Telluride Bluegrass: Sihasin, Main Stage, Friday, June 17!

17 May Telluride Bluegrass: Sihasin, Main Stage, Friday, June 17!

The 49th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival takes place June 15 – June 17. The event is sold out. There is no waitlist.  If you are looking for tickets, use the Festivarian Forum to connect with other festival goers. But tickets for Nightgrass are available here.

Learn more about other Planet Bluegrass festivals at www.bluegrass.com.

Please scroll down to check out our podcast with of Sihasin. The band plays the Main Stage Friday, June 17.

Go here for more on Telluride Bluegrass. (Podcasts with Bluegrass legends and legends-in-the-making back to 2009.)

Sihasin photo, Rima Krisst

Sihasin is the Dine or Navajo Nation duo of Jeneda and Clayson Benally. For three decades and counting, the multi-award winning musicians have recorded and toured to bring their empowering music to communities throughout North America and Europe.

Jeneda and Clayson create a politically-charged explosive organic sound out of just bass and drums, inspiring their listeners with a hard punk backbone, softened by folk, world and thumping by pop and based in Navajo rhythms.

As brother and sister, they grew up protesting the environmental degradation and inhumane acts of cultural genocide against their traditional way of life.

Next up, their Telluride Bluegrass Festival debut.

“We strive to incorporate as much cultural diversity as possible into our lineups. We want to learn from these artists firsthand, and challenge folks to broaden their ear. Sihasin mixes traditional Navajo sound with elements of folk, pop, and punk rock. I’ve never seen them perform live, so I’m really excited to experience it with everyone! “In addition to their Main Stage set, the duo will perform traditional Navajo dances at the Family Tent.” said Grace Barrett of Planet Bluegrass.

“Every second they were on stage, the stage was on fire…,” raved The Huffington Post.

“Sihasin is an awesome, independent Navajo Punk Rock Duo who sings ear-opening and honest songs about the social injustices taking over our society at an alarming rate. The duo’s latest Fight Like a Woman will remind listeners everywhere to fight like hell for social equality and peace on earth,” wrote Jersey Beat.

“Music as protest, a way to spread ideas, and bring people together is an old tradition here in the USofA. While it peaked in the 60’s, there continues to be bands that use music to reach people and to affect change. In 1992 while on tour with The Ramones, I met the Benally family. At the time they were a young band going by the name Blackfire. I loved them for their passion and anger, and in a world where everyone seemed to be looking for something to protest, as members of the Navajo Nation, their struggle was and is real. We worked together on their first record (which almost prophetically was drum and bass heavy) and I have watched them grow into the people they are and the band they’ve become.

“Sihasin is the culmination of years making music and activism the tools to help bring about social and environmental justice. On this new record Fight Like A Woman Jeneda and Clayson strive for those ideals through their words and their music with the same passion as the young band I met 25+ years ago. Hear with your ears but listen with your heart,” said CJ Ramone of The Ramones.

For more, listen to our podcast featuring Sihasin.