Mahk Jchi

Ulali | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 15, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Thrush Records
• ASIN: B00004LMDN
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,785 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Mother

2. Rattle Songs; Shanoojhee, Viri Kuta, Haweheemo, Gramma Easter's

3. Necklace of Broken Hearts

4. Friend in Need

5. Museum Cases

6. Mahk Jchi

7. Maybe

8. Power of the Hardin-Bratt

9. Going Home with (Stomp)

10. All My Relations

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Ulali features Pura Fe‚ (Tuscarora), Soni (Mayan, Apache, Yaqui), and Jennifer (Tuscarora.) Founded in 1987, Ulali is the first Native women's group to create their own sound from their strong traditional roots and personal contemporary styles. They have created a new genre of Native Music and inspired the creation of other Native women's groups. Known for their unusual harmonies and wide vocal and musical range, Ulali's sound encompasses an array of indigenous music including southeast choral singing (pre-blues and gospel) and pre-Colombian (before the borders) music. With their beautiful yearning and powerful voices, they drum, rattle and stomp. Breaking the stereotypes of Native women, Ulali is political, romantic, and humorous. Their live performances, which uniquely address Native struggles and accomplishments, are energetic, and informative.

Ulali has traveled extensively throughout the US., Canada, and abroad performing at venues like Woodstock 94, the 1996 and the 2002 Olympics , the 1997 Smithsonian's Folkways 50th Anniversary Gala at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, the 1998 WOMAD Festival in Seattle, the 1998 and 2001 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festivals, the 1999 World Festival of Sacred Music at the Hollywood Bowl, Red Solstice 2000 in Montreal, the Britt Festival 2000 in Oregon, V Day 2001 at Madison Square Garden, and a wide range of other venues, benefit performances, and festivals. They have performed abroad in Germany, Italy, Brazil, Corsica, Portugal and Japan.

Ulali travels throughout Indian country visiting communities, singing for the people, exchanging songs, and maintaining strong ties. They often perform at POW Wows and are regularly on Native radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada. They were each awarded the "Eagle Spirit Award" at the 25th Annual American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, CA in 2000. In addition they were each, one of several winners, of the "Native American Women's Recognition Award" presented by the Friends of Ganondagon.

The group performed with the Indigo Girls during their 1997 Shaming of the Sun tour and added their distinct voice to the Indigo Girls recording "Shaming the Sun." Ulali also contributed to the Indigo Girls benefit-recording, "Honor the Earth" and participated in the national tour of the same name.

Ulali was featured on the soundtrack of the Miramax film "Smoke Signals." They performed at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival in support of "Smoke Signals" which won the "Audience Choice Award" and "Filmmaker's Trophy." Ulali recorded on the sound tract for the Turner documentary series "The Native Americans." Two of their songs, "Mahk Jchi" and "Ancestor Song" were featured on Robbie Robertson's album, "Robbie Robertson and the Red Road Ensemble." Their video "Follow Your Hearts Desire" won "Best Music Video" at The American Indian Film Institute Awards.

Ulali has aired on National Public Radio several times and made their national television debut when they performed with Robertson as featured guests on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno." After performing at the Todos un Cantos del Mundo in May 2000, they were featured on the "Jô Soares Show," a nationally televised talk show in Brazil. In 2002, they were also featured on Japan television while on tour with the South American group Sisay.

The group has been on several compilations that have been nominated for Juno Awards (the Canadian Grammy awards.) Ulali participated in the Aboriginal Women's Voices Project and helped to develop songs for its recording "Hearts of the Nations." They were featured on the Smithsonian's Folkways compilation "Heartbeat," and can be heard on dozens of albums, documentaries, and movies. Ulali has shared the bill with Buffy Saint Marie, Floyd Westerman, the American Indian Dance Theater, Sting, Richie Havens, the B-52's, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Miriam Makeba and the Neville Brothers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I NEED A HIGHER RATING!, May 31, 2001

By 

Elizabeth "Reader" (Bronx, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mahk Jchi (Audio CD)

I became interested in Ulali when I heard their songs, "Forgive Our Fathers Suite (aka Wahjeeleh-Yihm)" and "All My Relations" from the movie "Smoke Signals" and another song "Grammah Easter's Lullaby" from an CD entitled "Tribal Voices: Music from Native Americans".

