When you find what's worth keeping
With a breath of kindness
Blow the rest away
-Robbie Robertson*

The recommendations below are just a starting point, an introduction to the beauty and range of Native Music. By no means is this a definitive review, it's just a reflection of our own personal tastes. There are many artists we don't mention here but it's just due to time and space restraints. To listen to the full albums on this website, use our Mp3 Player above. To purchase, the music can be found on Amazon, Canyon Records and Silver Wave Records (see links below), eBay and elsewhere. The first three recommendations below will expose you to a wide variety of styles and artists so you can take it from there. Have fun and venture into the world of talented Native artists making beautiful music today.

ROBBIE ROBERTSON, Music for the Native Americans In our opinion, the quintessential recording for every Native music collection, one of the ones to start with. He teamed with the Native group The Red Road Ensemble and other artists for this recording, a collection of songs composed for a television documentary series in 1994. Awesome! Robbie Robertson's Bio page

SONGS OF THE SPIRIT Another to start off with. A compilation CD that introduces you to some of the best Native music around. Everyone will like this one. Available on Canyon Records.

TRIBAL VOICES Songs from Native Americans. Another to start off with. This is a beautifully done compilation of various Native artists, in the style of easy listening that introduces you to Primeaux & Mike, Sharon Burch, Joanne Shenandoah and more!

SPIRITLANDS and RETURN TO SPIRITLANDS 
Beautiful melodies that blend the flute with sounds of nature. It's the one we listen to most when we're in Zuni-land. Both can be listened to for years and are for anybody's taste.

HOW THE WEST WAS LOST
Soundtrack for 1993 TV cocumentary series with Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai. Haunting beautiful melodies with flute, an emotional and passionate work that is exquisitely captivating. You can listen to all the tracks on Amazon. Highly recommended.

  PRAYER FOR PEACE Fifteen songs from Silver Wave carefully selected to create an experience and message of hope, healing, and peace. Including songs by Joanne Shenandoah, R. Carlos Nakai & Peter Kater, Robert Mirabal, Mary Youngblood, Alice Gomez, Lawrence Laughing and Michel Cusson, this recording showcases some of the finest Native artists recording today. All the proceeds from this cd go to benefit the World Peace Prayer Society.

VOICES ACROSS THE CANYON A series of four individual recordings, these are compiled by Canyon Records and are another way to step into Native music. Includes Native American flute music, chicken scratch, pow-wow music, traditional songs from the Navajo and Lakota and contemporary songs in Navajo and English.

JOANNE SHENANDOAH Joanne Shenandoah - Wolf Clan member of the Iroquois Confederacy - Oneida Nation. Her music has been featured on "Northern Exposure". She opened Woodstock '94 and has appeared with Jackson Browne, Rita Coolidge, and Willie Nelson and at the White House for Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore. These songs are very melodic and the language is so sweet that it's easy to feel the words and you'll find yourself singing along in her language. Wonderful! Our personal recommendation:Lifeblood

 WALELA , the Cherokee word for Hummingbird and the symbol of inspiration for this family of women singers. They are Rita Coolidge, her sister Priscilla Coolidge, and Priscilla's daughter Laura Satterfield. You can listen to them online, on Robbie's cd and on Songs of the Spirit. Great to sing along to.

SHARON BURCH Contemporary, New World category. From Canyon: "Sharon Burch's music for voice and guitar is the contemporary expression of traditional Navajo ways and living. Most of Sharon's songs are in the beautiful Navajo language and capture the sacredness of Mother Earth and Father Sun and the importance of family and place to the Diné. To listen to Sharon's music is to "walk in beauty." We just love Sharon's music. Available on Canyon Records. Our personal recommendation: Touch the Sweet Earth 

A song that asks the spirits of the earth and sky,
Thus weave for us a garment of brightness that we
may walk fittingly where the birds sing.
-anonymous* 

CANYON RECORDS Since 1951 Canyon Records has specialized in the production and distribution of traditional and contemporary Native American music. Their website is a great resource, and includes their new releases, upcoming concert dates, a complete CD and cassette catalog, music samples, ordering information, biographical information and information about them.

As a child I understood how to give, I have
forgotten this grace since I have become civilized.
-Chief Luther Standing Bear*

SILVER WAVE RECORDS A leader in contemporary Native American, world, and new age music for over 15 years, Silver Wave is an independent label with a variety of incredibly-talented artists such as R. Carlos Nakai, Peter Kater, Robert Mirabel, Robert Laughing and more. Another strong resource for quality Indian Music.

* Lyrics and liner notes from Robbie Robertson, Music for the Native Americans CD.

Native music is pow wow, world beat/jazz, flute, guitar, new age, chanting, prayers, rock & roll, hip hop, heavy metal, drums and more; something for everyone. This music touches the heart, maybe that's because most of the lyrics are prayers and blessings for everything and everybody. (If you're a fan of "world music" you'll love Native music.