War Cry
Fearless...
"Nake nula wauŋ welo!"
– Sioux war cry; "I am ready for whatever may come".
© Richard Coffey - All Rights Reserved
War Cry
The Native American war cries—filled with yells and piercing high shrieks—were used along with war paint as a psychological weapon to demoralize the enemy. FYI - the school-boy imitation using the hand over her mouth while whooping is considered a racist mockery.
During high-pitched singing while accompanying celebratory dancing sometimes undulating rhythmic sounds are made in the throat or tongue or even by rapidly drumming fingers over the lips. Patting the mouth with the hand was the white man's way of mimicking the ceremonial "singing."
Please note:
Although the Lakota expression "Hoka Hey" is often attributed to Crazy Horse's battle cry at Little Big Horn its real meaning has been misconstrued as well as often crassly repurposed as a rallying cry for sports. More accurate meanings are provided below:
Nake nula wauŋ welo! -
Warriors used this phrase in battle to imply that even in the face of death they were ready
Hoka hey -
An exclamation in Sioux, similar to the American expressions "Let's do it!" or "Let's roll!"
About the Music:
This tune evolved from noodling on a patch on the D-50 I made ages ago called Magna. The arrangement is a powerful soundscape fusing a variety of musical styles. Running Bear1 sat in as a guest for the haunting war cries...
For the Gearheads (patches used):
- Casio PX-S3000 - drums and percussion, synth bass
- Roland D-50 - Magna (The main low-pitched synth present throughout)
- Roland JV-880 - ethereal pad, strings, kick and side stick, various synth leads backing both War Cries and Flute tracks
Way back when growing up in upstate New York, my dad and I were in Indian Guides together-- a YMCA parent/child program since renamed "Adventure Guides." My Dad was called Sitting Bear and I was called Running Bear (smile).