Musical Marketing

There's a whole lot of Native music going on

Scatter Their Own will shatter your brain. (Courtesy of the Band)

By Alex De Vore

Last year, a handful of members of the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts, the nonprofit responsible for the long-running annual Indian Market, splintered off and formed the Indigenous Fine Art Market. It was maybe a little intense, but as we come up on both markets once again, it seems that there is absolutely room for both. And for all of the traditional and nontraditional artworks created by talented Native artists from all over the country, there is also music to be heard. Below you'll find a mere smattering of standout events to be found at both markets and one from the fine people at the Institute of American Indian Arts' Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. So get out and get listening.

Indigenous Fine Art Market Launch Party

The whole thing kicks off on Wednesday, Aug. 19, with a pretty major bang as Oklahoma's Brian Frejo presides over the opening dance party at the Railyard. That's right, it opens with a dance party. There will be Indigenous performers on hand like Quese IMC, traditional Native dancers and hip-hop dancers, art installations, a community mural, a glow-in-the-dark body painting project from artist Jonathan Thunder and free (yes, free) pizza from Pizza Centro. This might actually be the best party in the history of local parties. "Music is a celebration and a wonderful way to connect people [and] that is what IFAM is about," Tailinh Agoyo, the market's director of marketing and creative services tells SFR. "I'm excited because the artists are diverse: Native traditional, Indigenous hip-hop, rock—and they feature incredible Indigenous performers."

Scatter Their Own

A million high-fives to Scatter Their Own for introducing me to the term "Alter-Native" and for rocking it pretty hard. The two-piece from South Dakota nails the whole social-consciousness thing while providing an easily accessible voice for the issues facing Natives today via an early-'90s/REM-esque style and a whole lot of prolific output.

Hands, Beats, Lyrics & Dusty Kicks

We're mentioning Frejo again because his Culture Shock Camp project is laying down this event. Hands, Beats, Lyrics & Dusty Kicks brings both old- and new-school music and performance sensibilities together for dance music that is basically guaranteed to make you, uh, dance.

IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts In Our Time as It Was In Yours

At 5 pm on Thursday, Aug. 20, Death Convention Singers are going to blow your mind by being a band of well over a dozen amazing musicians and by utilizing custom-built instruments during this early-evening procession from MoCNA, through the Plaza and back. To say they are in a category all their own would be an understatement. "It's going to be a beautiful, epic performance," MoCNA program manager Andrea R Hanley says.

Santa Fe Indian Market Edge

Even though the market part of Indian Market officially takes place on the weekend, on Thursday at 8 pm, they're kicking things off with a party. There will be preview information, live mural painting/art battling, a skateboard demo and, perhaps most importantly to you music aficionados, ceremonial drumming and dance, followed by a hip-hop collaboration from Native artists. One thing that both markets are getting right is the focus on more contemporary musical champions.

Robert “Tree” Cody

Cody gets asked a lot about being Iron Eyes Cody's stepson, but he's a celebrated Native flautist, dancer and actor. With 13 studio albums released through imprint Canyon Records and a lifetime of touring under his belt, he's one of the most renowned traditional Native musicians in the country. So yeah, it's a big deal.

Laura Ortman

"We always have a robust musical experience every year, but I'm really excited for Laura Ortman," Dallin Maybee, SWAIA's chief operating officer, says. "She's this mohawked, experimental violinist and sounds great." Is there anything cooler we could say than that? Nope.

After-party

Indian Market closes things down with a bitchin' after-party at Skylight. With performances from Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers, DJ Young Native, Definition Rare, Nataani Means and more, it's going to be a super-fun way of winding down after the weekend. It starts at 5 pm, it's only five bucks and all the movers and shakers will be there, so you can approach them to say things like, "Good job!"

Indigenous Fine Art Market
Thursday, Aug. 20-Saturday, Aug. 22
Santa Fe Railyard and beyond
indigefam.org


Santa Fe Indian Market
Thursday, Aug. 20-Sunday, Aug. 23
Santa Fe Plaza and beyond
swaia.org


IAIA MoCNA
5 pm Thursday, Aug. 20
108 Cathedral Place,
888-922-4242
iaia.edu/museum

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