SNOW RAVEN (OLOX) - From Nature with Love (NPR Tiny Desk contest 2022)

Urui-Aikhal! Greetings from the Sakha people of Arctic Siberia! You might have heard of the most cold (-96F) inhabitant area in the world near the North Pole called Sakha (Yakutia). This is my homeland. I was born and raised in Us-Kiuel, a small village with a population of 600 people. There I learned how to mimic the sounds of nature. At 3 years of age, I was already communicating with the animals and birds of the forest. Thanks to my grandmother who taught me the traditional songs of our ancestors, I participated and performed in many of our people’s summer solstice ceremonies, or Yhyakh. I was also honored with the rare opportunity of meeting the 12th Sky Shaman Savey of the Tungus reindeer herders’ tribe in my homeland. From this powerful Wisdom Keeper, I received the blessing of the Spirits. Ever since, I have been singing, drumming and channeling - allowing the wisdom, beauty and power of my ancestors to move, sing and dance through me whenever I perform. To rise to this epic