There are a handful of musical artists as relevant today as they were when they first came onto the music scene. Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen certainly come to mind. There's also Native American singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. She began her career in the sixties singing in coffeehouses but was soon blacklisted by the Johnson administration for her outspoken views on the Vietnam War and the plight of the Native Americans. She went on to earn worldwide acclaim but was sadly overlooked in the United States.
Her classic songs include: "Universal Soldier" (a hit for Donovan), "Until It's Time For You To Go" (recorded by Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Cher, and numerous others) and "Up Where We Belong," the theme from "An Officer And A Gentleman" which earned her an Oscar for Best Original Song.
I've been a huge Buffy fan for many years. Her unique voice and passion hits you with an incredible power. If you don't know her you need to discover her now. I recommend her beautiful CD "Up Where We Belong," a collection of new recordings of some of her most loved songs. It's difficult for me to name just a few but here are some of my all-time favorite Buffy songs:
"Native North American Child"
"Cod'ine"
"Little Wheel Spin and Spin"
"Starwalker"
"Now That The Buffalo's Gone"
"My Country 'Tis of They People You're Dying"
"Soldier Blue"
"The Big Ones Get Away"
"Fallen Angels"
"He's An Indian Cowboy In The Rodeo"
"Moonshot"
"Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee"
What's really exciting is that a live CD of her Carnegie Hall concert is finally being released in December. Fans have been waiting a long time for this treasure. And that's not all! Buffy recently announced a new CD of new songs coming "in the spring of 2007."
Wow. 'Tis the season of Buffy…
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