JOANNE SHENANDOAH
LAWRENCE LAUGHING
Orenda
Native American Songs Of Life
(c) (p) 1998 Silver Wave Records
16tks/48mins

Have you heard the silent song of Mother-Earth? Have you felt the beating of Her pulse? Have you ever touched the wild, pristine nature? You should surely hear the album "Orenda", because this is the song, coming from the very roots of existence, the naked music of the Spirit.

This album is the last, the third solo work by a remarkable composer and performer Joanne Shenandoah, who popularize the music of native citizens of America. Preceding albums by Joanne ("Matriarch" and "Life Blood") were accepted by listeners very warmly, and the "Billboard" magazine even called her "the Native American version of Enya". This comparison is not an accidental one, because the performing by Joanne Shenandoah is very womanly and emotionally deep. Her songs are celebration of life, realizing herself as a organic part of enormous Universum. Besides, the album booklet contains both information concerning each composition contents and the photographs of Joanne - not only a remarkable performer but also a charming woman. Her singing contains harmonic smoothness and trancity which are characteristic to American Indians melodies.

In the recording of the album took part another remarkable performer Lawrence Laughing, who, by his pathetic vocal and delicate percussion helped to create the special spiritual aura, which comes from the music of this album, and, warming soul makes this world more warm and more comfortable for us.

At present are very popular various stylizations on Indian music and singing of pseudo-Indian songs. "Orenda" is far from the "art" of this kind, because this is a deep penetration into a soul of a native inhabitant of America, this is a natural music of Haudenosaunee Indians, which means "People of the Longhouse". This American Indians community contain the Six Nations of Iroquois: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora. By the way, Joanne belongs to the Wolf Clan from Oneida Nation.

This album is one of those, thanks to which one can just realize, that he is one of the inhabitants of this Great House named Earth, and we are all part of a Great Whole named Mankind. With the music of Joanne Shenandoah one can feel the harmony, and it becomes lightly to live, and one can inhale the air by a whole breast, and live easily and joyfully in this wonderful world!

Serge Kozlovsky