< >Tonemah
Darryl Tonemah had no idea that when he began writing songs, while attending college, that several years, shows, CD's, nominations, awards, radio and TV appearances, athat he would be releasing his 6th CD "Mulligan" to what has become an international fan base. All the time still retaining the same homespun point of view and great storytelling that has become his trademark. Growing up on and off reservations throughout the heartland, as well as his work today, have given Dr. Tonemah (he did manage to finish college) a unique perspective that is evident in his song writing. He says, “Mulligan is a bunch of songs that I have been sitting on for quite a while. I wrote them at different points in my little musical journey. They were kind of rowdy and loud, and didn’t seem to fit where I have been going lately musically. But I figured I’m not getting any younger so I decided to take a sharp left turn, plug in the guitars and make a loud cd I can jump around stage playing.”
Ancestry: Native American
Genre: Acoustic, Folk
Albums
Awards, Nominations & Submissions
| 2012 | Single of the Year | Yates | Submission |
| 2012 | Best Rock CD | Mulligan | Submission |
| 2009 | Best International Artist | Nominee |
Biography
Darryl Tonemah had no idea that when he began writing songs, while attending college, that several years, shows, CD's, nominations, awards, radio and TV appearances, athat he would be releasing his 6th CD "Mulligan" to what has become an international fan base. All the time still retaining the same homespun point of view and great storytelling that has become his trademark. Growing up on and off reservations throughout the heartland, as well as his work today, have given Dr. Tonemah (he did manage to finish college) a unique perspective that is evident in his song writing. He says, “Mulligan is a bunch of songs that I have been sitting on for quite a while. I wrote them at different points in my little musical journey. They were kind of rowdy and loud, and didn’t seem to fit where I have been going lately musically. But I figured I’m not getting any younger so I decided to take a sharp left turn, plug in the guitars and make a loud cd I can jump around stage playing.”
As with Tonemah's previous releases on “Mulligan” Darryl maintains his storytelling writing style and signature sly humor. He may be asking a waitress to “Come with my Darlin’ you’ll never go back to pouring stale coffee down drunk incomanics.” Or, admitting that he’d given up on love one million times, but just met 1,000,001. He always discusses social injustice (Yates, Lost in America), and flat out funny (Rezzylicous). He covered the range of emotion on this cd.
He switched up his approach in the recording of this cd. He has always wanted to maintain newness and variety in his recording. He now lives in western New York, and wanted to capture the “Buffalo Sound”. He recruited some of the top players in the area to help him create the cd. As executive producer he knew exactly what he wanted and didn’t leave the studio until he found it.
Tonemah has been receiving airplay in dozens of local markets throughout the US, Canada, and several European markets. A singer/songwriter in the purist sense, Tonemah combines the energy of rock, the intelligence of folk and the heart of country, to create a musical niche he calls, "Native Americana". In 2009 French record label, Dixie Frog Records, included the song "There's a Train" from the Welcome to Your Rainy Day as part of their compilation CD titled, Indian Reservation Blues, a multi-disc release that included Native American Musicians.
Tonemah has three bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree, as well as a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and Cultural Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His undergraduate degrees are in Psychology, Sociology and Gerontology, and his master’s degree is in Community Counseling. He's the director of the Health Promotion Program at the University Of Oklahoma College Of Continuing Education
Tonemah's' live shows, full band electric or an intimate acoustic set, always finds him connecting with his audience. Whether reaching out to Native youth through his many workshops & speaking engagements, or pouring it all out on stage and in the recording studio, Tonemah's personality always shines through. Tonemah Co- producer Larry Pacheco says it best; "During a recording project the artist usually brings ego, attitude or talent to the table, and rarely honestly lays it all out on the line. Working with Darryl Tonemah was different, he brought himself".
