Earth Warrior (Canyon Records CR-7094, 2012)
Earth Warrior is the new solo album by American Indian flutist Tony Duncan. The album features a collection of evocative and meditative solo flute instrumental pieces, ensemble tracks with light drums, percussion and guitars and occasional vocals.
“The instrument of the flute was passed on to me by my father when I was ten years old,” says Duncan in the liner notes. “He would play beautiful songs like ‘Zuni sunrise’ and ‘Taos Round dance’ as I would keep the rhythm with a drum or gourd rattle. I would watch him play with his eyes closed, as music floated in the air and settled in my heart. Since then I’ve been in love with the sound of the Native American flute.”
Duncan’s mesmerizing music is inspired by nature, the beautiful canyon in the southwest, the stories of the ancestors, the trickster coyote and how things came to be. Joining Duncan is his regular collaborator Darrin Yazzie on guitar.
Tony Duncan is of the Apache, Arikara, Hidatsa and Mandan Indian Nations. In addition to his skill as a accomplished Apache cane flute player and powwow dancer, he is also a renowned five time World Champion Hoop Dancer. His flute style incorporates northern plains and southwestern styles.
Duncan is a member of as contemporary native roots ensemble called Estun-Bah. The group is an instrumental trio formed by Duncan, Darrin Yazzie on guitar, and Jeremy Dancing Bull on drums. Duncan also performs with his family’s performance group, the Yellow Bird Indian Dancers. He has appeared in the music video for Nelly Furtado’s single “Big Hoops (The Bigger the Better)” and toured with her to promote the song on several awards show and television appearances.
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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.
