Andrew Vasquez
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"An American Indian" 1999
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01 - Flying
Low
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02 - Sky Runner | |
03 - Spirit Mountain | |
04 - Shall We Follow Our Bro | |
05 - Grandfather's Way | |
06 - Walk With Me | |
07 - Summer Nights | |
08 - Far From Home | |
09 - Flying Free | |
Andrew Vasquez is a member of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
but also considers Wyoming and the Dakotas as home. He has been a flutist
since the mid 1980's and has performed the world over. Andrew was married at a very early age to Myra Weed, a member of the Shoshone tribe of the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. They have been married for over twenty years. According to Andrew and Myra, "You could not find a couple with such opposite personalities and views." They believe that it is these differences that have made their marriage last. As Andrew puts it, "Without darkness there could not be sunlight. Everything in this world needs a balance." Andrew Vasquez has long been known as an accomplished singer and dancer
and in fact toured the world with the New York based American Indian Dance
Theatre. It was while he was on tour with the group that Vasquez was introduced
to the flute. He "made a trade" for a flute and began to fill
in as a flutist for rehearsals. He was taken by the instrument and began
to develop his own style and, eventually, his own compositions. Although
Andrew doesn't play what are considered traditional compositions, he approaches
all of his songs with a well-defined reverence and respect. He considers
all flute playing a cultural contribution, be it for ceremonies, harvest,
prayer, love songs or even putting children to sleep. Andrew composes
all of his own songs and says everything he plays comes from his heart. |