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YOU CAN'T STAY HERE |
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Jeff Stewart: Photos and Bio and more at www.JeffStewart.com About Pam O'Daniel (aka Mahala): Mahala is of Cherokee, Choctaw, and Irish descent, and was born in Winfield, Kansas. Her father was a foreman and a welder for the Santa Fe railroad. During those years, Mahala and her family lived in a boxcar and traveled around to where ever her father was needed. Later, she lived in Phoenix, Arizona for about a year. While there, Mahala studied different forms of musical expression. Returning to Kansas, this time to Wichita, Mahala started to express herself through her compositions. In 1980, she made the decision to leave Kansas for a shot at "the Big Time". So she packed up everything and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Early on, Mahala was a tour guide at Twitty City, Conway Twitty's home and museum. While working for Conway, she met Harlan Howard, one of Nashville's top country songwriters. He told her "Be true to yourself. Write what you know and write what you're good at." She had some minor success writing country songs in Europe. To help sustain her, Mahala worked for several bands and worked solo in small clubs in and around Nashville. She was the lead female singer in a country band called Odessa. Then she worked as the female singer for a big band called 1941. It was during these years that Mahala realized she needed to go back to her writing. In 1994, Mahala was honored by having her picture placed on the wall of the Blue Bird Cafe along with 22 other up-and-coming songwriters in the Nashville area, as well as being included in Dee Davis's book called Looking for Number One. After having met initially in 1990, Mahala and Chris James met again in 1997 at the Broken Spoke. Renewing their acquaintance, Mahala and Chris decided to start writing some songs together. They agreed to write what was in their hearts. Shortly thereafter, Mahala learned officially of her native heritage. Burial grounds being desecrated in the Nashville area led Mahala to participate in the ensuing Native American protests where she met Luther Medicine Bird Black Bear White Eagle, a Cheyenne Medicine Man, who is very active in bringing about awareness of the plight of the Native American Community. Mahala's heart and spirit were moved to write the CD Sacred Ground. Mahala has won awards for her music at the International Windsong Film Festival for Best Song for "Sacred Ground" in 2002, and for Outstanding Musical Contribution for the films "Patrick", "Animal Totems", and "Magic Chalk" in 2003. Her next album, the soon to be released Four Winds, will feature the single "Snowfall", an honor song for Lori Piestewa who was killed in action in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mahala was honored to have this played for Lori's entire family at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 26, 2003, the audience included President George W. Bush. The song was also played at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona on May 30, 2003 for Lori's family during a benefit concert for Brandon and Carla Piestewa, Lori's surviving children. Mahala recently appeared at the Native American Convention at Pinson Mounds near Jackson, Tennessee and performed for the delegates. She also appeared at the Native American Cultural Circle Pow Wow at Port Royal State Park near Clarksville, Tennessee and the NAIA (Native American Indian Association) Pow Wow at Four Corners marina in Mt. Juliet, just outside of Nashville. Mahala was honored to be nominated for Song/Single of the Year for "Native Land" for 2003 with the NAMA's (Native American Music Awards).
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