Kevin Locke performs for free at CMC in Rifle Sept. 7
Kevin Locke is known throughout the world as the preeminent player of the indigenous Northern Plains flute, as well as an inspiring hoop dancer, traditional storyteller, cultural ambassador and educator.
His memorable performance is coming to Colorado Mountain College in Rifle Sept. 7, and admission is free.
Locke is Lakota and Anishinabe. It was from his mother, Patricia Locke (1991 MacArthur Foundation grant winner), his uncle Abraham End-of-Horn, mentor Joe Rock Boy, and many other elders and relatives that Kevin Locke received training in the values, traditions and language of his native culture for which he works tirelessly.
More than two-thirds of Locke’s presentations and performances, which each year number in the hundreds, are shared with children in schools, community centers and festivals internationally. He is a musical hero and role model for youth around the world. His special joy is working with children on the reservations to ensure the survival and growth of indigenous culture.
Locke is acknowledged to be the pivotal force in the now-powerful revival of the indigenous flute tradition that teetered on the brink of extinction only 20 years ago. In 1990, he was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, which recognized him as a “Master Traditional Artist who has contributed to the shaping of our artistic traditions and to preserving the cultural diversity of the United States.”
Locke’s goal is “to raise awareness of the oneness we share as human beings.” His belief in the unity of humankind is expressed dramatically in the traditional hoop dance, which illustrates the roles and responsibilities that all human beings have within the hoops (or circles) of life.
Cultural ambassador throughout the world
Touring for over two decades, Locke has performed and lectured in more than 80 countries worldwide, sharing his high vision of balance, joy and diversity. He has served as a cultural ambassador for the United States Information Service since 1980. Deeply committed to the conservation of Earth’s resources for future generations, he was a delegate to the 1992 Earth Summit in Brazil and a featured performer and speaker at the 1996 United Nations Habitat II Conference in Turkey.
“All of the people have the same impulses, spirits and goals,” Locke says. “Through my music and dance, I want to create a positive awareness of the oneness of humanity.” Since 1982, he has recorded 13 albums of music and stories. His 2000 release, “The First Flute,” won the Native American Music Award for best traditional recording.
All are invited to enjoy a free evening of storytelling, Lakota courting flute and hoop dance when Kevin Locke visits Colorado Mountain College in Rifle Friday, Sept. 7. The performance, brought to you by Chevron and Colorado Mountain College, starts at 7 p.m. in the campus’s Clough Auditorium, 3695 Airport Road.
For more information about this evening of storytelling, dance and music, call 625-1871.
For more information about Locke, go to www.kevinlocke.com.