Öngtupqa Trio – Past Concerts

Music has the power to connect people to place in a profound way. With the Desert View Watchtower offering one of the world’s most renowned cultural and geographic landscapes, a trio of musicians with a strong connection to Grand Canyon recorded music inside the Watchtower on October 17, 2017. Through traditional Hopi vocals, the ancient sounds of the Hopi long flute and clay pot percussion, Öngtupqa (the Hopi name for Grand Canyon that translates to "Salt Canyon") features the oldest instruments from this corner of the world through original compositions inspired by the canyon.

Clark Tenakhongva, Gary Stroutsos, and Matthew Nelson use their mastery of voice, flute and percussion to bring the acoustics within the building to life and use the Watchtower itself as an acoustic vessel.