Music of the Navajo

Music is a very important part of Navajo culture. Music is used mainly for ceremonies and also entertainment. They have a very diverse range of genres including rock, rap, and country style music. They perform in both English and Navajo. The instruments used are drums, rattles, flutes, and whistles. The medicine people are qualified to perform the music at any one of the many ceremonies and rituals.
   Some songs performed can last up to ten days while performing rituals that restore balance between good and evil. . A very popular form of healing are sandpaintings which is calling the gods to heal people through songs. Its said that they could restore a person to good health.
   Peytone songs are a type of Native American music which became popular in the Navajo culture in the 1930s. They say its a combinations of Apache and Pueblo music, later adopted by the Navajo.
   In modern day Navajo culture, they have become a lot more diverse in the music they perform. It has spread to different genres such as hardcore, punk, metal, blues, hip-hop, country, and traditional. There have been plenty of successful bands to come out of the Navajo culture such as Blackfire, Downplay, Mother Earth Blues Band, Aces Wild, Tribal Live, and other musicians. The recent success of these band have given the younger generations and new interest in their cultural music.
Music of the Navajo