Track Listing

1. Akua Tuta - Kashtin
2. Qingauiit - Tudjaat
3. Wind River - Andrew Vasquez
4. Ghost Dance - Bill Miller
5. Native Funk - Burning Sky
6. Nendaa-Go Back - Jerry Alfred
7. Tortuga - Jaramar
8. Ni'bixi Dxi Zina - Binni Gula'za
9. Araruna - Marlui Miranda
10. Vale Do Javari - Vermelho E. Branco
11. Tema de Maimara - Los Incas
12. Chayantenita - Bolivia Manta
13. Ollantay - Expresion

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66615 in Music
• Released on: 1998-11-10
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
The goal of this Putumayo collection is to present contemporary music as rendered by indigenous peoples of the Americas--North, Central, and South. It succeeds as an appealing and diverse affair. While the 13-track package showcases a number of acts nobly seeking to preserve musical traditions in a contemporary world, the album's chief attractions lie in the modern spins several acts put on their musical heritage. The album's first six selections are the most intriguing, starting with a mystical folk rave, driven by acoustic guitar and passionate violin, as conjured up by members of Kashtin, a group spawned by the Montagnais Indians of Quebec. Their language, Innu, may be undecipherable to most, but the group's earnestness and urgency is easily comprehended. An Inuit (Eskimo) duo, Tudjaat, casts an Enya-like spell with the vocals of Madeline Allakariallak. Apache member Andrew Vasquez delivers an image-rich, spoken-word soliloquy, followed by rousing pop-folk from Mohican Bill Miller, followed next by an inventive blend of acoustic guitar, traditional flute, and percussion from the Ute trio Burning Sky. As the album stretches to Central and South America, the selections become more traditional and perhaps not quite as bewitching to modern listeners. The cheerful interplay of pipes, charango, and handclaps on "Tema de Maimara" from Peru's Los Incas is a charmer for sure, yet it is this noteworthy project's earlier tracks that leave the most lasting impressions. --Terry Wood

Customer Reviews

Simply excellent
Didn't know quite what to expect and bought it just to see. The music is very varied and original. Some very beautiful pieces in diverse languages. Highly recommended.

A Real Jewel
Let me tell you, this is a real jewel. It is an excellent introduction to the contemporary music of Native America, or a great addition to your collection if your interested. One of the great things about this is that it takes Native American music from across both continents. Too often I've seen Native American music CDs that ignore Latin American Indians completely. This one is an excellent break from that and includes Native American musicians from almost every region, ranging from Alaska and Canada, into the United States, down to Mexico, into the Amazon and over to the Andes.
The musicians on this album are all top notch. Among them, include legendary flutist Bill Miller, Marlui Miranda, who incorporates Amazonian tribal music with modern music, the hauntingly beautiful duo of Tudjaat and the Incan pan pipes of Bolivia Manta. Most of the songs, such as "Vale do Jauari", "Akua Tuta", "Nendaa - Go Back", and "Ni'bixi dxi Zina", have a wonderful ephemeral sound to them. Simply breath taking. I cannot over emphasize how wonderful this CD is.

Great anthology of underrepresented music
This is a wonderful collection of contemporary Native music from the Americas. What I found most exciting was the diverse representation on the CD. The album includes music from all around the Americas, including Andean, Amazon, Apache, and Inuit. The artists that really stood out to me were Tudjaat from Canada and Regional Vermelho E Branco of Brazil. The album is full of enjoyable songs that in one way or another beautifully preserve and celebrate Native American cultures.