The Artists

Clark Tenakhongva was born in Keams Canyon in 1957 and raised in the Third Mesa village of Hotevilla. His father is of the Corn and Water clans. His mother is of the Rabbit and Tobacco clans. Clark is a respected traditional cultural practitioner and has a lifetime of experience singing Hopi songs. He has been invited to sing on stages around the world, has four recordings on Canyon Records, and has won numerous awards for both his music and katsina carvings. Clark served in the United States Army for 10 years, and is forever committed to the preservation of Hopi culture through art and music. He was elected as Vice Chairman of the Hopi Tribe in November of 2017 and served for four years. He is now actively involved in protecting cultural sites like Grand Canyon, the Confluence, and Bears Ears National Monument. Clark lives in Polacca and has four children and three grandchildren with Ann Youvella, from Walpi Village on First Mesa.

Gary Stroutsos is a master flute player whose contemplative music and time-honored stories evoke the lands and cultures that he has studied over his 35-year career. Gary’s talents flow through a variety of world flutes, but his mastery of the Hopi long flute transports listeners to a spirit of place unlike any other. His music can be heard on the soundtrack of Ken Burns’ PBS documentary, Lewis and Clark: Journey of the Corps of Discovery, which led to a command performance at the White House for President Bill Clinton. Gary was a founding artist for Makoché Records, dedicated to the music of American Indian artists, and was the only non-native invited to record on that label. His discography includes over 40 acclaimed recordings, including Remembering the Songs, a CD and DVD project celebrating the old songs of three indigenous tribes. His mission is to carry the music forward to future generations and to promote stewardship of diverse cultures and the natural environment. Gary traces his roots to Greece, Italy and Lebanon, and he lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Matthew Nelson is an ethnomusicologist and host of Global Rhythm Radio on KXCI-FM who has studied a variety of drumming traditions with master musicians, including tabla (melodic drums of North India) with Pandit Sharda Sahai of the Benares gharana of tabla. While working as an archaeologist, Matthew became interested in the ceramic tradition of the Southwest, and combined with his love for indigenous music began an exploration of clay pot percussion. He also served as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and NAGPRA Consultant for the Bishop Paiute Tribe in the Owens Valley of California where he grew up. Matthew has spent hundreds of days within Grand Canyon and worked there for over a decade as a backpacking guide. He lives off-the-grid in the Sonoran Desert southwest of Tucson and works as the Executive Director of the Arizona Trail Association.