Pura Fe’

Initially working as a background singer, in the studio as well as in Broadway musicals, she eventually felt the need to express herself through her own songs. “It came out just like that, all of a sudden!” she recalls. This outburst took the name of Ulali in 1987. This singing trio, formed with Soni Moreno and Jennifer Kreisberg, rapidly made waves with its bluesy Native American sounds. The connection between Native music and the African-American primal art form, abundantly explored by one of Pura Fé’s most ardent fans, Taj Mahal, then became her trademark as she started her solo career with the help of the Music Maker Relief Foundation.

“There have been many interactions between Native Americans and African-Americans since slavery. People don’t always know it, but Native peoples have played a major role in the development of American music, whether it’s jazz, blues or rock’n’roll.”

When she’s not touring or fighting for civil rights, Pura Fé sings her Tuscarora blues songs at home, to the sound of her lap-steel guitar.