Is powwow, the type of drumming Black Eagle does, different from Pueblo music?
YEPA: Powwow is a different way of singing. You sing high in the melody parts, and then you vary your tone to bass. A powwow song is four verses, and we sing Pueblo songs from beginning to end. They don’t have verses. So when did you learn powwow? YEPA: We went up to Lame Deer, Montana, in 1988, for the Gathering of Nations. We never knew what powwow was, so I talked to the late Jimmy Little Coyote [a family friend] about what was happening in the arena. I was fascinated, and I brought that with me back to New Mexico. And eventually you formed your group? YEPA: Yeah, I had a whole bunch of friends, including my cousins. We taught ourselves by listening to tapes. At first, our drumming was offbeat. My mom told us we sounded like coyotes down by the riverbank. How old were you? YEPA: Sixteen. Man, we sounded terrible! But we just practiced for so long that eventually we got it right. Why Black Eagle? YEPA: I was out in the yard shooting hoops with my brother. I tossed my ball in the air,
Related Questions
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- What is different about the drumming in pipe band than drumming in other types of music?
- Is powwow, the type of drumming Black Eagle does, different from Pueblo music?
