“I have two mothers, two beautiful mothers
One of them is brown and one of them is white
One of them taught me to be peaceful
One of them taught me how to fight
Now I put the two together and I know wrong from right
I have two fathers, two beautiful fathers
One of them is brown and one of them is white
One of them taught me how to sing, one of them taught me how to write
Now I put the two together and I know wrong from right”
-Nahko Bear, from the song “Warrior”
I must admit that I had not heard of Nahko until a month ago. While working on a few projects, I pulled up his music for background noise and found myself stopped in my tracks. The music was good, but even more so, the melody, the lyrics, and Nahko’s indescribably smooth vocals are not done justice in the background.
There is so much distraction in one’s day to day. So much noise. Traffic, planes overhead, blaring TV, flashing lights, buzzing devices, and faces turned down into cell phones. Even music seems to just be adding to the noise with lyrics that only aid the beat and hold no real meaning. Nahko is incredibly left of the norm and entirely refreshing.
The mood of Nahko’s music is incredibly meditative and inspired, each song telling its own story and piecing together Nahko’s feelings and past. His lyrics are more than just a rhyme to fill a space, but rather an entire narrative put to song. His voice and music command the listener’s attention and it is clear why his following is growing by the minute. He is a known social activist and water protector, which is a term you may have most heard used in concerns to the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline or DAPL. Nahko uses his music to help his voice be heard and to give a voice to those who may not have the same reach.
Nahko was adopted as an infant and much of his music expresses his path towards discovering his own identity and how his parents (birth and adoptive) made him who he is. Nahko was able to reconnect with his mother, a victim of human trafficking, through Adoption.com and has built a relationship with her as they both live out incredibly stories of triumph over obstacles and heartbreak. His birth mother, Elisia, has a devastatingly beautiful story of overcoming all odds and their reunion is one of healing. Nahko’s latest music video, “Dragonfly” features Paris Jackson, the daughter of the late Michael Jackson. Check out the video here and read Nahko’s full adoption reunion story to find out more!
If you want to begin your own reunion story, visit the new adoption information website.
