Sharon Burch of

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest fe ...

and German origin is a founding advisor of First Nations Composer Initiativebr>
Sharon Burch is an organizer, composer, teacher of general music, author of educational music-books, singer (English and Navajo language) besides being a recording artist.

Life

Born to a Navajo mother and a German father, Burch was raised in the traditional Navajo culture in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

and spoke only the

Navajo language Navajo or Navaho (; Navajo: or ) is a Southern Athabaskan languages, Southern Athabaskan language of the Na-Dene languages, Na-Dené family, through which it is related to languages spoken across the western areas of North America. Navajo is s ...

until she began school. After finishing high school in California, she attended

Navajo Community College The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest fe ...

Tsaile, Arizona Tsaile ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States, on the Navajo Nation. The population was 1,205 at the 2010 census. Tsaile is the home of the main campus of Diné College (formerly Navajo Community Col ...

and later the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25, ...

. Burch's music is the contemporary expression of traditional Navajo ways and living. Many of her songs are in Navajo language and capture the sacredness of Mother Earth, Father Sun and the importance of family and place to the

Diné The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

. Burch's third album, “Touch the Sweet Earth” (published on Harmony Ridge ) was awarded the 1995 INDIE Award in the “North American Native Music” category. Burch performs regularly at

folk festival A folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music. This list includes folk festivals worldwide, except those with only a partial focus on folk music or arts. Folk festivals may also feature folk dance or ethnic foods. Handicra ...

s, fairs, schools, universities and has appeared in concert at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

and the Smithsonian in

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

, the

Palace of Fine Arts The Palace of Fine Arts is a monumental structure located in the Marina District of San Francisco, California, originally constructed for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition to exhibit works of art. Completely rebuilt from 1964 to ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, and the Heard Museum in Phoenix. Burch has also performed in Japan ef In 1998, Burch performed a concert at the 32nd

Smithsonian Folklife Festival The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, launched in 1967, is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage presented annually in the summer in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is held on the National Mall for two weeks around the F ...

at the

National Mall The National Mall is a landscaped park near the downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institution, art galleries, cultural institutions, and va ...

, Washington D.C.

Discography

;Albums *''The Blessing Ways'' (1984) (with A. Paul Ortega) *''Yazzie girl'' (1989) *''Touch The Sweet Earth'' (1995) *''Colors of My Heart'' (1999) (P)(C) Canyon Records 1999 CR-536 ;Contributing artist *''

The Rough Guide to Native American Music ''The Rough Guide to Native American Music'' is a compilation album originally released in 1998. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album features both traditional and modern Native American music ranging from canción ranc ...

'' (1999)

World Music Network World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music. The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" compet ...

;Books *''Beyond the Books'' Hal Leonard Corporation (July 1, 2011) Language: English

References

American women singers Living people Navajo-language singers New Mexico music artists Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Native Americans 21st-century Native American women {{songwriter-stub