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About Red Rock
Product Description Red Rock is two-time Grammy nominee Northern Cree at their very best. Recorded live in Muckleshoot, this legendary drum group gives dancers and spectators an experience of the thrilling energy only found in the Pow-Wow circle. Review Santa Monica, Calif. - When the final nominee list for the 51st annual Grammy awards were announced by the Recording Academy Dec. 3, mainstream artists Lil' Wayne, Coldplay and Jay-Z - to name a few - made headlines with their multiple nominations. With all the buzz surrounding the mainstream, it may be easy to forget that there are 110 possible award categories, including Best Native American Music Album. Canyon Records artists snagged three spots, with nods going to Black Lodge, Northern Cree and Kevin Yazzie. The two remaining nominations went to Silver Wave Records producer Tom Wasinger, and SOAR Corporation's Bryan Akipa. To date, none of the artists have been asked to perform during this year's live telecast at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Feb. 8. Akipa said his nomination for "Songs From The Black Hills" came as a surprise, as it was released close to the submission deadline in September. He could hardly wait to spread the news to those closest to him. "It's exciting because I get to tell my family and friends, and everybody is happy about it. This accomplished Native flutist and former schoolteacher lives and works on the Sisseton-Wahpeton reservation in South Dakota, worlds apart from Hollywood glamour. But in relation to glamour, his music has a beauty all of its own, and reverberates the songs of his ancestors. His goal with the album was to take traditional Lakota songs and play them on the flute. "I wanted to be able to do it so all people could appreciate it." Akipa said that he took an interest in playing the flute in 1976. Today, he performs using his own hand carved flutes, sculpted in the shape of animals from the northern plains. But earning an income in an area sparse with jobs has taught him the importance of being resourceful. So, when he is not making flutes, he taps into his other artistic talents. Currently, he is carving a horse staff for an exhibit on horses at the National Museum of American Indian in Washington, D.C. Northern Cree Similar to Black Lodge, Northern Cree has a long history in both the powwow circuit and recording world. Their nominated album Red Rock was recorded live at a powwow on the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation in Washington state. Members of this 10 plus ensemble are scattered along the Treaty 6 area of Alberta. This is the fourth nod, and leader Steve Wood said they are excited about it, he knows all too well from past experiences not to travel to Los Angeles with high expectations. It's always nice to be recognized for something you like to do," he said. "Every time we go we meet someone new. The group formed by happenchance in the early 1980s. When Steve Wood and his brother lost all their money at a stick game tournament in Idaho, they borrowed a drum from a museum so they could sing and drum at a powwow to earn their way back home. In a twist of irony, the drum had the words Northern Cree written on the bottom, and they needed a name to tell the arena director, so as the story goes, the rest is history. "powwow music music is really intense, the same type of intensity as rock 'n' roll," he said. "The more intensity at a powwow, the harder they are going to dance." When Wood was questioned about what the album meant, he gave no definitive answer, instead wants listeners to interpret what it means to them. Red Rock can be the pink and red face on the cover, but it could also be the background, a city skyline," he said. "You can draw a lot of conclusions from the cover." --By Babette Herrmann - Indian Country Today / Dec. 24, 2008
