From My Shelves – R. Carlos Nakai

Earth Spirit by R. Carlos Nakai (1987)

Until I went to college, I was a musical innocent. I couldn’t even claim a deep knowledge of the popular music of the day. I was familiar with the songs, but more often than not I had no idea of who the artist was. This culminated in my freshman year at college when I insisted I had never heard of The Grass Roots, only to discover I knew every song on their greatest hits album. Being around people who were passionate about music expanded my musical mind significantly.

But my tastes have not always followed the popular flow. Even with decades in various forms of Top 40 radio, I’m still not particularly adept at naming the artist. I’m always listening for a sound or style that appeals to me. It’s resulted in a diverse music collection.

I’m not sure how this recording by Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai came into my life. It was probably a gift. There is something profoundly calming and centering in these pieces. His 1987 album “earth spirit” remains a favorite.

The music is very straightforward. It is Nakai, who is of Navajo-Ute heritage, playing the Native American flute. Visually similar to a recorder, variations on the instrument are found in many of the indigenous peoples of North America. On this album, it is the artist and instrument alone. Later we bought an album which included western instruments and found it very unsatisfying. The simplicity of the flute alone requires no supporting players for me.

The music is calming, peaceful, at times almost haunting. The liner notes discuss how Nakai walks the dividing line between traditional music and the exploration of new ways of playing in those traditions. The result is something that has both profound beauty and deep spiritual qualities for me.

The music ranges from the traditional Kiowa song “Song of the Evening Star” to “Gateway” which he wrote early one morning as he “pondered my presence in St. Louis”.    Fifteen tracks give me close to an hour of music to calm my mind and soothe my spirit.

Nakai continues to tour and has over 30 albums, covering traditional and contemporary music, as both a solo act and with collaborators.