About
Oregon-native Nahko,
born a mix of Apache, Puerto Rican, and Filipino cultures and adopted into
an American family, suffered an identity crisis from an early age. But
the unifying power of music entered his life as a healing remedy,
when he took up the piano at age six. Armed with his newfound talent, he
set out to bridge the cultural gaps dividing his own psyche and began
producing a public, musical journal of his journey toward personal, spiritual,
and communal healing. From his hometown of Portland to the shores
of Hawaii or Bali, wherever he has traveled, Nahko is joined by a
tribe of culturally alienated truth seekers for whom Nahko’s story
resonates with their own, and who find redemption in his voice, guitar, flute,
and drum. Whether solo or with the dynamic group of
musical troubadours known as “Medicine for the People,” Nahko
delivers a soulful dose of curative vibrations that moves audiences to
dance, laugh, and cry. His ‘spirited redemption music’ lays bear the scars
of cultural wounds, environmental wrongs, and social injustices. His
lyrics bear the burden of heavy messages, but the load is lightened by
agile melodies and driving rhythms that coerce all who bear witness
into spirited, purifying, movement. His humor disarms, and his
lyrical stories open listeners to the power of “Real Talk Music”—songs
that reveal an honesty and depth so raw, it inspires an internal
revival that echoes out into the world. Sometimes exuberant, sometimes
savage, but always transformational, Nahko makes the movement move.
