Song of the Day #10 (yayyyy, double digits!):
Mahk Jchi (Heartbeat Drum Song): Ulali, Pura Fé, Soni Moreno, Jennifer Kreisberg
Mahk Jchi tahm boo-ee
yahm pi-gih-dee
Mahk Jchi tahm boo-ee
kahn speh-wah eh-bi
Mahm-pi wah ho-ka yi nonk,
tah hond tah-ni kih-yee tai-yee
Ghee weh meh yee-tai-yee,
Nan-ka yaht yah moo-ni-yeh wah-jhi-seh
English translation:
Our hearts are full and our minds are good
Our ancestors come and give us strength
Stand tall, sing, dance and never forget who you are
Or where you come from
Track 2 on 'Music for the Native Americans', produced by Robbie Robertson and the Red Road Ensemble.
Fun fact: This compilation was created for the documentary 'The Native Americans'. It was Robertson's first time creating music inspired by his Mohawk heritage. His children show up in the album, with son on drums for a few of the songs, and his daughter singing backing vocals for 'Coyote Dance'. The language of the song is a mix of Tutelo and Saponi, which are dialects of the Sioux nation from the Ohio Valley.*
Personal blurb: I had a friend tell me years ago that I seem to be a morning song person, while they were a night song person. I'm not certain I buy into that perspective (because aren't we all a balance of everything?) but I came across this song marked 'Cherokee Morning Song' on YouTube (thank goodness for the hidden features the algorithm unroots) and fell in love with it; the whole album just followed suit.
I think mentioning Robbie Robertson last night got this stuck in my head this morning. 😋
To me, music is the perfect communal place to gather for cultural appreciation. How lucky we are to get to share in the joy this song brings.
*Reference:
Mahk Jchi is a haunting song written by...
