Pura Fé and Dark Water Rising perform at White Horse on Dec. 28

Press release

Some of the most profound new music being made connects old traditions to today’s world, and traditions to each other. Pura Fé and Dark Water Rising are two exemplars for the creative linkage of Native American traditions to other roots cultures through music. Both will be onstage at the White Horse Black Mountain on Saturday, Dec. 28 at 8:00 pm. Past performances at the venue hint that the show will be a year-end highlight.

Pura Fé, whose Spanish name means “Pure Faith”, was born in New York City to a Puerto Rican father and a mother from the Tuscarora nation. Although they’re now members of the Iroquois Six Nations, the Tuscaroras’ ancestral lands were in North Carolina, and Pura Fé now makes her home in Durham. Native Southeastern tribes had close historical contacts with African Americans as marginalized people, and the Indians often sheltered escaped slaves. Grammy-nominated Pura Fé has been investigating the deep connection between Native and Africa-American musical styles for decades, and has found many cross influences. They meet in her soulful vocal delivery and bluesy lap slide guitar playing. Pura Fé is known for her work with Ulali, an a cappella female trio that blends Native music with contemporary styles. She also performs internationally with the Pura Fé Trio and the Deer Clan Singers and works with numerous organizations that advance awareness of contemporary and historic Native cultures. As a solo artist she has opened for numerous headliners, including Herbie Hancock, Taj Mahal, Neil Young, George Duke and Al Jarreau. No less an authority than Robbie Robertson of The Band proclaims that “Pura Fé has the voice of an angel.”

Formed in 2010, Dark Water Rising is an award winning contemporary Native American group featuring an Indy rock/blues sound. Sylvia Pfeifferberger of Indy Week describes the four piece band as “Native Americans who piece together Southern rock full of gospel harmonies, hip-hop inflections and Motown soul… DWR breaks rules effortlessly.” Members of Dark Water Rising belong to North Carolina’s Lumbee and Coharie tribes. Based in Robeson County, they tour regularly in North Carolina and throughout the east coast and were featured on the nationally broadcast NPR radio show “The Story” with Dick Gordon. Dark Water Rising’s lead singer, Charly Lowery, will join Pura Fé onstage for duo singing that seems simultaneously ancient and modern, mirroring the close musical and personal ties the two women share.

Show starts at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $15. Advance purchase online at whitehorseblackmountain.com