Matriarch: Iroquois Women's Songs

If there's a female equivalent to Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai in vision and talent, it's Joanne Shenandoah. In this collection celebrating the nurturing spirit of not only the women in Shenandoah's life but of all mothers, sisters, aunts, and friends, Shenandoah sings traditional Iroquois chants with a unique grace and poise. Her voice shimmers like silk in motherly lullabies and soft incantations. Some songs feature light accompaniment from a cedar flute and occasional drums, but most of the CD is Shenandoah's naturally beautiful voice echoing over a landscape of inspiring silence. Healing and exquisite. --Karen Karleski