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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1994)
—— --— “ Arts ©Entertainment Tuesday, October 4, 1994 Page 6 Taos Pueblo flutist woos UNL with music Damon Laa/DN Robart Mlrabal, aTaos Puablo musician In rasldanca at UNL, parfovms on a hand-mada drum for a Natlva Amarlcan Utaratura class Monday at tha Uad Cantor. Mlrabal will parform at Kimball Racltal Hall on Oct. 19. By Jill O’Brian Staff Reporter Robert Mirabal, the Taos Pueblo flute warrior with an international reputation, took up residency Monday at the UNL College of Fine and Performing Arts as part of the Art ists Diversity Program. Mirabal, who began handcrafting his own Native American flutes at the age of 18, now has several of his instruments on display at the Smithsonian National Museum, Albu querque Museum and Quast galleries. After he bought his first flute at 13, his grandmother told him that flutes were used as courting instruments when she was a girl, he said. “The woman was at a disadvantage,” Mirabal said. “She never saw who was play ing the instrument, never knew who was courting her.” In the same way, Mirabal uses his flutes to woo the world. Only he perceives the court ship process as more of a hunt, he said, where the music hunts down the spirit of the lis tener. Although he taught himself traditional songs on the flute, Mirabal also studied from a teacher at the Pueblo Day School who played40different instruments,he said. Asa result, he mastered a new instrument every year and later took voice and piano lessons. “I’m trying to expand because what I want to express to the world demands that,” he said. The young warrior, 27, has traveled ex tensively, giving workshops and perfor mances throughout the United States, France, Russia, Italy and Japan. Universities such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recruit him to conduct courses on cultural awareness and creativity. “We have our songs inside of us. and we deal with them through experiences. You have the ability to create sound.” he tells students. His own sound sometimes leaves him wondering if he's on the right road, he said. “I’m sometimes afraid to release my songs to the public,” he said. “Maybe I don’t give myself enough credit. What I’m into is a world sound — a sound based on Aztec drumming, Japanese drumming, native sing ing and all kinds.” While he learns techniques from other musicians throughout the world, he teaches them about Native American culture and music. “It’s a fascinating exchange,” he said. His goal is to develop a cross-cultural understanding with his music, he said. Recently he collaborated on an album called “Nomad,” which he said received a good review by Billboard magazine. “I’m singing more and creating more like a Peter Gabriel enigma, based on more of a melodic tribal beat instead of Euro-Ameri can format,” he said. Mirabal, who has accompanied many Native American artists with his flute play ing, also plays with a multicultural band based in New York. The Kraze Kunoe Tribesmen produce what Mirabal calls a “tribal world, foot-stomping groove” with reggae overtones. “Kraze is a lead singer, a Haitian who was really popular in the late 1980s,” he said, “and Kunoe is Australian, our didgeridoo player.” The band also consists of a Jamaican key board player, a bass player from Barbados, a guitarist from England and a drummer from Brooklyn, he said. Mirabal and three female singers fall into the “Tribesmen” category. “It’sacolorful group—that’s what world music is about,” he said. Mirabal will take a short leave during his UNL residency to record an album in Nash ville for Warner Western. Although he has collaborated on several albums and has marketed three releases on an independent label, this will be his first solo project for a major label. “When they called and told me they wanted to sign me as an artist... I felt honored,” he said. Besides carving his niche in the music world, Mirabal is a writer. His book, “Skel eton ofa Bridge,” was published by Blinking Yellow Books. "These are stories of when l was growing up. and stories I heard from different people, funny and sad stories about life,” he said. Mirabal views his writing, playing and composing as one art. All three are layered with emotions, designed to transport readers and listeners to different levels, he said. Mirabal was awarded the New York Dance and Performance “Bessie" Award in 1992 for one of his compositions, “Land"; in 1993, he was one of four artists featured in “Native American Artists of the North Americas.” The highlight of Mirabal’s stay at UNL includes an Oct. 19 program at Kimball Hall. Taos Pueblo drummer Reynaldo Lujan will join the flute warrior on stage. “We’ll do world music sounds, keyboard stuff, possibly some traditional songs. ... I really haven't decided yet,” he said. “It will be like picking the brain of a Native (Ameri can) composer. People will hear our music as a new sound — a new interpretation.” r .---•—'—. ; • : Faulkner to perform organ concert tonight From Staff Reports Quentin Faulkner, a UNL pro fessor of organ and m usic theory, will perform tonight at Kimball Recital Hall. He will perform four pieces at tonight’s concert, including “Komm, Gott Schopfer, Heiliger Geist, BWV 667” by Johann Sebastian Bach. Faulkner, in addition to teach ing organ classes at the Univer sity of Nebraska-Lincoln, com posed a series of courses in church music. Faulkner and his wife, Mary Murrell-Faulkner, served as parish musicians for the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln. Faulkner studied Bach and his works extensi vely and published abookin 1984 titled “J.S. Bach’s Keyboard Technique: A Histori cal Introduction.” The organist also wrote a book on the history of ideas in church music. His articles have appeared in “The American Organist,” “The Diapason,” and “The Christian Ministry and Liturgy.” Faulkner took his studies and related them to his teachings. He served as co-founder and co-co ordinator ofthe UNL Organ Con ference. The university honored him with a distinguished teaching award in 1992. Tire conceit will begin at 8 p.m. Admission is free. Concert: Quentin Faulkner, organ At: Kimball Recital Hall Time: 8 p.m. today, admission is free “Betty” Helmet Intcrscope Record!! Grade: B The cover of Helmet’s “Betty" calls to mind the idyllic suburbs of childhood. The front shows a fine, young lady of the 1950s holding flowers. The back shows a quaint suburban home. But don’t judge this CD by its cover. The tumult inside sharply contrasts with those outer images. Helmet does its best sonically and lyrically to portray the transi tion from youthful innocence to disillusion and hopelessness. It appears Helmet head Page Hamilton is bitterly looking back on his wonder years. That is evi dent on the song ‘‘Rollo,’’ which states, “the neighborhood’s been spoiled, but I know what 1 know.” And in “Sam Hell,” Helmet tells the story of an upstanding commu nity leader who dies of a heart at tack. What would suburban reminisc ing be without cookouts? In “The Silver Hawaiian/’“the steak is still ali ve.” And in “Biscuits for Smut," a neighborhood girl is “cooked too long on high in the backyard.” The introduction to “Beautiful Love” sounds like music from a 1950s lawn party. But in true Hel met style, it devolves into an orgy of noise and violence. The pastimes of suburbia pass through Helmet’s hands and be come quite sordid in the retelling. Helmet recal Is chi Idren' s tele vision of yesteryear with references to “Mr. Ed” and “The Flintstones.” If there is any one reason for the downfall of suburban civilization. Helmet doesn’t quite come out and sayit. Perhaps, as“Rollo" and “Sam Hell” imply, it’s the vain quest to get ahead and the worship of the almighty dollar. Or maybe, as “I Know” says, it’s just because the suburbanites are “mean and hard and bored.” Helmet has very tight, bare bones arrangements. The guitar riffs are staccato and harsh, but some what sterile because of Helmet’s characteristic stripped-down style. The vocals are very minimalistic as well. They are deadpan and con vey little emotion, no matter how personal the subject matter of the song may be. But Helmet seems reluctant to stray far from the sound it estab lished in its first two albums. The album would be more effective with more sonic experimentation. Per haps the band feels it must satisfy the fans with a recognizable se quel. “Betty” certainly stained my happy images ofchildhood. It only goes to show that the hallmark of any good Generation X band is its ability to make a person nihilistic just from listening. —Jason Gildow