Music - December 2011
Johnny Whitehorse Rides Again
Play "Rituals of Winter"
from Riders of the Healing Road
Story by Emily Drabanski
Robert Mirabal steps out as one of his favorite characters, Johnny Whitehorse, for his latest CD, Riders of the Healing Road. The Taos Pueblo artist stretches the boundaries of the Native flute to create global sounds.
“This recording is based on the medicine people who bring a vitality into societies around the world,” Mirabal says. “The sounds I create are pushing my music into a new world-music genre that people can relate to everywhere.” While the song “Rituals of Winter” best reflects Mirabal’s own Pueblo healing traditions, his is not a typical mellow, New Age healing album. In fact, some of the songs, such as “Hand Tremblers,” have lyrics with a very edgy quality.
Mirabal has made and played Native flutes for several decades. In the 1990s, he made a splash in the music world with his tribal-rock touring band, Mirabal, and about a dozen recordings. His performances blending music and spoken word garnered critical acclaim, and his 2001 PBS show, Music from the Painted Cave, evolved into a top-selling CD and DVD.
As an artist, Mirabal says he’s always challenging himself to find a different way to tell stories. Last summer he starred in his stirring, one-person theatrical production, Po’pay Speaks, about the leader of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.
For the Johnny Whitehorse recordings, he developed new flutes with Brent Haines of Salt Lake City, Utah. “By playing double-chamber flutes, I’m able to play two melodies at the same time. I’m also fascinated by dealing in different scales than the traditional pentatonic scale.” His second Whitehorse CD, Totemic Flute Chants, won a Grammy, and Riders of the Healing Road was nominated for the award last year.
For those looking for a holiday CD, Mirabal’s Pueblo Christmas CD from 2007 offers a refreshing take on traditional songs.
For info: www.mirabal.com
