The idea of writing classical concert music based on Native American materials dates back to the so-called "Indianist" school of the early 20th century, but the execution of the idea by Native American composers is much rarer and is devoutly to be wished. Composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and the Chickasaw Nation, and he is an important practitioner of this difficult art. Lowak Shoppala' is a multimedia piece in eight scenes, featuring orchestra, multiple narrators, a Chickasaw children's chorus, traditional Chickasaw and modern dancers and vocal soloists, and Native American storytellers. Each scene "depicts a part of Chickasaw culture and history," from traditional spiritual ideas to the removal of the tribe from its traditional Southeastern U.S. homelands. The narration is in English, but the musical sections in the libretto by Linda Hogan, are in the Chickasaw language. This is remarkable, for the number of fluent speakers of Chickasaw numbers only in the dozens; Tate and Hogan are two of these. Tate's basic mode is to expand the pitch and melodic content of traditional chants into larger orchestral and choral structures. The non-Chickasaw influences on the work may include the time Tate spent as a pianist with touring productions of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon; although it does not have a plot as such, the work hangs together as theater and will consistently hold the interest of listeners far beyond the sphere of Native American music. Its historical and environmental themes are very powerful, and one is also compelled to recognize the large number of forces successfully brought together here. The album was recorded in four different locations, but the material has been expertly mastered by engineers from the Azica label, which has a long record of exposing the most diverse kinds of American music.
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