R. Carlos Nakai

The Native American Flute is a personal, handcrafted instrument made of red cedar heartwood and is native to the aboriginal North American people. The tuning of each flute is determined by the choices of the individual maker in the number and placement of finger holes bore size and length and materials used. Thus, each flute has a unique sound and uses its own musical scale. A good flute melody should be as free sounding and soothing as possible.
Nakai's photo

Nakai's music is incredibly soothing and relaxing. Every time I listen to it, I become transferred into another realm of being. I experience his music as a channel through which we can touch the everlasting and limitless ONE we, regretfully, became disconnected from living our lives under illusion and pretence that we are separate entities in control of the uncontrollable. So little is necessary to put us back in touch with the source. Nakai`s music is not his, it is the path we can all walk down. All you have to do is to make the first step.

"History and tradition are accumulated aspirations, experiences and
knowledge of peoples that are expressed in sacred, secular and personal
songs and stories. Tribal histories reflect an intimate awareness of the
reciprocal nature of nihikeyah (our land) and one's responsibilities to all
Diné (people) within this very special place.

Like the First Man, First Woman and Cayote in the creation chants of the
Diné, we continually recreate a world of new dreams and experiences,
forging new traditions and history. This new world builds upon but never
totally replaces the older worlds and stories.

Our personal being is a small portion of the rainbow tapestry of life here
in nihikeyah. In the words of my maternal grandmother, "Make sure you learn
to take care of yourself and learn to find your own dream in the world.
Listen, think about it, make it teach you and in that way you'll know what
it's like to feel good about yourself." - R.C.Nakai


MORE ABOUT NAKAI
- biography, tour schedule, real audio clips and discography.

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