Joanne Shenandoah January 23, 2011

One of today’s most revered Native American singers and songwriters, Joanne Shenandoah is a Wolf Clan member of the Iroqois Confederacy, Oneida Nation whose Native name Deguiya whah-wa means “she sings.” The singer/songwriter has performed with such legendary entertainers as Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson and has won more Native American Music Awards (Nammies) than any other artist. The daughter of two talented musicians (her father, a jazz guitarist, played with Duke Ellington), Shenandoah was an architectural systems engineer before forging her successful career as a musician. “From my office window I saw a tree being cut down and knew that I, too, had been uprooted and needed to follow my natural gift,” she says. Shenandoah’s original composition, combined with a striking voice, enables her to embellish the ancient songs of the Iroquois using a blend of traditional and contemporary instrumentation.

Official Website: http://www.ums.org/s_current_season/artist.asp?pageid=607