The Gift of Life: Round Dances & Songs of the Native Road (Canyon Records CR-6430, 2011)
Cree singer-songwriter Randy Wood has a new recording of beautiful round dance songs which celebrate life in North America’s indigenous communities. The Gift of Life features Wood’s mesmerizing vocals accompanied by drums. His rich melodic and intimate voice and the beat of the drums create a trance-like hypnotic effect.
The original pieces celebrate life, natural spaces, children, friensdhip, warriors and his people, the Cree Nation of Alberta, Canada.
Originally from the Saddle Lake First Nation in Alberta, Canada, Randy Wood now makes his home in St. George (Utah) with his wife and three kids. He is known across pow-wow country as a respected pow-wow singer and grass dancer.
Randy Wood’s first solo recording, Round Dance the Night Away, introduced original round dance songs, with a new vocal style that attracted the attention of music fans worldwide. In 2003 he released his follow up recording, Round Dance Blues.
There Are No Goodbyes, an album dedicated to his wife Jetta, came out in 2004. This was followed by Our Love Will Never Die in 2006.
A beautifully crafted album by one of the leading musical figures from Canada’s First Nations.
Buy the album:
- In North America: The Gift of Life: Round Dances & Songs of the Native Road. Other recordings available: Round Dance the Night Away, Round Dance Blues, There Are No Goodbyes, Our Love Will Never Die
- In Europe: The Gift of Life: Round Dances & Songs of the Native Road. Other recordings available: Round Dance the Night Away, There Are No Goodbyes, My Heart and Soul, Round Dance Blues, Our Love Will Never Die
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
