Nahko “Bear” Parayn on the tip, is Oregon native Nahkohe Parayno. A sixth generation Apache/Mohawk this medicinal troubadour (his Cheyenne name given to him by his grandmother) didn’t grow up on his native land, with his Puerto Rican/Indian mother, or Filipino father. Born, raised, and blessed in the suburbs by his adopted family, Nahko found roots in music and throughout his teens taught piano lessons and directed musical productions for local high schools. His talent on the keys eventually got him signed to a seasonal production in Denali, Alaska and there, he praises, in the grandeur and majesty of the wilderness is where he began to discover his truth. Activating his audience with stories of a humbled walk upon this precious earth, Nahko’s ability to criss-cross generational wisdom and inspire in the struggle of classism, racism, Indigenous rights in Native America and abroad, environmental justice – sparking a fire of ambition to live the change and shift with the Aina for a more sacred walk with Spirit. Currently on a medicine music tour (for the rest of his life), Nahko calls the Big Island of Hawaii home. There he works and lives on his brother’s off the grid farm up the Hamakua coast. Cleverly weaving old traditions with modern day paradigm conditions – Medicine for the People focuses on ‘real talk’ lyrically based music – dubbed as “spirited thump-hop storytelling” – promoting sustainability, green energy, and healthy living through music.
