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OCTOBER 6, 2000

Some of Indian Country's most talented and popular artists will be performing at the Third Annual Native American Music Awards this November.

Once again, the show will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Last year was the first time the event took place in the city and it turned out to be a wildly successful event, including a special reunion performance by the 70s rock group XIT.

Whether or not Tom Bee and bandmates will show up again this year is still a secret. But some of the already confirmed artists and musicians will no doubt please fans who plan to attend.

Flutists Andrew Vasquez and Mary Youngblood are not only facing each other off for Flutist of the Year, but will also perform at the show. Vasquez is nominated for "V3: An American Indian" and Youngblood for her work on "Heart of the World."

Youngblood is also nominated for the coveted Artist of the Year award. Joining her at the awards ceremony will be fellow nominee, Robert Mirabal, of Taos Pueblo.

Up and comer Jana will be making her first appearance at the NAMMYs. The Lumbee artist has been grooving fans all over with her dance mix of "Ooh, Baby Baby" and will most likely do the same for NAMMY attendees.

Already busy touring the country in support of their latest release, Yankton Sioux blues-rock group Indigenous will make a third stop in Albuquerque in November. The band has also been performing on the Honor the Earth tour along with artists like The Indigo Girls and Joan Baez.

In the upcoming week, Jackson Browne will be joining the tour to perform in Albuquerque and the Navajo Nation. Monday's show in Window Rock, Arizona, is a free event.

This year, two special awards will accompany the regular ceremony. The late, influential jazz artist Jim Pepper (Kaw / Creek) will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Jimi Hendrix and Hank Williams.

Cherokee singer Rita Coolidge will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Best remembered for 70s hits like "Superstar" and "Higher and Higher (Your Love Has Lifted Me)," Coolidge has more recently been performing with her own group, Walela.

Relevant Links:
The Native American Music Awards - www.nativeamericanmusic.com
Mary Youngblood - home.earthlink.net/~sheflute
Jana - www.jananation.com
More on Jim Pepper - www.inmotionmagazine.com/pepper.html
Indigenous - www.indigenousrocks.com
Walela - www.walela.com

Only on Indianz.Com:
More on the NAMMYs at Native Sounds.