Nahko and Medicine for the People
Nahko and Medicine for the People is an American world music group. The six-member band is headed by frontman Nahko Bear.
Nahko and Medicine for the People | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | United States |
Genres | Alternative world music |
Years active | 2008–present |
Labels | Medicine Tribe Records Side One Dummy Records |
Associated acts | Xavier Rudd Trevor Hall Michael Franti |
Website | nahko |
Members | Nahko Bear Justin Chittams Chase Makai Patricio Zuñiga Labarca Max Ribner Tim Snider |
Past members | Don Corey Hope Medford |
The band
Nahko Bear
Born in Portland, Oregon, of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent, he was adopted at a young age and raised by a white family. It wasn't until his early twenties that he would meet his birth mother. He wrote the song "Early February" shortly before this meeting; it describes a woman far too young to be pregnant putting her baby in the bed of a woman she'd never met. Bear says his creative inspiration is the desire to bridge cultural gaps,[1] and that he has been musically inclined since the age of six, when he started learning to play the piano.[2] He has also worked as a piano teacher and music director.[2] In 2012, he began traveling around the United States in a van with his dog.[2] In 2017, Nahko released a solo album titled My Name Is Bear, under the name Nahko.[3]
Other members
- Justin Chittams (drums)
- Joe Hall (lead guitar)
- Patricio Zuñiga Labarca (bass guitar)
- Max Ribner (trumpet, flugelhorn)
- Tim Snider (electric violin)
- TJ Schaper (trombone)[4]
Past members
- Hope Medford (hand percussion and rhythms)
- Don Corey (bass) (recorded on Dark as Night)
- Chase Makai (lead guitar)
Tours and festivals
Nahko and Medicine for the People have toured with Nattali Rize, Rebelution, Michael Franti, Trevor Hall, Dispatch, Xavier Rudd, and SOJA.[1] Nahko Bear has also performed duets with Leah Song of Rising Appalachia.[5][6]
The band largely appears at alternative music festivals,[1][4] including the Greenbelt Festival,[7] the ARISE Music Festival[8] and Tour de Fat.[8]
Discography
Nahko and Medicine for the People
Studio albums
- Dark As Night (2013)
- On the Verge (2014)
- HOKA (2016)
- Take Your Power Back (15 May 2020)
Singles
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
US AAA [9] | |||
"Wash It Away" | 2014 | — | Non-album single |
"Lifeguard" | 2019 | 36 | Take Your Power Back |
"Slow Down" | — | ||
"Garden" | 2020 | — | |
"Honor the Earth" | — | ||
"—" denotes single did not chart or was not released in that territory |
Nahko
- My Name is Bear (2017)
Music videos
- Nahko and Medicine for the People (2012). Me and Mr. Washington (video). A film by Grototote. Kosmo Mimzi. Retrieved 2015-05-14.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Nahko and Medicine for the People (2013a). Budding Trees (video). Grototote + Mari Kari. Retrieved 2015-05-14.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Nahko and Medicine for the People (2013b). Manifesto (video). Film by Dominik Walczuk. Grota Film. Retrieved 2015-05-14.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Nahko and Medicine for the People (2014a). Black as Night (video). Grototote. Retrieved 2015-05-14.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Nahko and Medicine for the People (2014b). Ghosts Embodied (video). Medicine Tribe Records. Retrieved 2015-05-14.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Nahko and Medicine for the People (2014c). I Mua (video). Medicine Tribe Records. Retrieved 2015-05-14.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Nahko and Medicine for the People (2016). San Quentin (video). Max Moore. Max Moore. Retrieved 2016-10-30.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
References
- D’Angleo, Chris (February 20, 2015). "Nahko: Medicinal music". TheGardenIsland.com. The Garden Island. Archived from the original on 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
- James Wood, Kevin (January 18, 2016). "Sex, Drugs and Spirituality: An Interview with Nahko Bear". Kevin James Wood. Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
- "Singer-Songwriter Nahko Discusses How Politics & Meeting His Birth Mother Influenced Solo Album 'My Name is Bear'". billboard.com. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- Hucka, TJ. "Nahko and Medicine For The People". LifeIsBeautiful.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
- Nahko Bear & Leah Song "Black As Night" Unplugged in the Streets of Portland, ME. YouTube (Video). July 25, 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-07-10. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
- Bliss, Terri. "Nahko Bear & Leah Song". YouTube. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
- "Greeenbelt Festival 2016 Lineup". Greeenbelt Festival. Archived from the original on 2017-08-24. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- "New Belgium announces Tour de Fat schedule". Coloradoan. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
- "Nahko and Medicine for the People Triple A Songs Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
Further reading
- Reviews
- Salrin, Ellie (September 29, 2014). "[REVIEW] ARISE: A look at the future of sustainable festival culture". The UNTZ. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
- Weiss, Brian (October 6, 2014). "Review: Nahko, Medicine for the People". NUVO. Retrieved 2015-03-19.