwide, won two Grammy Awards and 10 Juno Awards, and has a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Rickey Medlocke, the founder of Southern rock group Blackfoot and current guitarist for legendary rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, will be joined by Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter Joanne Shenandoah on stage to induct the late Russell Means into the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame. Means, a Native American activist, musician and actor in The Last of the Mohicans, passed away in October 2012. Medlocke himself is a member the Hall of Fame, is nominated for two awards this year and will perform on stage with Blackfoot.
As a musician, Means released two national recordings, the 16 track Electric Warrior, on Warrior Records in 1993, and The Radical, released on the American Indian Music Company, Inc., in 1995. He described his music as a Tribal Experience that included all genres of music; Classical, Country & Western Rock-n-Roll, Hard Rock, Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz and the Blues. He called his own music and words, Rap-ajo because he said, “It’s my version of Rap”.
Ayi Jihu, dubbed “China’s Madonna” in an article by the BBC, will join top Native American fashion designer Angela DeMontigny and musician Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson to present an award. Jihu has purportedly sold more than 100 million albums in China and is currently working with DeMontigny to promote the FearChaser® anti-bullying campaign. Williams-Davidson is nominated for two categories at this year’s event.
Limited tickets for Friday’s event are available at Seneca Casino box offices, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by phone at 800-745-3000. To learn more about the Native American Music Awards, please visit www.NAMAlive.com.
ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT
TO VOTE FOR THE WINNERS OF THE
14th NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS
There is only one week left to vote for the final winners of the SOLD OUT 14th Annual Native American Music Awards. A Voting Ballot can be obtained on the VOTE NOW page of our website where music tracks and videos have been uploaded of all contenders. Voting must be cast from a computer with an IP address.
The general public can participate in the voting process. All voting will continue to the actual Awards ceremony on May 10th. Several categories are extremely close with nominees seperated by only a couple of votes! So every vote is important and counts.
All winners will be announced at the 14th Native American Music Awards ceremony scheduled for Friday, May 10th, 2013 at the Seneca Niagara Hotel & Casino in Niagara Falls, NY.
Featured performers include:Big River Cree
Blackfoot
Buddy Big Mountain
CC Murdock
Edmund Bull
Fawn Wood
Indian Elvis
Jana
Joseph Firecrow
Radmilla Cody
Tony Duncan
Hosted By Comedian Don Kelly
House Band: The Ed Koban Group with special guests
Cody Blackbird & Gary Small
and
Special Guest Vocalists:
Ali Fontaine, Dawn Karima, Dylan Jenet, Kelly Montijo Fink,
Lorena Windfeather, Windwalker of Wind Spirit Drum