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Posts Tagged ‘Chaske Spencer’

The Battiest Brothers Debut “The Storm” Music Video, a Tribute to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and Celebrate Launch of Unconquered Media on September 17 at Paradise Live Theater at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Twilight Wolf Pack Actors Chaske Spencer and Kiowa Gordon Plus Genevieve, Randy, Jaffar and Jermajesty Jackson to Walk the Red Carpet at 9 p.m. as Part of Festivities

Hollywood, Fla. – Spencer and Zachary “Doc” Battiest will host a celebrity watch party on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Paradise Live theater at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in celebration of the debut of “The Storm” music video. The production is an elaborate visual accompaniment to the Battiest’s first single of the same name written as a tribute to the Seminole Tribe. The song is currently available on iTunes and Amazon.com. The party will also serve to launch Unconquered Media, a Hollywood, Florida-based company owned by Spencer and Zach ‘DOC’ Battiest.

A variety of celebrities including the Twilight film series’ “Wolf Pack” actors Chaske Spencer and Kiowa Gordon plus Genevieve, Randy, Jaffar and Jermajesty Jackson (niece and nephews of Michael Jackson) will walk the red carpet at 9 p.m. and attend the party immediately following.

Directed by Steven Paul Judd, “The Storm” music video was filmed entirely on Seminole land and in historic tribal locations.  An all Native American team conceived and produced the stunning visuals designed to capture the viewer’s imagination. Both the song and the video were created as an homage to the Battiest’s parents, grandparents, and tribal leaders incorporating a love of the ancestry, tribal culture and personal insight of their upbringing.

“Our Tribe’s young men, the Battiest brothers, show what hard work and dedication can achieve,” said James E. Billie, chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. “I’m happy that the Seminole Tribe along with Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino believe in the future of our young tribal men. We are excited to welcome our friends from all around the world to join in the celebration of the launch of Unconquered Media and the release of ‘The Storm’ music video.”

Though relayed from the point-of-view of a modern day Seminole, the video respectfully pays tribute to the leaders of the past. The music video’s opening shots portray the Battiest brothers pulling up in a Bentley and later cut to emotional images of the duo performing their heartfelt lyrics in a re‐creation of a traditional tribal campsite on the Big Cypress Seminole reservation. Captivating and mesmerizing black and white still and moving images of prominent historical tribal members and their families are featured throughout the production.

One scene even captures the artists in a true natural rainstorm that is described by the brothers as “a shower of blessings from mother earth in the heart of The Everglades swamp.”

The original stirring song featuring the rhythmic rap of Zachary “Doc” Battiest blended with the soulful blues melodies of his brother, Spencer, was self-written and produced in their studio during a night-long session. The song’s lyrics capture the Tribe’s emotional history with its trials and tribulations describing fights with encroaching armies to mothers filling the mouths of crying babies with mud to protect tribal campsites from marauding soldiers to Osceola’s dramatic declaration of non-surrender. Key lines refute the clichéd current public caricature of the Seminoles and assert power and unity.

“….Before the Rez before the rock before we had our money, We once was warriors fam keepers of the land, No weapon formed against us could ever withstand, They thought they had our number when they tried to wipe us out… and …Since they couldn’t take us ‘way now here we stay, Standing strong with our heads up the Seminole way, Tradition flows like the blood in our veins, we’ll never forget from where we came, Unconquered even today…”

“The stereotypes deserve response,” said Doc Battiest.  “We are musicians, but we are also storytellers, Seminoles.  We owe much to our ancestors.  We owe much to our children.”

Spencer Battiest began performing with his brother, parents and grandparents in a touring gospel show when he was six years old.  He graduated to the world stage with the John Robert Powers Talent Agency and was awarded “The Best Teen Male Artist” at the International Presentation of Performers (IPOP).  He has since opened for such performers as Bruce Springsteen, Sting, The Police and other internationally acclaimed acts at Hard Rock Calling live concerts in London’s Hyde Park.

Doc, who took a hiatus in his teens from performing to concentrate on sports and lead a more “normal” life, returned to music with a vengeance at 16. Since then, he has been writing music, dancing, rapping, and attending to his first love, drumming and percussion.

“The most memorable music is music with a purpose,” said 20-year-old Spencer, a veteran gospel/ R&B performer with a performance resume that dates from pre-school. “We’ve listened to the stories and songs of our Tribe since we were four or five years old.  Our music and this video pays reverence to the unconquered spirit they represent and we wanted to pass these cultural treasures along.  We owe a debt of love to many.”

