Lakota Music and Dance



Catch-A-Song


Here you will find authentic Lakota music - composed and performed by the Lakota. I have used an MP3 compressed format to reduce the size of the files. Others are WAV and REALaudio format files. You can download them for your enjoyment (just click on the song title). Download time is approximately 10 minutes per song, and can be played back using any standard media player. I recommend the Real Juke Box player for its versatility and have included a link below for a free download of it. Enjoy! Click on the Album cover for an enlarged view. To purchase the CD, I have included the web address (URL) of an online source for your convenience.


Download Real Player for free!




Frances Densmore - Song Catcher


Various Wax Cylinder Recordings

"Music serves as the vehicle for organizing a detailed account of traditinal religion, warfare, and social life, enriched by first-person narrations by the Lakota men and women who worked with Densmore from 1911 to 1914 to preserve their songs by means of a wax cylinder recorder, the modern technology of that period. The evident quality of the narratives (translations from Lakota) as well as the complete transcritpion and translation of all the Lakota lyrics to the songs, resulted from Densmore's close collaboration with Robert P. Higheagle, who shared her dedication to the project and was an exceptionally capable translator and cultural mediator. The material recorded here on such topics as dreams and visions, healing, the Sun Dance, and buffalo hunting - all with appropriate musical transcriptions and song lyrics - makes Teton Sioux Music and Culture one of the most significant ethnographic works ever published on the Sioux, as well as an important landmark in the study of ethnomusicology."
From the cover notes of Teton Sioux Music and Culture by Frances Densmore, 1918. Below are some of those recordings, made during the transition period to reservation life.


1.   Friendly Song   71 bytes RA
2.   Moccasin Game Song Sung by Gray Hawk 69 bytes RA
 

ici šni ya ... ... it is wrong
wi'lute ... ... your signal
        ... ... ("you guessed wrong")

3.   The Poor Are Many, a Sun Dance Song Sung by Shoots First 72 bytes RA
 

Ptesan-nunpawin ... ... Two white buffalo
wakta yanka yo ... ... watch
ohunke šni ... ... the poor
otaye ... ... are many
heyapi canna ... ... whenever this is said
šunka wakan ... ... horses
wecunwe ... ... I donated

4.   Southern Dance Song   71 bytes RA
5.   a Sun Dance Song Sung by Weasel Bear 71 bytes RA
6.   Why Should I be Jealous   73 bytes RA



Songs From Porcupine   Honoring Irving Tail


The Porcupine Singers

"The current generation of Porcupine singers is proud to carry on a long-time tradition of traditional Lakota singing from the Porcupine District of the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota. Thus, we have had singers in our families we can trace back to the 1860's. Since the 1960's, Porcupine Singers have travelled far beyond their home area to wherever their singing takes them.

Over the decades, members of the Porcupine Singers have composed songs that continue to be favorites of ours and are often sung by our fellow singing groups. Rather than guard our songs from being sung by others, we invite our fellow singers from all nations to feel free to sing our songs. We feel honored when they do! Thus we provide the texts and translations to share them.

The songs performed on this album were recorded at Porcupine, SD, during a New Years Celebration on December 31, 1996, and January 1, 1997. All the songs performed were composed by former or current members of our singing group.

With this album, we wish to honor one of our elder singers, Irving Tail, who has composed many powerful and beautiful songs to be enjoyed by all people!"


Current members:   Cedric Young Bear, Clyde Squirrel Coat, Brian Thunder Hawk, Tom Thunder Hawk, J.D. Goodhouse, Scott Means, Kristian Theisz, Ronnie Theisz, Melvin Young Bear, Calvin Jumping Bull, Severt Young Bear, Jr., Red Boy Means and Irving Tail.

Turtle Island Music     available from Four Winds Trading Company.


"Thanks for making our music available for people to listen to. Enjoyed your website."

Melvin Young Bear
porcupine_singers@yahoo.com


1.   Intertribal Song Ronnie Theisz, 1996 4:24 (579 KB) mp3
2.   Song for Singer Ronnie Theisz/Tom Thunder Hawk/Calvin Jumping Bull, 1996 5:36 (736 KB) mp3
 

Mita kola, omakiya po, omakiya po. Hoka wicaša wan le miyelo. Oyate kin wacinmayapi ca oiyokipi ca blihemic'iyelo.

