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The Sounding Board by R J Lannan |
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RJ Lannan is the reviewer for The Sounding Board. |
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| Earth Warrior: Light of our Ancestors |
| By Tony Duncan |
| Label: Canyon Records |
| Released 7/24/2012 |
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| Earth Warrior: Light of our Ancestors tracks |
1. Zuni Sunrise
2. Battle for Night
3. Grandmother Moon
4. Elders Speak
5. The Flicker of Light
6. Canyon Winds
7. Medicine Woman
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8. Dance of the Coyote
9. Violet
10. Denzhone ~ 'Beautiful'
11. Taos Round Dance
12. Going Home
13. Ancient Stories
14. Words from My Father
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Canyon's Latest Echo |
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For more than 50 years Canyon Records has introduced us to some of the most prominent Native American artists to be found. This year is no different as I learn about Tony Duncan, the transcendent Native American flute player from Mesa, Arizona and his album Earth Warrior - Light of Our Ancestors. To me there is something about Native American flute music that cannot be said about any other kind of music. The sound is pure. Whether I listen to it on high quality headphones or cheap speakers, the sound is always pure. I think that it has more to do with content than delivery. Tony is a master of his instrument and of his compositions, some very simple and others complex. They never fail to captivate the listener with an exciting story. The past as we know it is handed down from generation to generation in words and music. Duncan's musical stories and prayers are innately full of color, detail and reverence.
I can envisage myself standing on the edge of a cliff in New Mexico as the sun rises. Tony's opening number, Zuni Sunrise provides all the stimulus I need to imagine the first golden rays of light as Awonawilona peeks above the edge of the mountain. The light of the Creator warms the earth and awakens the new day. The tune is like a summons: Feel the warmth, come enjoy the light.
In late August here in Tennessee we are about to witness a blue moon, but to Native Americans it is the Thunder Moon provided by Grandmother Moon. Tony's song celebrates the power and guidance of Grandmother Moon who helps her children understand their dreams and she is also the leader of Feminine Life. Like my own grandmother’s voice, the tune was soothing and the tempo was like a heartbeat.
A pensive guitar lead by Damin Yazzie opens the tune Elders Speak. The flute offers a vibrato sound, a trilling accompaniment to the history of a tale a thousand years long. It is a beautiful song of veneration for that which has past and should be remembered. It is the biggest part of what you are.
Denzhone (Beautiful) is a love song. It is a warm, tender ballad that would touch any heart. It is ironic to me that the Native American flute was also known as the "love flute" used by Plains Indians to make known feelings that a man could not voice with words alone. Traditionally the flute was made of cedar wood from the tree that made friends with the wind. The same wind that carries the music of the heart.
When you go to a Pow Wow, a meeting of a Native American tribe, the main theme is the celebration of the culture through dancing and music. Many of the dances, accompanied by a strong drum beat, are round dances, performed around a sacred circle. Most round dances are an invitation for Native and non-native people to join in, but Tony's song Taos Round Dance, might be a dance just for two. I imagine two eagles soaring high above the earth, dipping, floating, and rising as they court in the open sky.
Words From My Father features storytelling by Ken Duncan Senior, and is a wondrous story song, a tale of wisdom, a fable to be kept and cherished. It says, "Think only good things, do only good things, only pray for good things as the sun rises." The advice should be carved in stone somewhere, but luckily it is carved deeply in the heart.
The Native American culture simply asks man that he treat the earth with respect and to be a good person. It is a fairly simple rulebook that seems to go unheeded more times than not. Tony Duncan's thought provoking music reminds us to tread lightly upon the earth, to remember our elders and to be the best person we can be. His meditative, pastoral tunes can be a natural remedy that heals not only anxious hearts, but troubled spirits. I really enjoyed this album. |
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Rating: Very Good +  |
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- reviewed by RJ Lannan on 10/5/2012 |
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