Product description

These authentic Native American healing chants, along with flute and drum, emerge from the depths of the Earth carrying the mystery and magic of tribal people. Sounding Healing pioneer Dean Evenson joins with Lummi Indian spiritual elder, Cha-das-ska-dum, to create a powerful musical expression in the spirit of healing. Scott Huckabay and Swil Kanim draw from their own Native American roots to weave their music into this tapestry, adding guitar and violin. Marguerite and April Which-ta-lum, wife and daughter of Cha-das-ska-dum, enhance his vocals with their beautiful harmonies and Native flute.

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The fifth installment in the Sound Healing Series from Soundings of the Planet, Native Healing links label icon Dean Evenson (flute, digital horn, keyboard) with Cha-das-ska-dum Which-ta-lum, a now-deceased spiritual elder of the Lummi Nation in the Pacific Northwest. Cha-das-ska-dum's chanting, delivered in an earnest baritone, is the 62-minute disc's most prominent feature, giving Native Healing its unmistakable tribal flavor. Cha-das-ska-dum adorns his Native American chants with modest ceremonial drumming and a few embellishments from his wife Marguerite and daughter April (native flute, voicings). Evenson, aided by guitarist Scott Huckabay and violinist Swil Kanim, frames these elements within serene sound fields, evoking moods of rumination and relaxation. The formula works best when Cha-das-ska-dum's voice assumes a more egalitarian role with Evenson, Huckabay, and Kanim, as occurs on the mystical "Lost Tracks" and the disc's two concluding selections. Evenson also shines on "Cedar Flute Love Song," a hushed solo piece that slowly articulates the beauty of dawn's early light. Native Healing has a relaxed flowing quality to it that should appeal to fans of both atmospheric and native music. --Terry Wood