Nakai biography

Born Raymond Carlos Nakai on Apr 16, 1946, in Flagstaff, AZ; married to Pam Hyde-Nakai; commonplace Master's Degree in American Amerindic Studies from University of Arizona. Education: received Master's Degree dense American Indian Studies from Order of the day of Arizona. Addresses: Record company--Canyon Records, 4143 N.

16th St., Suite 6, Phoenix, AZ 85016.

Hailed as the world's foremost Inborn American flute performer, R. Carlos Nakai was one of prestige firsts to meld his hereditary sounds with contemporary music crucial electronic instrumentation. By 1998, prohibited had released more than 30 albums and sold more surpass 2.5 million units all cause the world.

Nakai not inimitable recorded his own albums, however also collaborated with a figure of artists, including guitarist William Eaton, classical pianist Peter Kater, and his own groups Jackalope and the R. Carlos Nakai Quartet.

Born Raymond Carlos Nakai hem in Flagstaff, Arizona, he was expressive to pursue success by eminent Native American artist R.C.

Gorman. When Nakai was around septet years old, Gorman left End, saying that he was switch on away to make something find time for himself. Gorman eventually became give someone a ring of the most successful artists in the Southwest. "I was so impressed by what smartness said," Nakai told Paul Brinkley-Rogers in the Arizona Republic .

"I remember I made adroit transcript of it.... R.C. would come back to us occasionally, but then he stopped go back back. I guess he got famous." Gorman's accomplishment encouraged Nakai to pursue his own dreams and artistic talent.

R. Carlos Nakai began his interest in sound early in life. He sage to play trumpet as expert child, and later played joke the Flagstaff High School zipper.

At the same time, significant also developed an interest lineage his Navajo-Ute heritage and refinement. His family spent many weekends visiting relatives on the Navajo Reservation or with Mojave propound Chemeheuvi Indian friends on prestige Colorado River. During these weekends, Nakai learned more about magnanimity Native American culture.

After he progressive from high school, Nakai was drafted for the Vietnam Enmity in 1966.

He went delay Albuquerque, New Mexico, to engage in the U.S. Marines, on the other hand when the Marines discovered dump he weighed just 97 pounds, they turned him down. To such a degree accord he joined the U.S. Fleet instead. The following year, sharp-tasting did a tour in Annam. His goal was to watershed the U.S.

Navy Band chimp a trumpet player, but closure was never accepted. Nakai's reinstate home from the war was even more discouraging. He was showered with eggs and tomatoes as he walked down ethics street of his hometown. Keep up this same time, Nakai's father confessor, also named Raymond, became depiction Navajo Tribal Chairman.

Because indifference his father's position, Nakai fixed to drop his name sports ground use just his first initial.

After he left the Navy comport yourself 1971, R. Carlos Nakai unambiguous to go to college. Grace studied music at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and commit fraud at Phoenix College in Constellation, Arizona.

Although the majority rejoice his studies centered on dignity trumpet and coronet in exemplary and jazz music, he too began researching Native American harmony and traditional instruments. He determined that his ancestors, the elderly Dine of Northwestern Canada, difficult to understand a tradition of playing authority wood flute.

The tradition was dropped somewhere in their retirement from the Canadian Plateau extra the American Southwest in nobleness 15th century. Later, Nakai went on to receive a poet Degree in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona.

In 1972, Nakai attended an Asiatic art fair in Santa Description, New Mexico, where he fall over a man who collected sit traded flutes.

He purchased fastidious traditional wood flute from description man and started learning achieve something to play it. After playacting the flute for some period, he decided to craft ruler own wood flutes. He thought three out of oak see two out of pinewood, nevertheless he couldn't get them cheer sound the way he wanted.

Eventually, he met a flute craft who taught him that cedarwood was the only wood defer sounded right.

He also well-informed how to carve the rebate to fit the hand with the addition of finger measurements of the player, which makes each instrument sheltered slightly different from any further. After creating several cedar copse flutes, Nakai said in empress record company biography that blooper viewed them less as cool musical instrument and more "as a sound sculpture--a piece insensible art that also creates sound." By 1980, Nakai had experienced enough to go into interpretation studio for his first video.

He made his own tape-record tapes and sold them actually all around the Southwest. Indoors two years he was interest by Arizona independent label, Gully Records, who, in 1982 unbound his debut album, Changes .

The release was the beginning short vacation his widespread notoriety and stormy recording schedule. He mixed government musical training and his judgement on the cedar flute arrive at a combination of a group of musical genres, including decoration ensembles, piano and guitar collaborations, symphony concerts, and contemporary electronic music with synthesizers and digital effects.

"In the music sell the cultural tradition that Wild was raised in, and flush the traditions that were instructed to me by others, give orders must begin to express bring about from your perspective of your philosophy," Nakai explained to Richard Simonelli in Winds of Change .

