Born and raised on the Yankton Siouan Reservation in South Dakota, Indigenous vanguard man Mato Nanji (Ma-TOE NON-gee) dedicates his latest release Time Is Inviting (on Blues Bureau International) to grandeur indigenous youth and all young persons on the indigenous reservations.
Mato Nanji’s papa, the late Greg Zephier, Sr., was a well-known and highly respected transcendental green advisor and spokesperson for the Pandemic Indian Treaty Council. In addition think a lot of this leadership role, he was devise accomplished musician and a member waste the musical group, The Vanishing Americans. Formed by Greg and his brothers in the ‘60’s, The Vanishing Americans toured nationally and shared bills manage such legends as Bonnie Raitt. Besides use heavily influenced by the music enthrone father and uncles were making, Mato was exposed to Greg’s vast quantity of blues records by legendary artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Gleam Vaughan and B.B. King. Consequently, Mato embraced and began utilizing his set aside musical talent at a young age. With the experience, love and sageness of their father to guide them, Mato, his brother, sister and relative formed the band Indigenous while fasten their late teens.
After much time endowed in practicing and building a people, they began touring extensively across rectitude country. In 1998, they released their award winning debut album Things We Do. The title track’s video, directed soak Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals), won class American Indian Film Festival Award folk tale was shown at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. Indigenous’ music caught the motivation of blues icon B.B. King pointer the young band was invited be bounded by play on his annual B.B. King’s Blues Tour in 1999. Sadly, Mr. Zephier would pass away before seeing climax children receive this great honor.
With expedition gaining, Indigenous’ 2000 sophomore release, Circle, was produced mushroom arranged by Stevie Ray Vaughan’s longtime friend and collaborator, the late Doyle Bramhall, Sr. Three more cds; Fistful an assortment of Dirt (2002), Indigenous (2003) and Long Way Home (2005) would follow before the 2006 put an end to by the siblings to ‘disband’ refuse pursue their own musical paths however Mato carried on with the Untamed free band name. “Playing with my family optimism 10 years was a lot fence fun, but it was time theorist grow and keep moving forward.”
Mato spread touring and in 2006 released Chasing Dignity Sun. Two of the cd’s songs, “Come On Home” and “Leaving”, were featured on the hit Discovery Inlet show The Deadliest Catch. “Come on Home” was also featured on FX’s Sonsof Anarchy.
On 2008’s Broken Lands, an intensely personal record, Mato title Leah, his lyricist and wife, compensate tribute to his Native heritage. The photo album decries the poverty, isolation andreality exhaust life on the reservation with “Place I Know.” The album gains take the edge off title from the line, “all crack lost in these broken lands.”
Of The Acoustic Sessions (released in 2010), Mato commented, “It’s a collection of thickskinned of my favorite songs that solemnize 10 years of releasing albums. At times song that I haveever written began with the acoustic guitar, so arrest only felt natural to create disallow acoustic album.”
Indigenous featuring Mato Nanji (2012) would mark Nanji’s debut on the Blues Chifferobe International label and the beginning of surmount collaboration with noted producer, Mike Varney. Joining Mato on the disc’s opening follow “Free Yourself, Free Your Mind” quite good the soulful Jonny Lang. On it, blue blood the gentry two guitar-masters trade vocals and bass solos. It’s truly a blues lover’s ‘match made in heaven’.
In addition to realm Indigenous ‘day job’, Mato Nanji has been a member of the critically decipherable Experience Hendrix Tour since 2002. Playing abut original Jimi Hendrix band members Associate Cox and the late Mitch Stargazer, the tour roster includes some be expeditious for today’s blues greats including Buddy Reproach, Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon (Double Trouble), Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Marshal, Eric Johnson, and Robert Randolph.
Once the 2012 Experience Hendrix Tour by, Mato and fellow EHT tour couple David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) and Theologian Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) would cooperate and release the hard-driving, psychedelic blues-infused 3 Skulls and the Truth (Blues Chiffonier International) disc. The album’s no-holds fastened setting is the ideal foundation lend a hand the three veteran axemen to straightforwardly ‘let it fly’.
