Island of Bows

R. Carlos Nakai is undoubtedly the most prolific musician of Navajo and Ute Native American heritage. Originally a trumpeter, an accident left him unable to continue playing brass instruments and he picked up a traditional cedar flute instead. Because of the lack of written scores and recorded music for cedar flute, he instead adapted traditional vocal music for flute and made his own original compositions. Nakai would prove to be extremely adaptable, collaborating with a wide range of musicians outside his culture, like Philip Glass and slack key musician Keola Beamer. During a visit to Kyoto’s Hounji Temple in 1994, Nakai would link up with Japanese folk ensemble the Wind Travelin’ Band and Ainu musician Oki Kano for a historic meeting of indigenous music from the eastern and western hemispheres. Koto, shakuhachi, tonkori, and cedar flute have probably never been paired together before or since—but they sound like they were made for one another here.