Acclaimed Musician R. Carlos Nakai Speaks, Performs at SU

SALISBURY, MD---Internationally-acclaimed Native American flutist and New Age Grammy finalist R. Carlos Nakai performs with his ensemble, the R. Carlos Nakai Quartet, during a three-day residency at Salisbury University Tuesday-Thursday, November 16-18. Nakai, who performed in the inaugural gala of the National Museum of the American Indian this fall, is widely regarded as the world’s premier performer of the Native American flute. He speaks on “Native American Religion and Beliefs” on Tuesday, November 16, and “Rites Rituals and Ceremonies,” Wednesday, November 17. The quartet then performs Thursday, November 18. All events are at 7 p.m. in Holloway Hall Auditorium. Tickets are not required. Nakai said he was inspired to use the instrument in contemporary music by early Native American composers and performers. Each flute, carved from cedar is fitted to the dimensions of player’s hands. The one-of-a-kind design creates a unique sound that cannot be replicated. Nakai has performed with jazz ensembles and in concert hall, piano and guitar collaborations. Rounding out the quartet are Saami and Cherokee drummer Will Clipman, multi-instrumentalist “Amo” Chip Dabney and Navajo jazz vocalist Mary Redhouse. The quartet’s unique sound, a fusion of jazz and world-beat is a convergence of the group members’ expertise. Tucson Citizen music critic Dan Buckley said the music is, “… atmospheric and evocative, funky, rhythmically playful … exciting, never banal …. The improvisational impulse is always there … tempered by an egoless … camaraderie and collective vision.” Clipman performs a solo show called “Global Village Musical Story Theatre,” which combines original masks and mythopoetic story-telling with the soundscape of indigenous instruments. Dabney has performed with many African, world-beat, reggae, jazz and rhythm and blues bands. He has performed on more than 21 recordings and has released two original albums: So Many Ways and Escape from Newark. He is a master of many instruments, including the saxophone and piano. Redhouse incorporates bird calls, animal cries, multi-octave scat lines and native chants in her exploratory “eco-spiritual” sound. Nakai’s lectures and performance are part of the Celebration of Native American Peoples Fall Cultural Series sponsored by the Office of Cultural Affairs and Museum Programs. Admission is free and the public is invited. For more information call 410-543-6271.