composed by Xian Xinghai, 1905-1945; conducted by Yuan Fang; produced by Alessandro Nava; performed by Riccardo Caramella, Beijing Radio Symphony Orchestra (Nuova Era), 55 mins

American folk song arranged by James Erb

composed by Valerie Coleman

[compiled and transcribed] by Mervyn McLean and [translated by] Margaret Orbell

Narrated by contemporary folk diva Ani DiFranco, the PBS documentary series "The Mississippi: A River of Song" is a project five years in the making. Working with the Smithsonian and PBS, John Junkerman and Elijah Wald traveled the length of the great muddy river, capturing the scope, the spirit, and the soul of American music at the close of the century. In interviews and performances, they captured more than 500 musicians -- from a punk concert in Minnesota to a rhythm 'n' blues revue in New Orleans, from a bluegrass festival in Illinois to a gospel choir in Mississippi -- performing in the communities that give meaning to their art.

Popular music compels, it entertains, and it has the power to attract and move audiences. With that in mind, the editors of Indigenous Pop showcase the contributions of American Indian musicians to popular forms of music, including jazz, blues, country-western, rock and roll, reggae, punk, and hip hop. From Joe Shunatona and the United States Indian Reservation Orchestra to Jim Pepper, from Buffy Saint-Marie to Robbie Robertson, from Joy Harjo to Lila Downs, Indigenous Pop vividly addresses the importance of Native musicians and popular musical genres, establishing their origins and discussing what they represent. Arranged both chronologically and according to popular generic forms, the book gives Indigenous pop a broad new meaning. In addition to examining the transitive influences of popular music on Indigenous expressive forms, the contributors also show ways that various genres have been shaped by what some have called the "Red Roots" of American-originated musical styles. This recognition of mutual influence extends into the ways of understanding how music provides methodologies for living and survival. Each in-depth essay in the volume zeros in on a single genre and in so doing exposes the extraordinary whole of Native music. This book showcases the range of musical genres to which Native musicians have contributed and the unique ways in which their engagement advances the struggle for justice and continues age-old traditions of creative expression.