In the eyes of pop culture, Native American Flute is a lonely genre. There are plenty of flautists out there, but not many of them are known to the mainstream audience. This makes sense, since the Native American lifestyle is not obsessed with fame and fortune. Because of this quiet, humble, attitude within the genre, I think it’s important to spread the word when you happen upon an inspiring artist.
With that said, I’d like to introduce you to one of our favorite Native Flautists, Robert Mirabal.
He’s a two time GRAMMY Award winner yet lives a traditional Taos Pueblo life. He has a dozen albums for sale on his website. One reason we’re drawn to Robert is his fusion of rock with his Native Flute playing. He tells his story through music, which is apparent if you watch one of his videos.
I asked Kevin why he looks up to Robert Mirabal. “Because he’s a renaissance man. He has traveled the world and seen the struggles of many indigenous peoples trying to keep their cultural ways in the midst of self-serving modernism juxtaposed to its benefits. And that reflects in his music writing. Being multi-cultural myself, I see many international influences on Robert’s music and performance. His music is uplifting, deep, and both spiritually and culturally relevant for today. Maybe I’ll have the pleasure of meeting him someday. He has definitely inspired me to strive to create music that is not just artistic, but healing deeply connected to everything”.
Robert has inspired us in so many ways. I grew up in a white collar household, unexposed to Native Americans. When Kevin and I first met, we watched Robert’s live show, Music From a Painted Cave on VHS. This is a theatrical show with stage sets, lighting, costumes, dancers, and of course, live music. This was one of my first real glimpses into Native American culture. Since I’m a musician, my ear naturally gravitates towards music. Robert did a phenomenal job with the musical composition on this show. He masterfully imposed rock elements into the songs, which made the music more relatable to me (probably because at the time, I was still very unfamiliar with native music). I was especially impressed at how the music didn’t overpower the story being told, which is something I see a lot of rock bands struggling with. The music was a storytelling tool. It’s obvious this talent comes naturally to him. The stories he told in his music were mysterious, yet relatable, and I remember thinking how impressive this show was. Robert is not only a musician, but a performer and a story teller. He is a man of many talents.
Robert’s show was the touchstone that started me on my path. Since then I’ve been involved with supporting Kevin’s participation in the Red Voice Singers (a Lakota ceremony/powwow drumming group), sweat lodges and Native ceremonies. Having volunteered at powwows myself, I have learned a lot directly from The People.
Music from a Painted Cave was featured on PBS, and if you’d like to check out the DVD, click here. There are some cuts on youtube, as well. I’ll post one song from this show, Medicine Man. You can find more on youtube.
We’ve never met anyone who professionally crafts their own flutes as well as professionally plays them. (We know how hard it is to make a flute! We’ve tried to make one from scratch. It ended up as fire wood…) Crafting a flute is a whole other talent within itself. (If you can see where this is going,) Robert is just such a person who makes flutes professionally as well as plays them professionally.
As a fellow Native Flute player, both Kevin and I encourage you to check out his website and his blog. You will not be disappointed.
Much love my friends,
Lindy D
