Nahko and Medicine for the People
Nahko and Medicine for the People in 2017
Background information
OriginUnited States
GenresWorldbeat
Years active2008–present
LabelsMedicine Tribe Records, Side One Dummy Records
Members
  • Nahko Bear
  • Justin Chittams
  • Joe Hall
  • Patricio Zuñiga Labarca
  • Max Ribner
  • Tim Snider
  • TJ Schaper
Past members
  • Don Corey
  • Hope Medford
  • Chase Makai
Websitenahko.com

Nahko and Medicine for the People is an American world music group. The six-member band is headed by frontman Nahko Bear.

Background

Born in Portland, Oregon, of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent, Nahko Bear was adopted at a young age and raised by a white family. It wasn't until his early twenties that he would meet his birth mother. He wrote the song "Early February" shortly before this meeting; it describes a woman far too young to be pregnant putting her baby in the bed of a woman she'd never met. Bear says his creative inspiration is the desire to bridge cultural gaps,[1] and that he has been musically inclined since the age of six, when he started learning to play the piano.[2] Bear has also worked as a piano teacher and music director.[2] In 2012, he began traveling around the United States in a van with his dog.[2] In 2017, Bear released a solo album titled My Name Is Bear, under the name Nahko.[3]

On July 8, 2020, following accusations from multiple individuals[4] of sexually inappropriate behavior, Bear resigned from the board of Honor the Earth. In their statement, "Regarding Nahko", the Honor the Earth board stated that they have "a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual behavior".[4]

Band members

Current

  • Nahko Bear – vocals
  • Justin Chittams – drums
  • Joe Hall – lead guitar
  • Patricio Zuñiga Labarca – bass guitar
  • Max Ribner – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Tim Snider – electric violin
  • TJ Schaper – trombone[5]

Past

  • Hope Medford – hand percussion and rhythm
  • Don Corey – bass (recorded on Dark as Night)
  • Chase Makai – lead guitar

Tours and festivals

Nahko and Medicine for the People have toured with Nattali Rize, Rebelution, Michael Franti, Trevor Hall, Dispatch, Xavier Rudd, and SOJA.[1] The band largely appears at alternative music festivals,[1][5] including the Greenbelt Festival,[6] the ARISE Music Festival,[7] and Tour de Fat.[7]

Discography

Nahko and Medicine for the People

Studio albums

  • Dark As Night (2013)
  • On the Verge (2014)
  • HOKA (2016)
  • Take Your Power Back (2020)

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
AAA
[8]
"Wash It Away" 2014 — Non-album single
"Lifeguard" 2019 36 Take Your Power Back
"Slow Down" —
"Garden" 2020 —
"Honor the Earth" —
"—" denotes single did not chart or was not released in that territory

Nahko

  • My Name Is Bear (2017)

References

  1. 1 2 3 D'Angleo, Chris (February 20, 2015). "Nahko: Medicinal music". TheGardenIsland.com. The Garden Island. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 James Wood, Kevin (January 18, 2016). "Sex, Drugs and Spirituality: An Interview with Nahko Bear". Kevin James Wood. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Singer-Songwriter Nahko Discusses How Politics & Meeting His Birth Mother Influenced Solo Album 'My Name Is Bear'". billboard.com. October 17, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Honor the Earth Board Statement Regarding Nahko, July 8,2020". Honor the Earth. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Hucka, TJ. "Nahko and Medicine For The People". LifeIsBeautiful.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Greeenbelt Festival 2016 Lineup". Greeenbelt Festival. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "New Belgium announces Tour de Fat schedule". Coloradoan. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Nahko and Medicine for the People Triple A Songs Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2020.

Further reading

Reviews
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