2015-01-03

Joanne Shenandoah - To Those Who Dream


source: Adamfulgence   2015年1月3日
Composed by Joanne Shenandoah and Floyd Westerman, the song appears in the 1991 album, "Loving Ways" . Here, the traditional Native American chants, blues, folk and country are blended.

Shenandoah, a singer, composer and acoustic guitarist is one of America's most celebrated and critically acclaimed musicians. Holding a record number of 13 Native American Music awards (including a Grammy among a host of others) she has performed extensively internationally. In her work, she promotes universal peace.

Joanne Shenandoah is a direct descendant of Revolutionary War hero Chief John Shenandoah. She is a member of the Wolf Clan of the Oneida Nation, a part of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Oneida Nation is found primarily in New York Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada.

"To Those Who Dream" not only speaks to values and issues in the Oneida culture but also reaches out to non-native seekers of wisdom and understanding.

The line "Aguego Iona nasoah skalonyaday" is in an Iroquian language spoken primarily by Oneida people. There are only about 160 native speakers left.
The correct translation of these words is extremely hard to find; so, my best guess is that these words probably refer to "Beyond the sky, they dream".

As Neil Young said, "she is one of the finest tributes to Native American Music and Culture".