These three women had the most powerful voices I had ever heard. I went on a quest to learn more about them and discovered they had a CD called "Mahk Jchi".

After much searching, I finally obtained it and I was beyond amazed.

Their first track, Mother, uses vocabs to showcase the trios a cappella talents which is paired with a steady beating drum.

The second track, Rattle Songs, is actually a burst of seven short songs (all under 2 minutes). In this medley you will find "Grammah Easter's Lullaby".

Moving on to the third track, Necklace of Broken Hearts, starts off with rhythmic vocabs and rattles and leads into a very beautiful song.

Friend in Need and Museum Cases are the next two tracks on this CD. These songs touched me in a place so deep down I didn't know it existed.

The title song, Mahk Jchi (Heartbeat Drum Song), is another stunning example of how these three women's voices blend perfectly together. This song is actually in a North American Indian language (as opposed to vocabs), Although I'm not sure which one.

Maybe is a beautiful ballad. Once again it is a cappella but you might not realize it since you will be carried away by the voices.

The eighth track, Power of the Harden-Bratt is the next track. This sounds like your 'stereotypical' American Indian War Dance song. Although once again, they add something so much more to it.

My favorite track on this CD is, Going Home. This song hit so many nerves within me; to talk about it is difficult. You will have to listen to it for yourselves. It is reminiscence of an old African Spiritual. I will quote a line from the song so you'll get the idea: "Stolen people on stolen land."

Of course the last track is an equally powerful song. All My Relations also appears on the "Smoke Signals" soundtrack. This is more of prose put to music. This is another track that just brought a lump to my throat.

This album that was released in 1994 by Corn, Bean & Squash Music can be very hard to find. But you can order it from Ulali.com, if all else fails.

There is something for everyone on this album. I never get tired of hearing it and these talented women, Pura Fé, Soni and Jennifer will carry you away to a place you have never been.

I want to also recommend picking up the "Smoke Signals" soundtrack for their song, "Forgive Our Fathers Suite (aka Wahjeeleh-Yihm)". I am not sure if they will release this song on a future album, but it is so awesome, I urge you not to wait.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aren't there more stars I can give?, September 4, 2002

By 

S. Evans "Brooklyn Sister Reads" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mahk Jchi (Audio CD)

I fell in love with Ulali (pronounced you-lah-LEE) watching Smoke Signals and listening to Indigo Girls' "Burn All the Letters" -- these three women are amazing. I have given this CD to so many friends and shared it with my students and fellow teachers. I had the great good fortune to see them live this past summer at the American Indian Cultural House in Manhattan ... and it was a stunning, moving, completely beautiful experience. I'm sure my neighbors are learning this music, too, since I cannot help but play these songs LOUD! I love every track on this CD, but I definitely have favorites. "Museum Cases" is powerful and painful; "Mahk Jchi" resonates in my chest and head, filling me with the amazing voices of these women; and the feeling I get, as an African American, listening to "Going Home" is hard to describe. It's a beautiful piece that connects traditional First Nations music with spirituals and the blues and has lyrics that strike deep ("Nigerian chains they say are buried real deep ... tobacco fields ... trail of tears ... stolen people on stolen land").

This is an extraordinary CD. Enough said.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uplifting and Loads of Fun!, June 7, 2000

By 

Marsha Raymond (St. Petersburg, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mahk Jchi (Audio CD)

If you ever are lucky enough to see these beautiful women in concert, don't miss it! If not snag this tape. I listen to it more than any (of the hundreds) I own. By the way, the rattle songs are done with tin cans full of dried beans (or at least that's what it seemed like in person). Look this group up on the net too. They are fasinating women individually as well. You can't go wrong with these strong and talented sisters of the Earth.