Sihasin

Sihasin is a Diné band consisting of brother and sister duo, Clayson and Jeneda Benally. The band's name, "Sihasin", translates to "hope" in the Diné language.[1] The band is from Flagstaff, Arizona,[2] and their music is based in Diné culture, activism and punk rock.[3]

Background

Clayson and Jeneda Benally are children of Jones Benally, a hoop dancer and traditional healer, and Berta Benally, a folk singer and activist.[4] They grew up in Black Mesa during a land dispute between the Navajo Nation and Hopi, and the Peabody coal mining company, which resulted in the forced relocation of thousands of people.[5][4] The activism they saw and participated in at the time became later inspiration for their music.

In the 1990s, the siblings, along with their brother Klee, created a punk rock band called Blackfire when they were teenagers.[1] In 2011, the band broke up. According to the siblings, while Blackfire was based on their anger at injustice, they created Sihasin to empower and inspire others to create change.[4]

History

After their former band Blackfire went on hiatus, the group formed in 2012, with Janeda on bass and Clayson on drums.[6][7] They released their debut album, Never Surrender, in 2012 on Tacoho Records.[6][8] In 2013, Sihasin performed at the Gathering of Nations for the first time.[7]

In 2015, Sihasin's rock cover of "Winter Wonderland" was included on the album Punk Rock Christmas, released by Cleopatra Records.[9] The song was later used in Hyundai's "Naughty or Nice" ad campaign in 2017.[10]

Sihasin collaborated on The Okee Dokee Brothers' song "Sister Moon and Brother Sun", included on the 2017 album Saddle Up. The album was nominated for best children's album at the 2017 Grammy Awards.[6][11] Sihasin's album, Fight Like a Woman, was released in 2018 by Tacoho Records, and recorded with producer Ed Stasium.[2] In 2019, the album won "Best Rock Recording" at the Native American Music Awards.[4]

During COVID-19, the band switched to performing online to replace in-person tours.[12] In 2020, Sihasin performed as part of the Homegrown Concert series from the Library of Congress, which was streamed online due to the pandemic.[13] In 2021, the band was selected by American Music Abroad, a cultural diplomacy program that shares American music internationally and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State; as part of the program, they performed through international virtual tours, and they produced a single titled "We the People", which premiered digitally on July 4 in each American embassy.[14]

References
  1. Morales, Laurel (31 May 2015). "Bringing Music And A Message Of Hope To Native American Youth". NPR. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  2. "'Fight Like A Woman' continues Sihasin's journey to healing". Navajo Times. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  3. Ferris, Gillian (14 May 2020). "Play Us A Tune: Sihasin, Hope And Healing In The Shadow Of The San Francisco Peaks". KNAU Arizona Public Radio. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  4. Krisst, Rima (27 November 2019). "Gifts to the world: Sihasin's 'Fight Like A Woman' earns top award, honors matriarchs". Navajo Times. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  5. Hird, Alison (11 March 2016). "Sihasin bring hope to Native American youth through music". RFI. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  6. Prickett, Macon (May 24, 2018). "Native American Brother and Sister Duo Sihasin Release Sophomore Album Fight Like A Woman Tomorrow, 5/25". Broadway World. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  7. Gomez, Adrian (26 April 2013). "Hope is part of Sihasin's message". Albuquerque Journal. p. 17. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  8. Harris, Craig (2016). Heartbeat, Warble, and the Electric Powwow. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 9780806154688. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  9. "Native punk rock band Sihasin 'excited' after being featured in new car commercial". Indianz. 17 December 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  10. Hartshorn, Tori (December 6, 2017). "Native American Rock Band Sihasin In Hyundai's New Holiday Sales Ad Campaign". Broadway World. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  11. Behrens, Web (February 7, 2017). "On the eve of the Grammys, a chat with nominated kids band The Okee Dokee Brothers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  12. Reardon, Sara (February 14, 2021). "Native Americans use technology to keep traditions, language alive during pandemic". The Columbian. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  13. "Sihasin: Jeneda and Clayson Benally from the Navajo Nation (Arizona), July 8, 2020 at 12 pm (Homegrown Concerts from the Library of Congress)". www.loc.gov. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  14. Krisst, Rima (2 August 2021). "'Rainbow of color': Sihasin single "We the People" goes global". Navajo Times. Retrieved 25 August 2021.

Official website

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