Join the email list!

August 26, 2002

THE DIVA WILL PRESENT AN AWARD AT THIS YEAR'S NAMMYS!! -- Just got word that Arigon has agreed to head to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to present a trophy at the upcoming Native American Music Awards on Saturday, September 7th. The show takes place at 8:00PM at Maier Festival Park along Milwaukee's waterfront. Rumor has it that she will present the "Living Legend" Award to FLOYD RED CROW WESTERMAN, along with actor Tim Sampson. (That's Arigon with Tim on the left.) The hostess of this year's awards is Crystal Gayle and there is a BUNCH of cool Native acts that will be doing their thing onstage. Arigon will also provide her story to "The Native Voice." If you're in the area, tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster. You can find more information online at http://www.nammys.com.

You might also want to check out the festivities at the Indian Summer Festival, which is at the same location during the weekend. Arigon and her group played the festival awhile back and it's a great venue to see some live bands. You'll not want to miss Richie Plass' group, The Wolf River Band.

We are also doubly sure that Arigon will be brushing up on her "bingo" accent while she's lurking around the festival! Watch out -- you might become part of the act if you stand too close!

August 21, 2002

MORE STORIES FROM ARIGON'S TRIP TO THE SANTA FE NDIAN ART MARKET -- This photo definitely proves that life is what you make it! AAAY! Posing with Arigon (very incognito in her cowboy hat and glasses) are some of the coolest Indian folks you'd want to meet. From the left, that's former Miss Indian World Shayai Lucero, The Love Monster Olivia Scott and Acee Agoyo. Acee and Olivia are two thirds of INDIANZ.COM, one of the best Native news resources online. Those crazy kids are paying homage to one of their favorite films, ZOOLANDER. Which one do of them is doing the best version of Zoolander's signature "look" -- The Magnum? Todd York, the other Indianz.com wunderkind, probably does the best ZOOLANDER impression.....but was he in the photo? NOOOOOOO!

Arigon's show at the LaFonda Hotel was short and sweet. She did five songs and pretty much had the audience in the palm of her hands. You know...the typical Arigon Starr show. AAAY! Lots of folks came out to see her including the above Indianz.com crowd; Gary Farmer, Ray Cook from Four Directions Talent; Susan Braine -- and this lovely gal on the right, JENELL DOWNS. Jenell is part of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, which is also Arigon's tribe. Jenell told Arigon that she had been trying to catch up with her for about two years. "The Kickapoo Tribe knows about you and your music," Jennell said. "I wanted to let you know how proud we are of you -- that we support you and love you." Jenell is working on an event to bring Arigon to Shawnee, Oklahoma later in the year. Won't that be a homecoming!!? Unlike most family reunions, they'll be selling tickets to this one. AAAY!

Arigon spent a LOT of her time wandering around the market and at many of the after parties and such. She saw lots of folks she hadn't seen in ages, like filmmaker Norman Brown ("Horse Song" -- all in Navajo!) -- and some new friends like filmmaker Lakota Harden ("Follow Me Home" starring Benjamin Bratt and Alfre Woodard!).

One of her favorite happenings actually occurred during the last day of the Market -- and not even AT the market. Arigon's hostess Susan Braine had told her to be sure to stop by the Santo Domingo Pueblo on the way back to Albuquerque. "There's a gas station -- and a whole bunch of vendors with some really good stuff," said Susan.

Arigon and Wacky CEO Janet Miner spent some time looking through the beautiful assortment of jewlery. Arigon spotted a pair of earrings she wanted and found that she was about $5.00 short. "Can I give you a CD to make up for the shortfall?" she asked the vendor. "What kinda CD is it," the gal replied? Well, once the CD came out of Arigon's purse, the cat was out of the bag. Word of Arigon trading CDs for jewlery spread through the little compound like wildfire. Soon, she and Janet had amassed enough loot to start their own shop. "Janet had to go back to the car THREE times to get more CDs," smiled Arigon. "It was like Elvis was at the Gas Station -- except I got to be Elvis! AAAY!" Susan Braine returned to the site a few days later and reported that Arigon's visit had caused quite a stir. "Those ladies were sure grateful that you stopped in," said Susan. If you're at all curious where this place is -- it's right off of the I-25 between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Definitely worth a stop, y'all!

Cutest guy at Indian Market had to be Roger Willie, the Navajo actor who plays alongside Adam Beach (who would have taken the crown if he was there! AAAY!) in the film "Windtalkers." Arigon ran into Roger and his manager/friend Dr. Ferlin Clark outside of the Starbucks on W. San Francisco. Don't all you NDN guys get mad, now! Just keep tabs on where the Diva will be next and maybe she'll hand you your own "Cutest Indian Guy" sash next time she's making the rounds. She's got hundreds of them! AAAY!

Speaking of Roger Willie -- did you know that Arigon did an extensive interview with filmmaker JOHN WOO about the "Windtalkers" project? You can read her article online at RENAISSANCE INDIAN, which was started by her friend Harrison Lowe. Those of you Diva "Anoraks" (that's British Slang for knowledge & trivia geek) know that actor Lowe is the voice of the radio announcer on "Navajo Radio." It's always fun to meet folks who know that intro by heart! AIROS' John Gregg even has it on his answering machine! AAAAY!

August 15, 2002

INDIAN ART MARKET IN SANTA FE -- STILL GOING STRONG! -- If you haven't already packed up the pow-wow truck and are heading to Santa Fe tonight -- well, I'm just not sure what to think of you! Arigon has just arrived her and actually sent us photos via the web. "Check it out-- that's me with Beverly Singer, the Director of the Alfonso Ortiz Cultural Center for Intercultural Studies AND cool photographer/author Gwendolen Cates. Have you see her book "Indian Country?" It's AWESOME. The reason Arigon sent these pictures was to remind y'all that she is opening for actor Wes Studi at the LaFonda Hotel on Friday, August 16th at 7:30 PM. The show is a benefit for artist Presley LaFountain, who was seriously injured in a car-dragging incident earlier this year. The show is a mere $15.00 dollars -- and it's going to a good cause. The La Fonda is located at 100 E. San Francisco Street. Come on down and see Arigon and Wes (with his group The Fire Cat of Discord)!!

