Pick up any book about 21st century American music and the pages will be dominated by information on the genre’s White and African-American pioneers, from Buddy Holly to James Brown to Miles Davis. It is unlikely, however, that you will read about the influence of artists with a Native American heritage, of which there are a considerable number. Indeed, the importance of the First Nations’ contribution to contemporary music has long been overlooked, but a new film entitled “Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World” is recognising their legacy for the first time.
The film’s title comes from the classic instrumental by Link Wray, a Native American who was a key figure in the genealogy of rock ’n’ roll. Released in 1958, “Rumble” was a groundbreaking guitar tune that predated contemporary garage and surf rock by 50 years, and was a major influence on the world’s greatest rock guitarists such as Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. Despite this, Wray’s heritage was unknown or hidden from the general public.