Recommended ReadsSeptember 1st, 2020
Rumble: The story of the Native Americans who shaped rock music
Until I watched this documentary, I had no idea that rock, blues, jazz and metal have such deep roots in Native American music. Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World takes its name from arguably the most influential song of the 21st century, an electrifying, trailblazing (and banned from radio) instrumental track written in 1958 by Shawnee musician Link Wray. The track is credited with introducing the power chord to mainstream rock music.
The film goes beyond its initial intention of recognising the contributions Native American artists have made to music, and uncovers influences going way back to the beginnings of blues.
A standout scene is Tuscarora/Taíno musician Pura Fé listening to Charley Patton, “the father of Delta Blues”, singing Down the Dirt Road. Patton is believed to have Choctaw ancestry. As Patton cries out “I’m going away to a place unknown” in a style that would later influence Howlin Wolf, Fé claps out the beat and smiles.
“That’s Indian music with a guitar,” she says. “That’s where it went.”
