The Hopi Indian Reservation sits atop three mesas tucked away in a remote corner of northeast Arizona. It may be one of the few places in America where religion and culture are a part of everyday life. In many ways, things have not changed much over the last thousand years. Life is simple here. The peaceful calm remains. But in the distance you can hear a new voice.
CASPER LOMAYESVA is a Hopi/Dine' singer who has created a sound that combines his native roots with the positive vibes of reggae music. Casper's music is filled with hope and power. The words are a reflection of his own philosophy on life, influenced not only by the sounds of crucial reggae music but of traditional Hopi Culture.
CASPER cites his grandfather, Sankey Lomayesva as having the biggest influence on his life and his music. CASPER will tell you this is Hopi reality, "I'm just a messenger passing through life, a soldier of this generation. People need to know that oppression and poverty is a fact of life on the rez, just like any big city in America."
It was a little more than ten years ago that a "culture connection" was formed between the Hopi Nation and the island of Jamaica. In 1985 Freddie McGregor became the first Jamaican reggae artist to ever perform on an Indian Reservation. There was a special feeling that developed between the reggae artists that came out to the reservation ad the Hopi people. The message in the music was something that people on the reservation understood. As a result, Reggae inna Hopiland was born.
The cultural connection was so powerful that it brought some of the biggest names in reggae music to place so isolated that it is a two-hour drive just to have a pizza. Superstars such as Black Uhuru, Third World, Steel Pulse and Burning Spear have all been here. In fact, Freddie McGregor has come back five times since his initial visit because he says the Hopi people are the warmest and friendliest people he has ever performed for.