R. Carlos Nakai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
R. Carlos Nakai
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Nakai playing in Moscow in 2012
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| Born | April 16, 1946 Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
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| Occupation | Native American flute player |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Awards | Grammy Award nominations |
Raymond Carlos Nakai (born April 16, 1946) is a famous Native American flutist. He is from the Navajo and Ute tribes. Nakai played brass instruments like the trumpet when he was in high school and college.
After serving in the United States Navy, he had an accident that made it hard for him to play the trumpet. This led him to start playing the traditional Native American cedar flute. He mostly taught himself. His first album, Changes, came out in 1983. Later, he signed with Canyon Records and released many more albums. His music often features new songs for the flute, inspired by old Native American tunes. He has worked with many other musicians and has been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards.
Contents
About R. Carlos Nakai's Life
Growing Up and Learning
Raymond Carlos Nakai was born in Flagstaff, Arizona, on April 16, 1946. His family has roots in both the Navajo and Ute tribes. Today, he lives in Tucson, Arizona.
When he was a child, he would listen to tapes for a Navajo radio show his parents hosted. This is how he first heard the flute played by William Horn Cloud, a Lakota musician. When he went to high school, he wanted to play the flute in the band. However, he was given the cornet instead.
He started college at Northern Arizona University in 1966. There, he played brass instruments in the marching band. During his second year, he joined the United States Navy. He spent two years studying communications in Hawai'i and the South Pacific.
After his time in the Navy, he returned home. He tried out for the Armed Forces School of Music. He was accepted, but an accident made it impossible for him to play brass instruments anymore. This was because his mouth was injured, making it hard to make the right sound.
How He Became a Musician
In 1972, Nakai received a traditional cedar flute. He slowly taught himself how to play it. He later bought flutes from Oliver William Jones, a flute maker. Nakai found it hard to learn new songs because there were no recordings or written music for traditional flute. So, he started learning vocal songs and changed them to be played on the flute.
He went back to Northern Arizona University and earned a degree in 1979. He later got a master's degree in American Indian studies. Before becoming a full-time musician, he taught graphic art at a high school.
Nakai began recording his music on cassettes and selling them. A representative from Canyon Records heard his music at the Heard Museum. They were very impressed. Nakai signed a contract with Canyon Records, and they released over 30 of his albums. By 2016, he had sold more than 3.5 million records. He has worked with many artists, including Philip Glass and Keola Beamer.
His Unique Music Style
Nakai's music often features his own improvisations on the Native American cedar flute. He also plays the eagle-bone whistle. Sometimes, he uses synthesizers, chanting, and sounds from nature in his music.
While he sometimes plays traditional melodies, most of his music is original. He tries to capture the spirit of his heritage in his own way. Nakai says he builds on tribal traditions while keeping their true feeling. He also says his music expresses his experiences at the moment. He has worked with musicians from different styles, like jazz and classical music.
Awards and Achievements
Many of Nakai's albums have been very popular. Two of his albums, Earth Spirit (1987) and Canyon Trilogy (1989), sold enough copies to be certified Gold. This means they sold over 500,000 copies!
His 1995 album, Feather, Stone, and Light, was a top album for 13 weeks. He has been nominated for the Grammy Award eleven times. He is known as one of the most creative artists in his type of music.
Nakai also created a special way to write down Native American flute music. It's called Nakai tablature. This system helps musicians play different types of flutes.
In 1999, Nakai was featured in a film called Songkeepers. This film showed five Native American flute players talking about their instruments and songs. His music has also been used for a ballet and a concerto with the Phoenix Symphony.
In 2005, Nakai was added to the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame. He has also received an honorary degree from Northern Arizona University. The Library of Congress has more than 30 of his recordings saved in their collection.
R. Carlos Nakai's Music Albums
Nakai's first album came out in 1983. Since then, he has released over forty albums with Canyon Records. He has also appeared as a guest on other music labels.
Images for kids
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Nakai playing in Moscow in 2012
See also
In Spanish: R. Carlos Nakai para niños
