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By Gil Fisher
Special to Explore Indian Country October 1997
Aficionados of the three-minute pop masterpiece, it's time to meet your Diva.
The music of Arigon Starr, like, the woman herself, is full of sly humor and a biting wit that takes lyric and riff and rolls them into one big, fat juicy spliff. the result is her first independent product, boldly dubbed MEET THE DIVA.
"The concept of the Diva is an old show biz thing," she explains with an effervescent lilt. "It describes somebody with a lot of personality. I see myself in the mold of a Bette Midler -- an Indian Bette Midler." With a note of caution she adds, "Diva also has negative connotations, as in Prima Donna. That's not me, I'm out there, I'm front line. And I like to have a good time and put on a good show. That's what I think a Diva is all about, that's what the album is all about."
She's Kickapoo/Creek and all things Diva. Growing up in a military
family who moved throughout the country influenced how she learned
to play music. Along with the grooves of AM radio, further inspiration
to get up and boogie came from some cousins in Oklahoma. "The
had the best record collection, everything from Led Zeppelin to
Motown and Art Tatum and whatever else you can think of."
Since then, she's been performing professionally for over five years and more recently with her San Diego band formed in early '97. Ropin' in her sister Gay Wahpecome on flute and vocals; drummer/songwriter Nick Peters; and bassist Bil Schnobrich make for a tight unit that really kicks.
The album also pays homage to her mentors, The Beatles. "I cut my teeth on all that music. I was probably the Beatlemaniac of the universe. I learned how to play every song, read everything and learned how they composed their music. I was just so impressed that they could convey something very important in a short amount of time. There's a lot to be said for a three-minute masterpiece."
The material falls somewhere within a rock-cabaret performance infused with an energy, talent and persona that brings audiences to previously unimagined pinnacles.
"People can't believe that Indians have a sense of humor. It blows me out whenever I encounter that kind of thing." Crowds have come to expect something else -- not being knocked between the eyes with a rubber mallet. Regarding the emerging sing-along favorite, SPIRIT GUIDE, Arigon notes, "It gets the biggest reaction. The song emerged from the problem of New Age appropriation. People are well meaning, but some just take it too far: "You're so spiritual and I just dig you culture, man." Yeah, come and see me for a day."
"Someone asked me, 'Is doop-doop heya-heya a real chant?' I said, no, it's a Kickapoo thing."
The rhythmic femur, Indian bones, digs up the issue of repatriation of human remains.
"There was a piece in the newspaper about Ishi, the last of the Yahi. Apparently he was buried somewhere in the San Francisco area. For some strange reason, they had removed his brain. The northern California nations got together and wanted him reburied on his homeland. but they can't find all of him; he's not in one place. This type of thing is common and it's hard to imagine any society tolerating this."
The sister not only tackles injustice and stereotypes, but plugs into her own recreational habits for material. "I love The X-Files. I didn't do anything about the episode with Floyd Westerman, but Eugene Tooms is Dead deals with a character who appeared every so many years to eat human livers. Some people might have a problem with that, but hey, he's a creep! He got two episodes in the first season." After digesting that for inspiration, channel-surfing has taken her elsewhere. "Now I watch Xena: Warrior Princess -- there's not enough women out there kickin' butt."
Other tasty doobies include, The Tattered Tipi of Chief Seattle, recalling the controversy around the historical speeches of 'noble chiefs;' About Geronimo is a bouncy correction, while Troubled Man is the heavy Seattle-rock-scene number. Fun and games are on thing, but benefit concerts for the Big Mountain Dine underline her commitment to the struggle. "That's key to who I am and what this project is all about."
The next crop should be out by early '98 with its dedication to the anniversary of the Alcatraz occupation, Indian Land Forever. "We have our own sound and new directions," she points out. "But, I think there aren't enough Indian artists doing it. There's a handful but somebody's gotta be up there on the Billboard charts. That helps everyone. So, we'll see."
Sure hope home-girl makes it. Time to twist up another listen.
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