August 26, 2009

Native revue à la Riverdance

Gathering of the Four Winds aims to present American Indian culture in concert

By Melissa RuggieriThose involved with the Gathering of the Four Winds liken it to Riverdance or Celtic Woman--except with American Indian music, dancing and storytelling subbing for the Irish origin of those shows.

"No one has ever done this before. It's kind of like a native revue--we're highlighting natives from different walks of life, put together in one high-impact show," said Red Hawk, one of the stars of tomorrow's event at The National.
And:The idea for the show is a collaboration among Red Hawk, Doc Holiday, the legendary musician who owns the Power Plant studio in Hampton and Mega International Records the label behind Red Hawk's releases--and Bill Reid, one of the owners of The National.

The show is expected to run just under two hours and will include four sets each from Red Hawk and Boyd, along with 18 other dancers and musicians presenting American Indian storytelling, women's jingle dances, drumming and other music.
Comment:  This kind of thing has been done before, though perhaps not in one two-hour show. For similar events, see "Out of Many: A Multicultural Festival," Music Fest at Casa Grande, and Rhythm and Roots in Santa Fe.

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