The emphasis on vocal sounds and percussion make the music of the Native American peoples hard to miss. However, the North American indigenous peoples have sounds unique to each individual tribal culture.

For example, tribes which formed in the southwestern regions of the uncharted United States used their plentiful clay and wood resources to enhance their music with percussionary sounds from bells and drums. Alternatively, music from the Pacific Northwestern region tended to consist of much more lyrical dialogue. These are just a few examples of the many diverse influences the hundreds of unique native tribes had on their musical genre.

As the years went by, they eventually developed a sound that has merged with mainstream music. This is what is commonly referred to in modern day as “pan-tribal” music. We often hear pan-tribal mixed into modern pop, blues, classical, electronica, and reggae as an ode to America’s rich historical roots.

This month we are focusing on Soul, one of the compilations from NiaSounds which highlights tribal-dance blended music. Beginning with “Medicine Man’s Other Room”, Soul takes a journey through culturally significant sounds that connect with the listener. Songs such as “Victory Dance” performed by Shawnee highlight the socially important tradition of song and dance before battle for the Sioux people. Overall, the compilation accurately reflects the soulful history behind each track while still offering dance undertones.

You can purchase the Soul compilation on Amazon and Google Play.

Contact us for licensing opportunities or to have a custom soundtrack curated for your project.