Arigon was also lurking at the broadcast of "Native America Calling" which featured Ms. Singer, Wes and director Chris Eyre. Harlan McKosato, the chatty and brilliant Sac & Fox host of the show asked lots of deep questions about the state of Native Cinema. Good thing, too -- as the Taos Talking Picture folks are sponsoring several screenings of some of the best movies coming out of Indian -- including Eyre's "Skins" and Sherman Alexie's "The Business of Fancydancing." Heck, you can even see an advance screening of PBS' "Skinwalkers," too. Definitely worth checking out.

DIVAS NEED PRACTICE, TOO -- You might have been wondering -- how the heck do those guys and the Diva play such good music?? Well, they practice. Here's another photo from the trip to Portland. Gary Bennett, Nick Peters and Arigon work out one of the songs they played at the recent Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum Festival. They might have actually been goofing off...because those that were there will NOT forget the band's renditions of "The Snakes Crawl at Night," Hickory Wind" or "Mother Nature's Son." Gary Bennett knows lots of Beatles songs. For you Gram Parsons fans out there -- Gary is working on his own version of "Brass Buttons," one of the best songs Gram ever did.

Tyler Grant (that's him with the mandolin) also did one of Gram's earlier compositions from the time he was with the International Submarine Band. If you don't know who Gram Parsons is -- there will be an upcoming feature on him here on Starrwatcher Online. Arigon is a BIG fan of Gram's -- so much so that she frequents The Joshua Tree Inn in California whenever she gets a chance to take a well-deserved break from the road. Tyler really got down -- and as he such as masterful musician, could switch from guitar to bass to mandolin. He's a fine singer, too. He had recently spent some time at the Rocky Grass Bluegrass Festival in Colorado and had lots of stories to tell of staying up til' all hours, picking and grinning with the famous (Nickel Creek) and not-so-famous. "It was probably the best trip I've ever taken in my life," said Tyler of the experience. We we last saw Tyler, he was headed south to California! Hope you made it home, buddy! AAAAY! (P.S. Thanks for the photos, Mary Sue Gulzow!)

Just to prove Arigon was REALLY there, here's a photo of actor/producer/director Robert Redford with director/producer Chris Eyre at the most recent Television Critic's Press Tour in Pasadena, California. We weren't lying to -- it really DID happen! She took this photo herself -- so no comments like, "Well, why ain't she IN it.?" AAAAY!

August 8, 2002

PORTLAND'S WY-KAN-USH-PUM IS MORE THAN JUST SALMON! -- Just when you think you've had enough salmon...along comes Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum! AAAY! The Columbia Inter-Tribal Fish Commission set about to celebrate it's 24th anniversary in style at Portland's Waterfront Park. Located on the banks of the Williamette River in downtown Portland, the park hosts a number of famous festivals, including the annual Rose Festival. [No, that's not the one you watch on TV on New Year's Day! AAY!]

Thousands of folks gathered to talk about Salmon, the Columbia River, eat frybread, take a look at artisans affiliated with Indian Art Northwest and enjoy some dang fine music.

Part of the fun of the whole deal for Arigon was to surprise her friends Cathy Kehoe and Mary Sue Gulzow. And BOY, were they surprised. You might have been wondering who the "Mystery Guest" hinted at last month was -- and now we can tell you. It was GARY BENNETT of BR549 fame. Gary contributed his considerable talents to Arigon's recent release BACKFLIP and agreed to come out and join her live show on Sunday, August 4th. Nick Peters (above in the cowboy hat), Tyler Grant, Arigon and Gary rocked the crowd with songs from all of her releases, including "Apache A-Go Go," "Mountain Windsong," "Navajo Radio," "Agent 49" and "Junior Frybread." Gary sang two of his self-penned tunes from the BR549 catalog ["Even If It's Wrong" and "The Game"], plus played acoustic guitar and provided back-up vocals for the entire set. Gary had high praise for the group, in particular Tyler Grant who switched from bass guitar to mandolin for "The Game."

We will try to pry more photos out of Arigon's hands and put them up here for you to enjoy. In the meantime, a good time was had by all -- especially by Cathy (Gary's mom) and Mary Sue (Gary's sister). For those of you who know the Bennett/Kehoe/Gulzow clan -- you would have enjoyed them rockin' out during Sunday's show, plus the private performance/rehearsal for all of the families. Heck, even LESLIE JOLLIE was there. It doesn't get much better than THAT! Arigon wanted to sent a special thank you out to Spider Moccasin, KBOO-FM, Nancy Bardue and Tony DeMicoli for all of their help. A very "special" thanks goes to Bill Yallup, who provided the smoked salmon. AAAAY!

THE DIVA'S GOT SOMETHING GOING ON TO THE SIDE!! -- Arigon has just been added to the staff of a very progressive, handsome national Native American newspaper called "The Native Voice." Her first assignment was to cover the press conference for the upcoming PBS telefilm SKINWALKERS. The film was based on the book by Tony Hillerman and was directed by Chris Eyre. The Diva had fun at the press conference -- and got to meet the producer, Robert Redford. She also had fun visiting with stars Wes Studi (a longtime Diva fan!) and co-star Adam Beach (*sigh!*). Look for her to contribute more articles to the award-winning publication in the coming months. By the way, SKINWALKERS airs on PBS on Sunday, November 24th at 9:00 PM.