He added that the duo does not define its music as “Indian music.”  “We each have different influences and inspirations,” he explained.  “But this project was a labor of love and reflects an important part of both of us.”

Additional information about “The Storm” single and video and the Battiest brothers can be found at www.unconqueredmedia.com, www.thestormsong.com, www.spencerbattiest.com and http://www.youtube.com/user/UnconqueredMedia#p/a/u/1/1YlBX1Mrd6k.

 

Albuquerque, NM, April 12 – With much anticipation from the American Indian and Canadian Aboriginal Arts and Entertainment industry audience and fans, the Award nominees, in multiple categories, have been announced and released for the 2011 North American Indigenous Image Awards event (NAIIA 2011).  Award nominees fall into fourteen (14) categories including: Outstanding Actor (Film or TV), Outstanding Actress (Film or TV), Outstanding Feature Film, Outstanding Album Single, Outstanding Blues Jazz Album, Outstanding Hip Hop Rap Album, Outstanding Country Album, Outstanding Comedy Performance, Outstanding Magazine, Outstanding Calendar, and more.  The NAIIA 2011 event is hosted and sponsored by the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Albuquerque.  NAIIA 2011 is taking place on Friday, April 29, 2011, in the Hard Rock Showroom. The show begins with a Red Carpet Opening at 6pm and Awards show at 7pm.

Nominees for Outstanding Actor include: Gil Birmingham for his role in “Eclipse”, Gary Farmer for his role in “Good  Neighbors”, Zahn McClarnon for his role in “Medium”, Chaske Spencer for his role in “New Moon”, and Noah Watts for his role in “Search for the Worlds Best Indian Taco”.  Excitement is unraveling as two (2) Twilight Saga actors are going head-to-head for the NAIIA Outstanding Actor Award: Gil Birmingham (Eclipse) and Chaske Spencer (New Moon). This is creating much buzz on social networks and in the media alike.

Outstanding Actress nominees include the following great talent: Kaniehtiio Horn for her role in “Mohawk Girls”, Crystle Lighting for her role in “Search for the World’s Best Indian Taco”, and Georgina Lightning for her role in “Older Than America”.   Outstanding Feature Film award nominees include: “Barking Water “written and directed by Sterlin Harjo, “Older Than America” written and directed by Georgina Lightning, and “Pearl” produced by David Rennke and the Chickasaw Nation.  In the area of music, the following works are up for Outstanding Album Single: “The Storm” by DOC feat. Spencer Battiest, “Don’t Make Me Love You” by Victoria Blackie, “Soul Back Jack” by Desiree Dorion, “What if  We Could” by Eagle & Hawk, and “The Original 2 Step” by Chase Manhattan.

“The NAIIA Awards show is different from other Indigenous Awards shows.” comments Christine Means, Co-Founder and Executive Producer of the NAIIA event.  “The NAIIA awards are not structured as a people’s choice awards program. These awards are not a popularity contest.  The nominees are reviewed and evaluated by a carefully chosen selection committee composed of seasoned industry professionals.”  For a complete list of NAIIA nominees, visit www.indigenousimageawards.com.

The awards will include performances by several of  the NAIIA nominees along with Award Presentations made by top native stars and professionals in the arts.  Some of the presenters include: Chaske Spencer, nominee and actor ( New Moon, Eclipse, Into the West, Skins); Gil Birmingham, nominee and actor  (Rango, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Into the West), Hollywood Casting Director, Rene Haynes (New Moon, Eclipse, Into the West, Dances with Wolves); and guitarist-singer, Grammy-Award Winner, 5 time NAMA Winner, Multi-platinum recording artist, Creator/Director of The Seminole Tribe of Florida’s “Seminole Star Search & Native Music Rocks”, and the Vice President of  Native Music Rocks Records”,  Micki Free.

As a compliment to the NAIIA awards show, the NAIIA Executives are pleased to announce an exciting new addition to the NAIIA 2011 event.  A Hollywood Casting Call for the movie CROOKED ARROWS has been arranged and will be taking place in conjunction with the NAIIA Awards on Thursday, April 28. Rene Haynes, who does the majority of the casting of Indigenous people for Hollywood comments “Rene Haynes Casting is very excited to pair up with the North American Indigenous Image Awards to help promote Natives in the arts. Our upcoming casting call will give many aspiring young Native American actors the opportunity to read for the fun and exciting upcoming feature film CROOKED ARROWS (about the great sport of Lacrosse!).” For details on the April 28th casting call or to learn about auditioning via video submission, visit the film’s all new web site: www.crookedarrows.com”.

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