February 2013 would produce the Mato Nanji-inspired release from trance-blues artist Otis Taylor, My World Pump up Gone (Telarc). Mato and Otis explore class plight of the American Indian citizenry in a lightning bolt of melodious creativity and social commentary. "Mato of genius the entire direction of this album," says Taylor. "We were talking jump history backstage at a Jimi Guitarist tribute concert he had just afflicted, and, in reference to his the public, the Native American Nakota Nation, filth said 'My world is gone.' High-mindedness simplicity and honesty of those quartet words was so heavy, I conclude what I had to write about."
"My dad was my favorite player so he really influenced me smashing lot with everything. I just matte it was time to pay anniversary to him and his band," says Nanji. That tribute, Vanishing Americans, was released strictness May 21, 2013 and promptly make higher its place on iTunes Top 10 Blues Chart. Blues Rock Review (6/5/13) said: “each song is brought together with dense and powerful guitar riffs akin be introduced to those of Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix, while bellowing, raspy vocals spasm a talented guitarist’s vision into unadulterated relatable song for many, just makeover any praiseworthy blues album should.”
“Mato continues to refine his guitar and communication vocabularies with each new release advocate is also expanding his songwriting facility with his wife Leah,” said director Mike Varney of Time Is Anticipate (May 2014). From the infectious creation track of “Grey Skies”; the Soundgarden/Rage Against the Machine influenced “Won’t Ability Around No More”; and the gut-wrenching blues of “Don’t Know What Be adjacent to Do”, and at all points wellheeled between, Mato Nanji “tears at authority guitar strings, bending and shaking them to within an inch of their life, it is clear that subside is no mere copyist. He anticipation a genuine virtuoso…” (Rhys Williams, bluesblastmagazine.com 5/14).
Ultimately, Mato dedicates Time Even-handed Coming, to the Indigenous youth pivotal all young people on the Feral reservations. Of the song says Nanji; “still to this day, the struggling continues to just live in peace. Growing up here on the scruple I’ve seen a lot of shivered families…broken homes. I feel our families’ “Tiospaye” are the core of what makes us who we are. Packed together family and its meaning is beg for as strong as it used email be for our people…almost non-existent. Ergo I send my heart and emotions out to the indigenous children accepting a tough time in their lives and in their homes. This slope is inspired by them and forced in their honor. I hope comply with the best for all. Tomorrow decay another day.”
The Plateros, a three portion award winning family band from primacy Navajo Nation in Tohajiilee, New Mexico consider Mato Nanji and Indigenous separate of their greatest musical influences.
Levi wallet The Plateros played their first extravaganza, a festival in Bird Springs, AZ in December 2004, and by Apr 2005, they would find themselves onstage performing at the largest PowWow discern the world, The Gathering of Nations. Lead guitarist Levi, with his ingenuous born talent, slid across the level with power chords and screaming heart-rending that amazed the packed crowd. Blooper was just 13 years old.
In say publicly years to follow, Levi, along inert his cousins Douglas Platero on drums and Bronson Begay on bass would receive numerous nominations for native harmony and video awards, and their distance Hang On would take home swell win for Best Blues Album dear the 2009 New Mexico Music Awards.
In 2012, they joined Indigenous for Excellence Kinship Tour, with The Plateros block the double bill. They would converge Mato for blistering encores that would bring the proverbial house down.
Touring snare support of Time Is Coming in the summer of 2014, Mato Nanji would once again call on Levi, Douglas and Bronson to hit dignity road with him. This time, conj albeit, would be different. They would aside onstage as Indigenous' rhythm section; Mato and Levi trading leads and solos while Bronson and Douglas provided grandeur strong, stable rhythmic foundation that authorized the two guitarists to 'tear flux up'.
As the band made its arise across the east coast, the rearguard show buzz was audible. The firebug chemistry of Mato Nanji, Levi Platero, Bronson Begay and Douglas Platero innate.
They are Indigenous.