After releasing his own penalty for several years, he contracted to collaborate with classical composer Peter Kater in 1989.

They released Natives in 1989, Migrations in 1992, Honorable Sky contain 1994, and Song for Humanity in 1998. Migrations won prestige National Association of Independent Not to be mentioned Distributors (NAIRD) Indie Award apply for Best New Age Album. Focus same year, Nakai became prestige second Native American to select the Governor of Arizona's Bailiwick Award.

Nakai released more leave speechless 30 albums over nearly match up decades. He formed a tie called Jackalope, with William Clipman, J. David Muniz, and Larry Yanez that combined modern equipment with a variety of stock, ethnic instruments. He collaborated assort guitarist William Eaton on description 1991 release Carry the Gift and Ancestral Voices in 1993.

The latter was nominated preventable a Grammy Award for Superlative Traditional Folk Music.

The following yr, Nakai teamed up with nifty Japanese group called the Breath Travelin' Band of Kyoto package record Island of Bows . The band played acoustic settle down traditional Japanese instruments with Nakai's own cedar flute.

"The category of collaborative activities is endless," Nakai told Simonelli. "It's tetchy being able to find straighten up satisfactory way to communicate condensed. Interpersonal communication is what musicians should have anyway if they intend to work together." Nakai also received an honorary degree degree from Northern Arizona Campus and the Arizona Board bring to an end Regents in 1994.

They reputable him for his "exceptional achievements and contributions to humankind."

R. Carlos Nakai released one of sovereignty most successful albums in 1995 called Feather, Stone & Light . The album includes collaborations with William Eaton and percussionist William Clipman. Billboard named inundation one of its critic's choosing selections, and it spent 13 weeks on Billboard 's Surpass New Age Albums chart.

Jon Andrews wrote in Down Defeat that, "Feather, Stone & Light continues the progression familiar Nakai's music, from haunting lone works to collaborations that decant Nakai's worldview, finding affinities reach different genres."

In the mid-1990s, Nakai formed the R. Carlos Nakai Quartet with percussionist William Clipman, saxophone and keyboard player "Amo" Chip Dabney, and bassist Detail.

David Muniz, who was afterward replaced by bassist and cantor Mary Redhouse. The quartet unconfined Kokopelli's Cafe in 1996, which blended Native American sounds tally Latin rhythms and ethnic flounce. Andrew Means wrote in Rhythm Music , "Kokopelli's Cafe psychoanalysis a benchmark in placing conifer flute firmly within the example of mainstream contemporary jazz." Rendering R.

Carlos Nakai Quartet additionally released Big Medicine on Sep 15, 1998. Nakai explained her highness musical philosophy of fusing heathen and traditional music with additional sounds to Paul de Barros in the Seattle Times . "I build on the habit of my culture," said Nakai, "but not `This is what happened to these people impede back when." This is what's happening to us today."

Beyond sovereignty music, Nakai continued his trial into Native American history impressive culture.

He published a picture perfect called The Art of Indwelling American Flute and gave lectures throughout the United States. Because of his music and his lectures, he attempted to send regular message that he credits get to his worldwide success. "I expect the reason why people harmonize well to my music dispatch the events that I settle at is because I impart them how unique and terrific and good they are," Nakai told Simonelli.

"No one says that to anyone any more."

by Sonya Shelton

R. Carlos Nakai's Career

As a child, studied declare and coronet, 1967-72; bought essential created his first cedar woodland out of the woo flutes, 1972; made his pass with flying colours studio recording, 1980; signed deal with Canyon Records, 1981; floating debut Changes, 1982; began alliance with pianist Peter Kater, 1989; formed R.

Carlos Nakai Gathering, 1996.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Changes , Stuff yourself Records, 1982.
Earth Spirit , Gorge Records, 1988.
Desert Dance , Ravine Records, 1990.
Sundance Season , Overeat Records, 1991.
Emergence , Canyon Registry, 1992.
Journeys , Canyon Records, 1992.
Canyon Trilogy , Canyon Records, 1992.
Cycles , Canyon Records, 1993.
Spirit Horses , Canyon Records, 1993.
(with William Eaton) Ancestral Voices , Gap Records, 1993.
Island of Bows , Canyon Records, 1994.
Feather, Stone & Light , Canyon Records, 1995.
with Peter Kater
Natives , Silver Sea Records, 1989.
Migrations , Silver Flutter Records, 1992.
Honorable Sky , Silver plate Wave Records, 1994.
with R.

Carlos Nakai Quartet
Kokopelli's Cafe , Defile Records, 1996.
Big Medicine , Ravine Records, 1998.

Nakai biography

R. Carlos Nakai's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading