interview - dpd

I was waiting for a movie to start and so I found myself inside a bookstore with time to kill. I picked up Rolling Stone magazine and ended up reading a short blurb about a Navajo, political, punk rock band called Blackfire. The write up instantly intrigued me and so I ditched the movie, went straight home, got online and googled them. What I found was an amazing story of a family of artists performing for generations.

Blackfire is made up of three siblings - Klee (Vocals/guitars), Jeneda (bass/vocals), and Clayson (drums) Benally. The Benally kids were born into a political dispute where their lands were trying to be taken away by force. This coupled with their strong ties to heritage, and an independent lifestyle, would lead to their message in their “fireball” brand of punk. Aside from being born into political activism, the members of Blackfire were born into the performing arts. Their father Jones Benally, is a world champion Hoop Dancer and traditional Navajo consultant - together with his children, the Jones Benally Family have mesmerized audiences for years, performing traditional cultural dances and teaching Navajo ways.

With such a background you can imagine what Blackfire has been through till now. Stories range from playing across desserts in Timbuktu, to sitting in the studio with Joey Ramone. I was lucky enough to track down Blackfire for a phone interview on September 19th, 2007. The following videos sum up our conversation.

Music & Politics

D.I.Y.

EXTRA! Hear about Blackfire’s relationship with The Ramones:

Blackfire’s Home Site: blackfire.net
Blackfire’s Myspace: myspace.com/blackfirerocks