O'odham chicken scratch music

Chicken scratch music inspires Quechan filmmakerDaniel Golding, who specializes in making documentaries about tribal culture, says felt it was his duty to preserve the story of a unique type of music only found in the American Southwest.

"I really wanted to tell people about this great musical style and expose part of Native America that most people just aren't exposed to. I want to help preserve the music.

"It's so different from what people perceive to be native music. It's contemporary native music and it has its own place within the community."

Chicken scratch music marks the blending of indigenous music with influences ranging from European polka music to Mexico styles such as norteno. The music is performed without lyrics on fiddles, guitars, accordions, saxophones and drums.

The Yuma resident recently released "Waila: Making the People Happy," a documentary that's already being snapped up by PBS stations coast to coast.And:"Waila: Making the People Happy" focuses its spotlight on the Joaquin Brothers, one of the greatest bands in the chicken scratch tradition. The documentary was mostly filmed on the Tohono O'odham Nation, which stretches between Tucson and Ajo, Ariz.

"The movie tells the history and development of the music through three generations of one family," Golding said. "The Joaquin Brothers are sort of like the legends.

"They are the older ones who got everything going. They were even invited in 1994 to play at Carnegie Hall."

In the documentary's title the world "waila" - pronounced WHY-lah - is another name for chicken scratch music. Waila is believed to have sprung from "bailar," the Spanish word for "dance."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Documentaries and News.