Traditional Native American music is based on elemental forces. Each instrument represents a singularity that the People experience in nature. The thunder is represented by the deep pulse of the drum, the rain by the syncopation of the rattle. The force of the lightning is represented by the passionate vocals of powwow music, and the wayward wind is heard in the melodic whisper and call of the flute.
The Songkeepers features Kevin Locke, preeminent player of the indigenous Northern Plains flute, and is comprised of award winning vocalists and instrumentalists who have toured with The Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble. Kevin’s 14th recording is his first release with the members of The Songkeepers. Titled Earth Gift and produced by Tom Wasinger, the recording is a beautifully presented mix of free-flowing traditional Native music. Wasinger brings the music into a modern context with complimentary western instrumentation in a way that remains true to the hearts of those who wrote it.
