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Indigenous (band)
Encyclopedia
Indigenous is an American blues-rock
group that came to prominence in the late 1990s. The band originally consisted of two brothers, Mato Nanji (Maiari) ('mah-TOE non-GEE' vocals and guitar
, born 1974), Pte ('peh-TAY' bass guitar
), along with their sister, Wanbdi ('wan-ba-DEE' drums
, vocals), and their cousin, Horse (percussion
).
Their music is heavily influenced by guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan
, as well as Jimi Hendrix
and Carlos Santana
. Mato Nanji's style and skill has drawn comparisons to each of these guitarists. The band has also shared the stage with artists of varying musical genres such as B.B. King, Santana, Bonnie Raitt
, Joan Baez
, the Indigo Girls
, Jackson Browne
, Dave Matthews Band
, and Los Lonely Boys
. The band has headlined its own tours several times.
The Nakota
Nation members grew up on South Dakota
's Yankton Indian Reservation
, where their father, Greg Zephier became a spokesperson for Native American rights. A musician in his own right during the 1960s and '70s, Zephier provided his children with records from blues musicians such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy
, and Freddie King
, and taught them to play their respective instruments. The family started touring together, and soon the children were performing on their own.
.
The track "Now That You're Gone" peaked at #22 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, making Indigenous one of the first Native American bands to break into that realm. Amazon.com
named the band Blues Artist of the Year, and soon after they were featured on broadcast shows such as NPR's "All Things Considered
", "Late Night with Conan O'Brien
," "CBS
Saturday Morning," and "Austin City Limits
". B.B. King became a self-proclaimed fan, and invited the band to join his Blues Festival Tour.
Later that year, Indigenous released an EP, Blues This Morning, and a full-length album, Live at Pachyderm Studios in 1999, and continued the momentum. Live at Pachyderm won two Native American Music Awards for Best Blues Album and Group of the Year in 2000. Their next LP, Circle, settled into place in Billboard's Top 10 blues albums after its release in 2000.
Following this was the 2003 self-titled album, Indigenous (Zomba), and then another EP, Long Way Home in 2005 (on their own record label). This seven-song EP contains five originals, as well as an acoustic version of a song from Things We Do, "Rest Of My Days", and a live version of their first single, "Things We Do". After recording their 2006 album, Chasing the Sun (Vanguard
) the band split. Mato carried on with the Indigenous name and toured with a new line-up that included bassist Chaney Bryant and drummer Ray Mehlbaum
in support of the album. In 2008 Mato wrote and recorded the album "Broken Lands" which was released on August 12, 2008. Most recently, the band released "The Acoustic Sessions" on June 8, 2010.
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
group that came to prominence in the late 1990s. The band originally consisted of two brothers, Mato Nanji (Maiari) ('mah-TOE non-GEE' vocals and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, born 1974), Pte ('peh-TAY' bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), along with their sister, Wanbdi ('wan-ba-DEE' drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals), and their cousin, Horse (percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
).
Their music is heavily influenced by guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
, as well as Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
. Mato Nanji's style and skill has drawn comparisons to each of these guitarists. The band has also shared the stage with artists of varying musical genres such as B.B. King, Santana, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, the Indigo Girls
Indigo Girls
The Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
, and Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys is a Chicano rock power trio from San Angelo, Texas. They play a style of music they call "Texican Rock n' Roll," combining elements of rock and roll, Texas blues, brown eyed soul, country, and Tejano....
. The band has headlined its own tours several times.
The Nakota
Nakota
The term Nakota is the endonym used by the native peoples of North America who usually go by the name of Assiniboine , in the United States, and of Stoney, in Canada....
Nation members grew up on South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
's Yankton Indian Reservation
Yankton Indian Reservation
The Yankton Indian Reservation is the homeland of the Yankton subgroup of the Sioux tribe of Native Americans.The reservation occupies the southeasternmost 60 percent of Charles Mix County in southeastern South Dakota, United States...
, where their father, Greg Zephier became a spokesperson for Native American rights. A musician in his own right during the 1960s and '70s, Zephier provided his children with records from blues musicians such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
, and Freddie King
Freddie King
Freddie King , thought to have been born as Frederick Christian, originally recording as Freddy King, and nicknamed "the Texas Cannonball", was an influential African-American blues guitarist and singer. He is often mentioned as one of "the Three Kings" of electric blues guitar, along with Albert...
