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SALISBURY, MD---When the Associated Press called Joanne Shenandoah “the most critically acclaimed Native American singer of her time,” it had plenty of material to back the claim. Critics from Billboard to USA Today have lauded the Grammy-nominated artist. Delmarva audiences will have the opportunity to hear first-hand why critics are raving 7 p.m. Friday, September 24, as Shenandoah presents a concert to inaugurate ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s fall 2004 cultural series, “A Celebration of Native American Peoples,” in Holloway Hall Auditorium. Joining her is 2003 Grammy winner Mary Youngblood, a Native American flutist with three albums on the SilverWave label and 18 other recordings as part of compilations and soundtracks. “Our music is healing, eternal and earth conscious,” said Shenandoah, who has released 13 recordings, many on the SilverWave label. “Our songs celebrate our survival and have a deep spiritual essence which will resonate around and world which needs Native music.” A Wolf Clan member of the Iroquois Confederacy—Oneida Nation, Shenandoah writes her own material, bringing it to life with her striking voice to bring to the masses the ancient songs of the Iroquois using a blend of traditional and contemporary instrumentation. From chants to contemporary ballads about Native ways, her music has been described as an emotional experience. “Believe me, this woman has power,” says Global Rhythm Magazine. “You can hear it, feel it in her voice.” “Shenandoah actually has a deeper, more powerful voice than the Irish thrush Enya,” writes John Diliberto of Amazon.com. USA Today calls her “arguably the best of all” Native American musicians. Shenandoah has appeared on stage at the White House, Kennedy Center and Woodstock ’94. She has performed at the past three presidential inaugurations. In 1995, she opened Earth Day on the National Mall. She also co-stared in the PBS special Songs of the Spirit. In 2002, she received the Native American Music Award (NAMA) for Native Artist of the Year. In 2003, she earned the NAMA for best compilation recording. Youngblood, of Aleut and Seminole descent, won the first NAMA for Flutist of the Year in 1999, repeating the feat in 2000. She also won the NAMA in 2000 for Best Female Artist. Sponsored by the Office of Cultural Affairs and Museum Programs, her performance is free and the public is invited. For more information call 410-543-6271 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.