Posts Tagged ‘grone’
Sacred Spirit: Chants and Dances of the Native Americans
Amazon.comSacred Spirit: Chants and Dances of the Native Americans is an 11-song journey bridging the gap between ancient and contemporary history, tradition and modern instrumentation. While it is impossible to fully realize such scope on a single disc, Sacred Spirit makes the choice to represent all indigenous Americans rather than become mired in the potentially divisive bog of politics and tribal allegiance. All but two melodies are entirely traditional, bringing together flute, drums, and vocals with a cello and keyboard wash. This marriage is most effective on the lovely bowing of “The Cradlesong,” and the looping electro-acoustic beauty of “Wishes of Happiness & Prosperity.” Elsewhere, synthetic elements are overwhelming, detracting from a song’s essence, as with the spongy nervosity of “Elevation.” An uneven offering, Sacred Spirit doesn’t quite live up to its promise. A better choice is Earthbeat’s Tribal Waters. –Paige La Grone
Tribal Waters: Music from Native Americans
Amazon.com
Another in Earthbeat!’s Tribal Collection series, Tribal Waters is a marriage of contemporary and traditional sound. It’s a celebratory synthesis, bringing together nature sounds, bells, spoken word, chant, drumming, horns, flute, and keyboards. Presented by artists of multiple tribes (largely from the western United States), each song is a meditation and prayer, a call for mindfulness. Tribal Waters as a whole is like a river running through all terrain, weather, depth, and velocity. It can be enjoyed as a centering touchstone as the listener allows the sound to unwind and heal while he or she is bathed in beauty. This collection is a reminder of our connection to one another as well as to the earth, and of the great reverence we must hold for that which sustains us. –Paige La Grone