, and taught them to play their respective instruments. The family started touring together, and soon the children were performing on their own.
Musical career
The group released their debut album, Things We Do on Pachyderm Records in 1998. In 1999, Indigenous won three Native American Music Awards for their debut record, including two top honors: Album of the Year and Group of the Year. A video for the lead single and title track was directed by Chris EyreChris Eyre
Chris Eyre , an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, is a film director and producer.His films focus on all aspects of contemporary Native American life, while dispelling the usual stereotypes. Eyre's debut film, Smoke Signals , won the coveted Sundance Film Festival Filmmakers...
.
The track "Now That You're Gone" peaked at #22 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, making Indigenous one of the first Native American bands to break into that realm. Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
named the band Blues Artist of the Year, and soon after they were featured on broadcast shows such as NPR's "All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
", "Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
," "CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Saturday Morning," and "Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
". B.B. King became a self-proclaimed fan, and invited the band to join his Blues Festival Tour.
Later that year, Indigenous released an EP, Blues This Morning, and a full-length album, Live at Pachyderm Studios in 1999, and continued the momentum. Live at Pachyderm won two Native American Music Awards for Best Blues Album and Group of the Year in 2000. Their next LP, Circle, settled into place in Billboard's Top 10 blues albums after its release in 2000.
Following this was the 2003 self-titled album, Indigenous (Zomba), and then another EP, Long Way Home in 2005 (on their own record label). This seven-song EP contains five originals, as well as an acoustic version of a song from Things We Do, "Rest Of My Days", and a live version of their first single, "Things We Do". After recording their 2006 album, Chasing the Sun (Vanguard
Vanguard Records
Vanguard Records is a record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York. It started as a classical label, but is perhaps best known for its catalogue of recordings by a number of pivotal folk and blues artists from the 1960s; the Bach Guild was a subsidiary...
) the band split. Mato carried on with the Indigenous name and toured with a new line-up that included bassist Chaney Bryant and drummer Ray Mehlbaum
Ray Mehlbaum
Ray Mehlbaum is an American rock drummer and currently the drummer for Killing Bees.-Early life:Born in Los Angeles California, Mehlbaum was given his first drum set at age 9 as a gift from his uncle.He studied with Carmine Appice, Ed Shaughnessy, and Carl Tassi-Career:Mehlbaum has recorded and or...
in support of the album. In 2008 Mato wrote and recorded the album "Broken Lands" which was released on August 12, 2008. Most recently, the band released "The Acoustic Sessions" on June 8, 2010.
Discography and awards
- Things We DoThings We DoThings We Do is the first album from the band Indigenous, released in 1998 under the Pachyderm Records label.In 1999, Indigenous won three Native American Music Awards for this record, including two top honors: Album of the Year and Group of the Year....
(Pachyderm Records, 1998)
- Native American Music Award for Album of the Year, Group of the Year, and Best Pop Group
- Blues This Morning EP (Pachyderm, 1999)
- Live at Pachyderm Studios (Pachyderm, 1999)
- Native American Music Award for Blues Album of the Year, Group of the Year
- Circle (Pachyderm, 2000)
- #3 Billboard Top Blues Albums
- Indigenous (Zomba/SilvertoneSilvertone RecordsSilvertone Records has been the name for at least three record companies:* Silvertone Records , a United States based company.* Silvertone Records , a United Kingdom based company that existed in the 1930s...
, 2003)
- Indigenous (Zomba/Silvertone
- #3 Billboard Top Blues Albums
- Long Way Home EP (Indigenous Records, 2005)
- Chasing the SunChasing the Sun (Indigenous album)Chasing the Sun is Indigenous's seventh album. It was released in 2006 on the Vanguard label. It went to #2 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart.- Track list :#Runaway 4:30#I'll Be Waiting 4:18#Number Nine Train 4:20#Come On Home 4:28...
(VanguardVanguard RecordsVanguard Records is a record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York. It started as a classical label, but is perhaps best known for its catalogue of recordings by a number of pivotal folk and blues artists from the 1960s; the Bach Guild was a subsidiary...
, 2006)
- #2 Billboard Top Blues Albums
- Broken Lands (Vanguard, 2008)
- The Acoustic Sessions (2010)