Sihasin

Biography

Sihasin is a trio of multi award-winning musicians Jeneda and Clayson Benally from the (Dine) Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona and their father. As brother and sister they grew up protesting the environmental degradation and inhumane acts of cultural genocide against their traditional way of life.

The family tour throughout the world playing music, facilitating youth empowerment workshops and striving to build bridges of respect between communities, cultures, and our relationship with the environment.  They have released two albums, both produced by Ed Stasium (The Ramones, Talking Heads, Living Colour, Joan Jett, Mick Jagger). Both album releases, “Never Surrender” and “Fight like a Woman” won Native American Awards, Global Music Awards, and Indian summer Music Awards.  In 2016, they collaborated with The Okee Dokee Brothers on a song called “Sister Moon and Brother Sun” on the album “A Western Adventure Album” which received a Grammy Nomination. In 2017-2018’s Winter season, Sihasin’s rendition of  “Winter Wonderland” (Cleopatra Records, “Punk Rock Christmas”) was used in Hyundai’s car commercial “Naughty or Nice”alongside legendary singer Tony Bennett. The trio has been ambassadors for American Music Abroad through the State Department, touring communities in Peru and playing for the American Embassy’s Fourth of July event at the Ambassador’s Estate. They collaborated with Peruvian band, Uchpa, to create a song on behalf of the event titled, “Freedom”.  Their song “Shine” spent 18 weeks on Sirius XM’S Aboriginal Countdown reaching the #1 spot and they were highlighted in the Huffington Post as the #1 Freedom Fighting band to get you through the Trump Years.

In their three decades of playing music and touring, they have performed on many stages including The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Tanz n Folk Fest, L’Oympia Theatre, Worldfest, The Woody Guthrie Center, The Amerind Museum, for the US Embassy in Peru, and on many Indigenous Reservations throughout The United States.

For 3 decades, brother and sister Jeneda and Clayson Benally have been recording and touring bringing their empowering organic conscious raising charged music to communities throughout Europe and North America.

Multi award winning musicians Jeneda and Clayson Benally from the (Dine) Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona create an explosive duo of just bass, drums and vocals with a traditional Navajo backbone bridging folk, rock, world, pop and a little punk. As brother and sister they grew up protesting the environmental degradation and inhumane acts of cultural genocide against their traditional way of life. Sihasins music reflects hope for equality, healthy and respectful communities and social and environmental justice.

Accomplishments:
Their first album “Never Surrender” produced by Grammy award winner Ed Stasium has won just about every award on the American Indian Music Scene. “Never Surrender” spent 18 weeks on Sirius XM’S Aboriginal countdown reaching the #1 spot and was highlighted in the Huffington Post as the #1 Freedom Fighting band to get you through the Trump Years.

Sihasin’s second album “Fight Like A Woman” also produced by Ed Stasium, released in May 2018 has received 11 nominations in the Native American Music Categories, has won 2 Global MusicAwards, Best Pop in the Indian Summer Music Awards and 5 nominations in the Native American Music Awards and is in current rotation throughout the world on Undercurrents radio and many college and independent radio stations. Sihasin is a rare band that does more than just perform. They leave their audiences with an exhilarating feeling of hope and respect and cultural appreciation. The duo also gives presentations and workshops on Native American culture and history.

Workshops combine the creative process of solution -finding with music and are tailored for every age group especially in schools but not limited to libraries, conferences, concerts and festivals.