Biography

“With her voice soaring, foot stomping, this beautiful songbird transcends time and brings the message of our ancestors who have sewn this beautiful seed. That makes powerful music.” – Taj Mahal

Pura Fé‘s voice soars the heavens, taking us on a visionary ride, elegantly stating the indigenous influence on the birth of the Blues. “Like all truly great singers, Pura Fé has the power to move you. With a potent mix of Native influences and good old-fashioned blues, her voice is soul itself.” – Benjamin Bratt

How We Helped:
Music Maker Relief Foundation helped Pura Fé launch her solo career and record 3 CDs. It also introduced her to French recording company DixieFrog and a French booking agency, and has played an important role in setting up her tours in Europe, Australia, and Argentina. Pura Fé recently obtained a visiting professorship at the University of Toronto.

This “Renaissance woman” is the founding member of the internationally renowned native woman’s a capella trio, ‘Ulali’, and is recognized for creating a new genre, bringing Native contemporary music to the forefront of the “mainstream” music industry.

Pura Fé has studied and performed with ‘The American Ballet Theatre’ company’, appeared in several Broadway musicals and TV commercials. She has sung for ‘The Mercer Ellington Orchestra’, countless Jazz, R&B, Rock bands and has stamped her distinct vocals on many recordings, demo’s, jingles, music videos and movie sound tracks/trailers through out her career. She was nominated for a Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) with ‘Kanatanaski & Pura Fé for Best Aboriginal Music Video. She’s appeared on Jay Leno’s ‘The Tonight Show’, UK’s ‘The Late Show’ and Brazil’s ‘Joe Suares Show’ with Ulali and Robbie Robertson. Pura Fé has toured world wide, in concert halls, festivals, nightclubs, universities, Pow Wow’s, conferences, campaigns and endless benefits for environmental and humanitarian rights.

In “Indian Country”, Pura Fé holds a “Smoke Dance” champion title and is a recipient of the ‘Community Spirit Award’ from the ‘First People’s Fund’ of the Tides Foundation, for her volunteered cultural contributions of traditional song and dance, working with Native youth groups in North Carolina. She has done vocal workshops instructing Native theater schools, women’s drum groups and has cultivated several traditional singing dance troops from her Nation.

Pura Fé launched her solo career touring her new album ‘Follow Your Heart’s Desire’… on the Music Maker Relief Foundation label. Her soulful voice and acoustic lap steel slide guitar, carries the ancestral message of the “Indigenous World” and the missing history that unified and separated the blood ties of Black and Indian people of the South. With a fresh new take, Pura Fé resurrects and elegantly states the common bond and the indigenous influence on the “birth of the Blues”.

Pura Fé has also released two more albums including her solo album, ‘Hold The Rain’ on Music Maker Relief Foundation label and European distribution by Dixie Frog label (France) and her most recent album, ‘Full Moon Rising’. ‘Hold The Rain’ is a more personal collection of music where Pura Fé is joined by one of Seattle’s finest guitarist, Danny Godinez. This great song album is infused with Danny’s heavy acoustic melodic guitar picking, Pura Fé’s signature lush vocal harmonies and slide guitar. In 2006, after the release of this album, Pura Fé’ won a Nammy (Native American Music Award) for Best Female Artist. She also won a L’académie Charles Cros Award (France) for Best World Album.

‘Full Moon Rising’, released on the Dixie Frog label, ranges from traditional melodies to scorching blues with her usual grace and dedication. In this album, Pura Fé adds a healthy sprinkling of rap and canoe chants to her music before leading us all the way to Southern America where the eagle meets the condor.