Blackfire is a
Native American punk rock group. Composed of three siblings: two brothers and a sister, their musical style is influenced by traditional
Navajo Diné music and alternative rock, with political messages about government oppression and human rights. In 2012, members formed the band
Sihasin.
History
Beginnings (1989–1993)
Blackfire was founded in 1989 in
Flagstaff, Arizona by siblings
Jeneda,
Klee
Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...
, and Clayson Benally, born at
Black Mesa on the
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...
. Their mother was a
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
singer-songwriter of
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
-
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
descent,
while their father, Jones Benally, was a traditional
Navajo medicine man
A medicine man or medicine woman is a traditional healer and spiritual leader who serves a community of Indigenous people of the Americas. Individual cultures have their own names, in their respective languages, for spiritual healers and cerem ...
who raised them on traditional
Native songs. The siblings have been playing music since "their instruments were bigger than they were."
Jones and his children continue to perform as the Jones Benally Family, either as a part of or separately from Blackfire performances, at various all-ages venues, to display their "traditional form of dance, song and story that has been carried on from the beginning of time...including histories of ceremonys
ic hunting, agriculture and the foundation of the Diné Culture."
Release of EPs (1994–2001)
Though they began performing in 1989, Blackfire did not record any of their music until their uniquely substantial and energetic music got the attention of punk rock godfathers The
Ramones. In 1994,
C.J. Ramone produced a 5-song
EP that became their debut album released on their label Tacoho Productions. It also included musical contributions by their father Jones and by renowned American Indian flutist
Robert Tree Cody
Robert Tree Cody (born April 20, 1951) is an American musician, dancer, and educator. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1969. Robert is an adopted son of Hollywood actor Iron Eyes Cody.
Early life
Robert Tree Cody is the adopted son ...
. Four years later, they released another EP, this time producing it on their own and only releasing three new songs instead of five. In 1999, they received a
NAMA nomination for Best Independent Release. Two years after that accomplishment, they embarked on a European tour, gaining more support along the way.
''One Nation Under'' and ''Woody Guthrie Singles'' (2002–2003)
By the end of 2002, they released their first
LP ''One Nation Under''. Produced by
Don Fleming, producer for
Sonic Youth and
Joan Jett
Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...
, and once again featuring their father doing traditional vocals, the album is described as "15 passionately burning songs of struggles, resistance, and hope." The song "No Control" was used in the "New Mexico, Old Monster" episode of
What's New, Scooby-Doo?
''What's New, Scooby-Doo?'' is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation for Kids' WB. It is the ninth incarnation of the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise that began with Hanna-Barbera's ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' and ...
. It is also the last project that
Joey Ramone
Jeffrey Ross Hyman (May 19, 1951 – April 15, 2001), known professionally as Joey Ramone, was an American musician, best known as the lead singer and a founding member of the punk rock band Ramones. His image, voice, and his tenure with the R ...
, who dubbed Blackfire's music as "fireball punk-rock," contributed to before he died due to
lymphoma
Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enla ...
. On the album, he provided additional voicing for the songs "What Do You See" and "Lying to Myself." That same year, they won the NAMA Best Pop/Rock Album award. Fleming was also nominated for Best Producer. ''One Nation Under'' is available through
Canyon Records
Canyon Records of Phoenix, Arizona is a record label that has produced and distributed Native American music for 56 years.
History
Canyon was founded in 1951 by Ray and Mary Boley, who had opened the first recording studio in Phoenix, Arizona ...
.
For the following 5 years, the sibling trio of Blackfire decided to do some interesting renditions of songs and traveled to some exotic places. In 2003, they journeyed to Essakne, Mali in northern
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
. Their performance was included in the compilation album
Festival in the Desert, alongside performances by local Tuareg musicians, African musicians like
Ali Farka Toure, and
Robert Plant of
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
. That same year their political activism attracted the attention of
Nora Guthrie
Nora Lee Guthrie (born January 2, 1950) is the daughter of American folk musician and singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie and his second wife Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, sister of singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie, and granddaughter of renowned Yiddish po ...
, daughter of legendary folk singer
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...
(1912–1967). She allowed them to set music to some of his unreleased and unpublished lyrics. By next year, they released a two-track EP titled ''Woody Guthrie Singles''. The songs on the EP are called "Mean Things Happenin' in this World," a protest song dealing with issues like wars waged for fortune and encroachment of rights by the federal government, and "
Indian Corn Song," a song about "political and big business corruption, the poor economy, and ends with a plea to feed the homeless and orphans."
Vans Warped Tour and '' ilenceIs a Weapon'' (2004–2008)
In 2005, their dual disk CD/DVD release ''Beyond Warped'' had not only their live tracks from the 2004
Vans Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running tourin ...
, but also two covers of Ramones' songs only previously on an Argentinean tribute album ''Todos Somos Ramones'': "I Believe in Miracles" and "Planet Earth 1988." They also won NAMA Group of the Year in 2005 for ''Woody Guthrie Singles''.
Two years later, they released their latest album ''
ilenceis a Weapon''. As a dual-disc set featuring their usual brand of hardcore punk rock on one and Jones Benally Family Diné music on the other, it is truly a juxtaposed album that also shows a more comprehensive aspect of the band. "It is very separate
tylisticallybut to us it is a whole concept that encompasses what our life is" says Jeneda, while Klee explains, "I think the traditional songs are maybe even more important for kids to hear than the rock songs, but they both speak of the same things – respect for the earth and society, remember your roots." In 2008, ''
ilenceis a Weapon'' won NAMA's Album of the Year and
Ed Stasium
Ed Stasium is an American record producer and audio engineer, who has worked on albums by the Ramones, Talking Heads, Motörhead, the Smithereens and Living Colour.
History
Stasium began his recording career in 1970 fronting the band Brandywine. ...
, the producer of the album, received the Native Heart Award that "recognizes significant contributions of non-Native folks to Native American music."
Band members
*
Clayson Benally – percussion, vocals (1989–present)
*
Jeneda Benally – bass guitar, vocals (1989–present)
*
Klee Benally – vocals, guitar (1989–present)
Discography
* ''Blackfire'' (Five-song E.P., 1994)
* ''Blackfire'' (Three-song E.P., 1998)
* ''One Nation Under'' (2001)
* ''Woody Guthrie Singles'' (2003).
[Woodyguthrie.org]
The Woody Guthrie Singles – Blackfire.
Retrieved Nov. 7, 2007.
* ''Beyond Warped: Live Music Series'' (CD/DVD, 2005)
* ''
ilenceIs A Weapon'' (2007)
* ''Anthology Of Resistance'' (2009)
References
Other sources
*
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*
*
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External links
Discography at Discogs.comBlackfire: Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackfire
Native American musical groups
Punk rock groups from Arizona
Navajo musicians
Sibling musical trios
Musical groups established in 1989
Jews in punk rock