For musicians who are enthusiastic about Native American culture, there are different ways to express that enthusiasm. Some favor a traditional approach, embracing the sort of acoustic music that has been a part of Navajo, Hopi, or Sioux gatherings for generations. But others opt for something more contemporary; singer/songwriter and guitarist Craig Keyes, for example, finds Native American elements useful even though he isn't a traditional Native American artist. The material on Earthwalks, Keyes' first album, essentially ...
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For musicians who are enthusiastic about Native American culture, there are different ways to express that enthusiasm. Some favor a traditional approach, embracing the sort of acoustic music that has been a part of Navajo, Hopi, or Sioux gatherings for generations. But others opt for something more contemporary; singer/songwriter and guitarist Craig Keyes, for example, finds Native American elements useful even though he isn't a traditional Native American artist. The material on Earthwalks, Keyes' first album, essentially falls into two categories: vocal-oriented pop/rock (much of it with a strong Peter Gabriel influence) and instrumental ambient. Either way, the Native American influence is impossible to miss. Traditional Native American flutes are employed, and the introspective, probing lyrics are heavily influenced by Native American concerns. But Keyes is quite global in his outlook; on Earthwalks, Native American instruments are right at home with everything from guitars and synthesizers to the didjeridoo (an instrument that was created by aboriginal peoples in Australia) and African udu drums. Obviously, udu drums aren't something you would hear on a traditional Sioux or Lakota recording, but then, Keyes isn't trying to be a Native American purist. Different cultures have influenced the Utah native, whose eclecticism serves him well on this promising debut. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
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