Indigenous

Indigenous front man, Mato Nanji (Ma-TOE NON-gee), was born and raised on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.  Mato’s father, the late Greg Zephier, Sr., was a well-known and highly respected spiritual advisor and spokesperson for the International Indian Treaty Council.  In addition to this leadership role, he was an accomplished musician and a member of the musical group, The Vanishing Americans.  Formed by Greg and his brothers in the ‘60’s, The Vanishing Americans toured nationally and shared bills with such legends as Bonnie Raitt.  Besides being heavily influenced by the music his father and uncles were making, Mato was exposed to Greg’s vast collection of blues records by legendary artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King.  Consequently, Mato embraced and began utilizing his own musical talent at a young age.  With the experience, love and wisdom of their father to guide them, Mato, his brother, sister and cousin formed the band Indigenous while in their late teens.

After much time invested in practicing and building a following, they began touring extensively across the country.  In 1998, they released their award winning debut album Things We Do.  The title track’s video, directed by Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals), won the American Indian Film Festival Award and was shown at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.  Indigenous’ music caught the attention of blues icon B.B. King and the young band was invited to play on his annual B.B. King’s Blues Tour in 1999.  Sadly, Mr. Zephier would pass away before seeing his children receive this great honor.  

With momentum gaining, Indigenous’ 2000 sophomore release, Circle, was produced and arranged by Stevie Ray Vaughan’s longtime friend and collaborator, the late Doyle Bramhall, Sr.  Three more cds; Fistful of Dirt (2002), Indigenous (2003) and Long Way Home (EP, 2005) would follow before the 2006 decision by the siblings to ‘disband’ and pursue their own musical paths.  Mato carried on with the Indigenous name.  “Playing with my family for 10 years was a lot of fun, but it was time to grow and keep moving forward.” 

Moving forward, Mato continued touring and released Chasing The Sun in 2006.  Two of the cd’s songs, “Come On Home” and “Leaving”, were featured on the hit Discovery Channel show The Deadliest Catch. “Come on Home” was also featured on FX’s Sons of Anarchy.
  
In 2008’s Broken Lands, an intensely personal record, Mato and Leah, his lyricist and wife, pay tribute to his Native heritage.  The album decries the poverty, isolation and reality of life on the reservation with “Place I Know.” The album gains its title from the line, “all is lost in these broken lands.”  

After touring with different musicians between 2006 and 2009, Mato connected with guitarist/singer Derek Post.  Mato took an interest in Derek’s developing career, working together to produce Derek’s EP, Ebb and the Flow.  Shortly after, Mato invited Derek to join Indigenous. Charles Sanders, a drummer/keyboard player and band mate of Derek’s, was introduced to Mato and joined the band a year later. The three have been touring together consistently since.

Of The Acoustic Sessions (released in 2010), Mato commented, “It’s a collection of some of my favorite songs that celebrate 10 years of releasing albums. Every song that I have ever written began with the acoustic guitar, so it only felt natural to create an acoustic album.”  

Indigenous featuring Mato Nanji (2012) would mark Nanji’s debut on Blues Bureau International and the beginning of his collaboration with noted producer, Mike Varney.  Joining Mato on the disc’s opening track “Free Yourself, Free Your Mind” is the soulful Jonny Lang.  On it, the two guitar-masters trade vocals and guitar solos.  Truly a blues lover’s ‘match made in heaven’.

In addition to his Indigenous ‘day job’, Mato Nanji has been a member of the annual Experience Hendrix Tour Band since 2002.  Playing alongside original Jimi Hendrix band members Billy Cox and the late Mitch Mitchell, the tour roster includes some of today’s blues greats including Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon (Double Trouble), Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, and Robert Randolph. 

Following their 2012 Experience Hendrix Tour, Nanji collaborated with two of his fellow EHT band mates, David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) and Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), delivering the hard-driving, blues-infused 3 Skulls and the Truth.

Mato hit the ground running in 2013.  In January he performed at the American Indian Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the re-election of President Barack Obama.

February would bring the Mato Nanji-inspired release from trance-blues artist Otis Taylor, My World Is Gone (Telarc).  Mato and Otis explore the plight of the American Indian people in a lightning bolt of musical creativity and social commentary.  "Mato inspired the entire direction of this album," says Taylor.  "We were talking about history backstage at a Jimi Hendrix tribute concert he had just played, and, in reference to his people, the Native American Nakota Nation, he said 'My world is gone.'  The simplicity and honesty of those four words was so heavy, I know what I had to write about."

"My dad was my favorite musician so he really influenced me a lot with everything.  I just felt it was time to pay tribute to him and his band," says Nanji.  That tribute, Vanishing Americans, was released on May 21, 2013 and promptly found its place on iTunes Top 10 Blues Chart.  Blues Rock Review (6/5/13) said: “each song is brought together with heavy and powerful guitar riffs akin to those of Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix, while bellowing, raspy vocals turn a talented guitarist’s vision into a relatable song for many, just as any praiseworthy blues album should.”

With each new tour, national and international, Mato and the boys continue to attract new audiences and expand the fan base.  They look forward to each opportunity to bring the music to long time fans as well as those hearing them for the first time.