From his grassroots of North America Keith Secola become one of the most influential artists in the field of Native Music. Today, Keith Secola is known as a songwriter of the people and is one of the  Godfather's of Native Americana, a Native icon and ambassador of Native music. 

 

Since the beginning of his career critics have dubbed him as the Native versions of both Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. His single "NDN Kars (Indian Cars)",  fast became one of his most popular songs and is considered the "Contemporary Native American Anthem". SInce its release NDN Kars has reached legendary status as the number one requested song on tribal radio since the 1992. In 2011, Keith Secola joined the ranks of Jimi Hendrix, Hank Williams, Crystal Gayle, and Ritchie Valens when inducted into the Native Music Hall of Fame.

 

Born in 1957 in Cook, Minnesota, Secola is affiliated with the Anishinabe tribe. He graduated from Mesabi Community College with a degree in Public Service in 1979, and completed a BA in American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota in 1982. He is married and has two children.

 

Secola is an accomplished artist, garnering awards and accolades as a musician, singer/songwriter, composer and producer. He is highly skilled with the guitar, flute, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, and piano, playing in venues from the halls of the Chicago Urban Indian Centre, to the walls at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. He has also performed at the Olympic Games in Atlanta 1996 and Salt Lake City 2002, and toured Europe several times. Among his numerous appearances he has graced the stages of the Rockslide Festival in Denmark, the Grand Opening Gala of the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, The Kennedy Center and the SXSW in Austin, TX, and is a staple at the Grassroots Festival in Upstate New York, North Carolina and Florida.

 

Seven-Time Native American Music Award Winner: In addition to his music Secola has earned NAMMY'S as a producer. Some of his works include: Best Linguistic Recording for producing ANISHINABEMOIN (2007). He has worked with music legends such as Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead) John Densmore (The Doors) and many others. He has also teamed with academics such as author Dr. Tom Venum of the Smithsonian Folklife Institute, collaborating on the CD AMERICAN WARRIORS: SONGS FOR INDIAN VETERANS, and with elders such as Karen Drift, a speaker of Anishenabemoin.

 

Secola has produced six well received independent CDs, since the early 1990s.

 

CIRCLE (1992) is a compilation of selected songs from previous cassette recordings: INDIAN CARS (1987),

Time Fly's  Like An  Arrow, Fruit Flies Like a Banana (1990) and Acoustic Aroma (1991), featuring  the hit "NDN Kars."

 

WILD BAND of INDIANS (1998) is best known for fan favorites like Frybread,  4R Ancestors and Wide Open Spaces.

 

HOMELAND (2001), a 24-track instrumental for the PBS documentary film of the same name features  flute, guitar and percussion 

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FINGERMONKEY (2000) is best classified as "Alter-Native" showcasing an eclectic compilation running from beautiful instrumental ballads and Native rhythms to on-the-edge Rock, Folk-inspired tales with Blues and Reggae songs.

 

NATIVE AMERICANA (2006) fusing traditional sounds with contemporary music earned Secola a NAMMY for Kokopelli Blues, a song that resets a traditional icon in a modern world with a blues track that features Native flute and John Densmore from THE DOORS on drums.

 

LIFE IS GRAND (2012) is a sixteen song collection of Rock and Folk, merging roots music with a Native soul and demonstrating a new level of artistic maturity. 

 

 

Keith Secola also appears on:

 

• A CENTURY OF MUSIC FROM THE OJIBWA PEOPLE, Minnesota Historical society 1994

 

• HONOR: A BENEFIT FOR THE HONOR OF THE EARTHCampaign, Daemon Records, 1996. 

 

• Urban Skins, Vol. 1 Soar Records, 1999.

 

• SKIN TIGHT BLUES: FIRST PEOPLES BLUES COMPILATION, Sweet Grass, 2002

 

• NDN CAR REMIX  Shawn Bernard, Joey Stylez Trac Records 2010. 

 

• Three European releases under Normal Records in Bonn, Germany, 1994-1999

 

• Indian Rezervation Blues and More, Dixiefrog 2009, Paris, France

 

• Native America Calling – Music from Indian Country – Trikont records, Germany 2007

 

• The Ballad of Peter La Farge Rare Breed tribute  2010.

 

• Native Music – Sony Records 2008