OYATE TA OLOWAN: SONGS OF THE PEOPLE: DANNY LOPEZ
{KOSOFSKY ETHNIC RADIO COLLECTION -- NATIVE
AMERICAN/ENGLISH} (RADIO)
Summary
One in this series of radio programs, featuring the
music and voices of individuals from twenty-six
Native-American tribes throughout the United States.
Each program includes musical performances and
interviews with Native-American artists, accompanied
by narration by host Milt Lee. This episode features
singing and commentary by Danny Lopez of the Tohono
O'odham (also known as Papago) tribe of Arizona. Lopez
begins by singing three songs that evoke the physical
environment of the local community of Big Fields in the
Sonora Desert: First he sings "Bird in Basket," about a
nearby mountain range; then he sings two songs about a
frog and a millipede, which are sung during the summer
rain ceremonies and relate to desert storms. Lopez
explains that he began collecting Papago songs and
dances in order to bring Papago culture to the urban
Indian youth living in cities. He eventually formed a
dance group of local children and began teaching the
music to elementary-school students. Next Lopez sings
two songs about mythical figures. One song concerns a
man who stayed forever young because he bathed in a
magical pond, and who now acts as a protector spirit for
the Papago. The second song is about an individual
called the "mocking-bird man" because of his legendary
speaking skills. Lopez also comments on traditional
Papago instruments such as the gourd rattle, which he
plays during his performance, and the willow or rawhide
basket. After he explains the practice of dreaming
songs, he sings a funny children's song called "The
Brown Carpenter Ant," as well as one of his own
compositions, "The Lady Mountain Song." Lopez concludes
his performance with a piece called "The Swallow Song,"
which was composed in memory of individuals from the
Big Fields community. The program is followed by four
"Oyate Ta Olowan" promos, for the episodes featuring
K'odi Nelson and Danny Lopez.
(This program is in the English and Tohono O'odham.
languages.)
The acquisition and cataloging of this program were
made possible by Marvin and Jacqueline Kosofsky.
Details
- NETWORK: PRI Public Radio International AIROS
- DATE: November 30, 1997
- RUNNING TIME: 0:34:28
- COLOR/B&W: N/A
- CATALOG ID: R:17785
- GENRE: Radio - Music; Radio - Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: Indians of North America - Arizona; Tohono O'Odham Indians - Music; Indians of North America - Social life and customs; Indigenous Peoples Collection
- SERIES RUN: PRI - Radio series, 1998
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Milt Lee … Producer
- Jamie Lee … Writer
- Milt Lee … Host
- Danny Lopez … Guest, Singer, Instrumentalist, Percussionist
- K'odi Nelson