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Released to roughly coincide with the 2004 opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, this assembles performances of 33 Christian hymns and songs by tribes of various regions, from Native Hawaiian and Hopi to Mohawk, Cherokee, Comanche, Navajo, Sioux, and others. These selections include both translations of traditional Christian songs into Native American languages and original compositions of Christian songs, also in Native American languages. As a social document, this is extremely important, helping to preserve and promote adaptations of religious music for indigenous cultures. Musically it's very diverse, the styles including a cappella solo singing, unison vocalizing, and harmonizing, sometimes unaccompanied, sometimes backed by basic instrumentation (most often guitar and keyboard), sung by men, women, choirs, and children (sometimes together). While the performances are almost always passionate and sometimes stirring, the breadth of approaches covered guarantees that it will be an uneven listening experience, with few listeners possessing a broad enough taste to enjoy everything. At times its primary value is folkloric rather than purely musical, as with the Kykotsmovi Mennonite Church Choir's rendition of "Silent Night" and some of the starker a cappella items. Others, though, project an undeniable beauty and committed spiritualism, whether it's the ghostly Tewa Women's Choir's "Lord Have Mercy" (backed by nothing but far-off piano and percussive rattle), the vibrato of Nalani Olds and Mauliola Aspelund, the rustic Walker Calhoun (backed by banjo), or the Kingfisher Trio's "That Heavenly Home," which might remind some listeners of the casual gospel-folk of artists like Joseph Spence. All of the tracks are quite short, none lasting for more than three and a half minutes and some for less than a minute, ensuring constant stylistic shifts that keep restlessness at bay.
Condition: NEW Punched UPC
TRACK LISTING
1. Comanche Hymn
2. Comanche Hymn
3. Kiowa Prayer Song
4. Kiowa Hymn
5. Hymn Composed by Goomdah
6. Cheyenne Hymn
7. Lord Have Mercy
8. Lord I Call
9. Having Beheld the Resurrection
10. Blessed Be Thy Name
11. Ke Aloha O Ka Haku
12. Ho'onani
13. Silent Night
14. On the Beautiful Beyond
15. In the Sweet By and By
16. Rock of Ages
17. 'Twill Be Glory By and By
18. Ise Iesos Sewenniio (Wedding Prayer Hymn)
19. Takwaienha (The Lord's Prayer)
20. Wonderful Place
21. Orphan Child
22. That Heavenly Home
23. Believing and Praying
24. Sinners Can You Hate the Savior?
25. Jesus Make the Road
26. At the Cross
27. Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah
28. Heavenly Home
29. On the Jericho Road
30. Amazing Grace
31. Sweet Hour of Prayer
32. Jesus Loves Even Me
33. Communion of the Saints
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