Wishing you all a happy new year filled with unexpected happiness and good memories. I hope everyone survived the holdiaze. It was nice here in southern New Mexico where the tradition is to light little bags filled with sand or kitty litter and light a candle inside. We call them luminarias and faralitos depending on northern or southern part of the state. They represent, supposedly, little bonfires that lit the way for the Christ child. Also we make tamales and bizcochitos both which I did to honor my heritage and ancestors. Working off those calories now with daily hikes into the desert near my home.
We’ve had a few snow days and it has been lovely and exciting for people here. The Organ Mountains look especially mystical with snow on them. I’ve been busy on projects since I’ve been back from Florida in late November. I am a minister and also guest musician and churches here and around the country. I speak at a variety of churches and always welcome to the chance to do so maybe in your city? I begin with a Native American lesson or creation story then weave into a deeper spiritual message always positive and uplifting. That keeps me busy when I am home. Also I teach meditation with a group meeting at my home couple times a month as well as workshops around the country. Additionally, I also play at Hospice and have since around 2005 a year after I began playing the Native American flute. I always work up Christmas and holiday music for the hospice clients and their loved ones.
In February I will again be offering a Native American flute concert at the annual Rock Art Rendezvous at the White Shaman Preserve near Comstock, Texas organized now by the Witte Museums of San Antonio. We meet, camp, hike, play music and share the sacred space together for three days. I am so honored to be invited back to play an unplugged concert (no electricity) under the west Texas dark skies. White Shaman refers to a rock art figure in a shelter (cave) on a huge panel overlooking the lower Pecos River near where it meets the Rio Grande River. Magical. The entire area is rich with rock art as they call it most on private land, ranches etc. The Galloway White Shaman Preserve is an area of land which:
“Includes ownership and protection of one of the most significant archaeological sites in North America, the White Shaman Preserve, located on the Pecos River, near the Seminole Canyon State Historical Park. This astounding site was purchased by Rock Art Foundation board members Gale and Connie Galloway and generously donated to the Foundation. For decades, the Rock Art Foundation has led the way in stewardship, access and passion about the people and history of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands. The Rock Art Foundation includes more than 900 members, who are now Witte Museum Members.”
For information on the Rendezvous visit https://www.wittemuseum.org/rock-art-tour-calendar/ Here is an episode of Parts Unknown with the late Anthony Bourdain where they visited far west Texas as well with Dr. Carolyn Boyd, artist, archeologist, author and founder of the Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center https://shumla.org/.
They clearly share a passion for this incredibly valuable and important archeological treasure as do I. I have attended the Rendezvous for six years I believe and performed for five of those. There are great jam sessions around the bonfire and night and a chuckwagon dinner Saturday night. The humility and connection I feel when I sit with the rock art and sometime play the flute, is deep and somewhat wistful. It is not 100% certain who these people were who took the time and resources, such as animal fat they could eat instead, to leave their elaborate active, creation stories, but some speculation suggests a link to Central American, Mexican peoples, in other words, my ancestors. That I am brought to these places to honor and recognize them is like other cultures going their Meccas and Bethlehems. It is powerful. Learn more at https://www.archaeology.org/issues/274-1711/features/5996-reading-the-white-shaman-mural#art_page2
There is no cell service there and I will try to take pictures or videos, but honestly I am too immersed in the experience to usually do so. Here is a video of “Hallelujah” from the 2018 Rendezvous based on photography by Allen Smith.
I am in working at bookings for 2019 and would love to chat with you about hosting a House Concert in your home or yard, small venues, festivals, meditation workshops, churches, speaking. I consider all venues and would be happy to help you in all aspects. I’m happy to be working again with Algernon D’Ammassa presenting our original work Songs of Un-Creation in Tucson in March. Information on my website calendar. Also I am invited to teach, vend and perform again at the Voyager Southwest Flute Festival in April for which I am very excited. This September will find me teaching at the Sweetgrass Native Flute School in Hiawatha, Iowa then perform at the Festival portion that weekend. Also, I will return as Master of Ceremonies and headliner at the Native Rhythms Festival in Melbourne, FL this November. I love that place and the people. I am so blessed and honored to be able to do this. Other festivals are in consideration, but I definitely need to fill in more dates so welcome your inquires.
Feel free to contact me through my website. See you on the trails. Be sure and follow my Instagram feed, create a Randy Granger Station on Pandora Radio, create a playlist on Spotify and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Thanks.
Peace,
Randy