Canyons of the Ancients National Monument to feature Native American jazz fusion to celebrate America’s public lands
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Cortez, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management Canyons of the Ancients National Monument with be hosting Native American jazz trumpeter Delbert Anderson and his ensemble D’DAT as part of the Artist in Residence program. From June 13-15 Anderson will teach music workshops and then perform in concert to celebrate America’s public lands.
Anderson and D’DAT combine jazz, funk, and hip hop yielding a unique and compelling sound appealing to people of all backgrounds. Navajo spinning songs were a way for Diné to compose new pieces reflecting the present moment. Traditionally passed from generation to generation, spinning songs grew with the times and are still present today.
Anderson, a faculty member at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico, found a cassette tape of spinning songs and spoke with native elders to explore fusing spinning songs and today’s modern music. D’DAT merged traditional and modern music structures to create an exciting new sound.
“They had songs for everything, love, war, ceremonies and healing. The spinning songs I was influenced by were those with messages to our youth about minding manners,” said Anderson.
During their time at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Anderson and D’DAT will spend a day researching Indigenous land stories and music, then a second day holding a workshop in which students will help compose two original pieces of music and conclude the final day with an outdoor public performance.
Registration for the community workshop is first come first serve and limited to 40 people. To reserve your slot, contact the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument visitor center at (970) 882-5600 or visit the front desk. The workshop will take place Tuesday June 14, from 11:00am to 12:00pm. Bring a musical instrument of your choice and enjoy an hour of musical creation. A free community concert will take place Wednesday June 15, at 7:00pm at the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Plaza. Bring a blanket and a chair to enjoy this special outside event.
The Canyons of the Ancients National Monument contains the highest known archaeological site density in the United States, with rich, well-preserved evidence of Native American cultures. The landscape within the Monument has been used or inhabited by humans, including Ancestral Puebloan cultures, for at least 10,000 years.
The workshop and concerts will adhere to any local or state Covid-19 attendance or social distancing restrictions in effect on those days.
The visit and residency closely align with Interior’s priority to strengthen the government-to-government relationship with sovereign Tribal Nations. For additional information, BLM.gov, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Medium.
As of June 20, 2022, BLM Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum is open Monday through Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm throughout the 2022 summer season. For more information, contact the visitor center at (970) 882-5600 or visit: https://www.blm.gov/learn/interpretive-centers/CANM-visitor-center-museum
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.