The Oneida Indian Nation and Four Directions Entertainment Congratulate Native American GRAMMY Nominees With Official GRAMMY Fest Celebration on February 22 in NYC

    ONEIDA INDIAN HOMELANDS, N.Y., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third
 consecutive year, the Recording Academy(R) is honoring achievements in Native
 American recording arts, and the Oneida Indian Nation and Four Directions
 Entertainment want to congratulate all of the nominees in an official
 GRAMMY(R) Fest celebration.  "A Celebration of American Music" is taking place
 at Times Square Studios on Saturday, February 22, 9 p.m. (EST).  Times Square
 Studios is located at 1500 Broadway in New York City.
     This celebration marks a milestone for Native Americans since it
 represents the first time a 100-percent Native owned and operated business has
 been invited to host an official GRAMMY Fest event.  A Los Angeles-based
 production company, Four Directions Entertainment, is owned by the Oneida
 Indian Nation.
     "It is an honor to be recognized as hosts of an official GRAMMY Fest
 event," said Ray Halbritter, Nation Representative and Chief Executive Officer
 of the Oneida Indian Nation.  "I want to personally thank the Recording
 Academy for recognizing the important contributions made by Native Americans
 to the American music scene and for including us in the upcoming celebration
 in such an elevated capacity."
     The celebration will feature some of the best Native American contemporary
 musical talent, including Blackfoot-African-American R & B artist Martha
 Redbone and Mohawk rock and blues artist, Jimmy Wolf.  Additional background
 information on each follows below:
     -- Martha Redbone -- Winner of Debut Artist of the Year at the 2002 Fifth
        Annual Native American Music Awards show in Milwaukee, Redbone
        performed to a crowd of 4,000 at the event hosted by Crystal Gayle.
        Her debut album "Home of the Brave" has received rave reviews.
        Billboard calls it "stunning" and Village Voice says she "is poised to
        be Americana's next superstar."
 
     -- Jimmy Wolf -- A two-time nominee at the Native American Music Awards,
        Wolf has released three albums since 1999 and has shared the stage with
        some of the world's best blues and R&B artists, including Albert
        Collins, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Koko Taylor, Albert King, Millie
        Jackson and Little Johnny Taylor.
 
     Also, in a special ceremony, the Oneida Indian Nation and Four Directions
 Entertainment will present the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund
 with a generous monetary donation to be accepted by the Baldwin family.
 
     Native American nominees for "Best Native American Music Album" include:
     -- Burning Sky for "Spirit in the Wind"
     -- Redheart for "Sacred Season"
     -- Vince Redhouse for "Faith in the House"
     -- Randy Wood for "Round Dance the Night Away"
     -- Mary Youngblood for "Beneath the Raven Moon"
 
     The "Celebration of American Music" is an exclusive event for members of
 the Recording Academy, artists, other invited guests and the media.  If you
 would like to be considered for access to the event, please contact Caroline
 Weilert at 310-407-6573.
 
     About Oneida Indian Nation
     The Oneida Indian Nation is a federally recognized Indian nation in
 Central New York.  It is a member of the Haudenosaunee (hoe-dee-no-so-nee),
 known in English as the Six Nations or Iroquois Confederacy.  The word
 Haudenosaunee means "people of the longhouse."
 
     About Four Directions Entertainment
     A Los Angeles-based production company, Four Directions Entertainment is
 the first entertainment company founded, funded and managed by American
 Indians.  The overall mission of the company is to reverse inaccurate
 depictions of American Indians in film and television by producing more
 realistic and informative programming about this highly important group.
 
     For further information, please contact Caroline Weilert of Weber
 Shandwick, +1-310-407-6573, cweilert@webershandwick.com, for Oneida Indian
 Nation.
 
 

SOURCE  Oneida Indian Nation