Photos by Charles Walsh
by Tim Loftus
What do you get when you mix a handful of internationally renowned recording artists together for the sole purpose of soloing, jamming and pulling the community together? Something memorable? Exciting? Emotional? Soul-freeing?
The simple answer is: Yes to all. Yet these words are not nearly adequate to describe the magic of that Aug. 23 evening.
These musicians, instructors from the Solstice Flute Camp, hosted at Chapel Rock Camp and Conference Center, capped off a week in August of musical instruction, workshops and camaraderie, for an enchanting evening of inspired improvisation and soul-stirring tunes weaving Native American flute and world music.
Rona Yellow Robe started the evening with her soulful original songs interspersed with her haunting, earthy Native American flute solos, beginning the vibe that intensified throughout the night. She finished her set with an original blues instrumental (who would have ever thought one could play blues like that on a Native flute?).
Fellow Solstice instructor Joseph L. Young accompanied her on saxophone before taking on the next set with his mix of original tunes while showcasing his mastery of the Native American flute and penny whistle.
Suzanne Teng performed on several flutes, including the Indonesian suling, a Turkish ney and the Native American flute, giving the audience a delightful taste of more world music. Suzanne’s husband Gilbert Levy accompanied her on percussion.
Shelly Morningsong and her husband Fabian Fontenelle, both in their colorful traditional Zuni/Omaha dress, wove a musical tapestry of original songs and modern versions of ancestral Zuni songs, many of these to the percussive traditional dancing of Fabian.
Kalani Das put the finishing touches on this evening with his set, inviting the performers back on stage to accompany him on his audience-response song Namaste, which brought the audience to fever pitch, swaying, clapping and dancing over every bit of available floor space.
Throughout the performance, the audience connected with the past, reveled in the present and left with hope for the future. And it all started with a simple Native American flute at Solstice.
Mark your calendars! The next Solstice Flute Teachers’ Concert will be Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. For more information about Solstice, please visit www.solsticeflute.org.