Hoka wicaša wan le miyelo. Oyate kin wacinmayapi ca oiyokipi kta ca blihemic'iyelo.

My friends, help me, help me! I am a singer. the people need me, so since there is going to be a celebration here, I take courage.

I am a singer. The people need me, so since there is going to be a celebration here, I take courage.

3.   Intertribal Song Severt Young Bear, Sr, 1966 4:53 (643 KB) mp3
4.   Grand Entry Song Drury Cook, 1964 5:50 (771 KB) mp3
5.   Intertribal Song Drury Cook, 1969 6:19 (832 KB) mp3
6.   Grass Dance Song Drury Cook, 1963 5:52 (773 KB) mp3
7.   Intertribal - David's Song Melvin Young Bear, 1991 2:40 (353 KB) mp3
8.   Rabbit Dance Song Irving Tail, 1996 4:41 (620 KB) mp3
 

Dearie, wauncina waki canna anpetu iyohila cante masice. Tohanl tiyata yaki kin wowapi cicu kte.

Dearie, we danced and when I got home, every day I was sad. Whenever you get home, I will write you a love letter.

9.   Rabbit Dance Song Henry Young Bear, 1963 5:37 (740 KB) mp3
 

Dearie, wiconiye ota ye, wiconiye ota ye itokasniye. Wancala wiconiye tokšas iyecetu kte.

Dearie, there are many ways to live, there are many ways to live. Don't worry about it! It will certainly happen.

Pilamaya! to the announcer, John Around Him!

10.   WW1 Veteran's Song - 4:17 (566 KB) mp3
 

Nake kola cemayaye, nake kola cemayaye, nake kola cemayaye, nake kola cemayaye, nake kola cemayaye.

Lakota ki toki ilale?  Nake kola cemayaye, nake kola cemayaye.

At last, friend, you have made me cry; at last, friend, you have made me cry; at last, friend, you have made me cry; at last, friend, you have made me cry; at last, friend, you have made me cry.

Lakotas, where have you gone?  At last, friend, yu have made me cry; at last, friend, you have made me cry.

11.   Contest Song Severt Young Bear,Sr., 1974 3:12 (423 KB) mp3





Mitakuye Oyasin


Dakota Tamakoce Singers

"Dakota Tamakoce Singers has been singing in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota since 1984. The group is established as a teaching drum with a group of people that have the dedication to learning and sharing the Dakota culture. We have presented for groups of Scouts, several local colleges and schools, American Legion posts, various community organizations, and even the armed forces. We have also attended and sang at many pow wows in the five state region. Our web site offers the largest library of traditional Dakota songs. We also offer other information about various aspects of the Dakota culture and music."

Visit the Dakota Tamakoce Singers online


1.   Entrance Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

2.035 MB WAV

2.   49er Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

49 bytes RA

3.   Aim2 Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

49 bytes RA

4.   Boy Scout Honor Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

50 bytes RA

5.   Coyote Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

51 bytes RA

6.   Eyasita, Veterans Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

52 bytes RA

7.   Farewell Song, for Preston Thompson

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

53 bytes RA

8.   Flag Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

49 bytes RA

9.   Good Heart Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

54 bytes RA

10.   Grass Dance Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

51 bytes RA

11.   Grass Dance Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

51 bytes RA

12.   Grass Dance Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

51 bytes RA

13.   Grass Dance Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

51 bytes RA

14.   Inkpataya, Round Dance Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

54 bytes RA

15.   Intertribal Song

Brian - Dakota Tamakoce Singers

50 bytes RA

16.   Intertribal Song

Trad - Dakota Tamakoce Singers

50 bytes RA

17.   Intertribal Song

Trad - Dakota Tamakoce Singers

50 bytes RA

18.   Intertribal Song

Trad - Dakota Tamakoce Singers

50 bytes RA

19.   Pipe and Rattle Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

49 bytes RA

20.   Pipe and Rattle Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

49 bytes RA

21.   Sneak-up Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

52 bytes RA

22.   Stomp Dance Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

51 bytes RA

23.   Traditional Song

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

50 bytes RA

24.   Wacipo

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

51 bytes RA

25.   Wapesa

Dakota Tamakoce Singers

51 bytes RA






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