Nahko and Medicine for the People

Nahko and Medicine for the People
Nahko and Medicine for the People
	Nahko and Medicine for the People in 2017
Background information
Origin	United States
Genres	Worldbeat
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Medicine Tribe Records, Side One Dummy Records
Members	Nahko Bear; Justin Chittams; Joe Hall; Patricio Zuñiga Labarca; Max Ribner; Tim Snider; TJ Schaper;
Past members	Don Corey; Hope Medford; Chase Makai;
Website	nahko.com

Nahko and Medicine for the People is an American world music group. The six-member band is headed by frontman Nahko Bear.

Background

Born in Portland, Oregon, of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent, Nahko Bear 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] Bear 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, Bear released a solo album titled My Name Is Bear, under the name Nahko.[3]

On July 8, 2020, following accusations from multiple individuals[4] of sexually inappropriate behavior, Bear resigned from the board of Honor the Earth. In their statement, "Regarding Nahko", the Honor the Earth board stated that they have "a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual behavior".[4]

Band members

Current

Nahko Bear – vocals
Justin Chittams – drums
Joe Hall – lead guitar
Patricio Zuñiga Labarca – bass guitar
Max Ribner – trumpet, flugelhorn
Tim Snider – electric violin
TJ Schaper – trombone[5]

Past

Hope Medford – hand percussion and rhythm
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] The band largely appears at alternative music festivals,[1][5] including the Greenbelt Festival,[6] the ARISE Music Festival,[7] and Tour de Fat.[7]

Discography