INDIGENOUS

Born and raised on the Yankton Sioux reservation in South Dakota, indigenous front man Mato Nanji (ma-toe non-gee) dedicates his latest release, Time is Coming (on Blues Bureau International), to
the indigenous youth and all young people on the indigenous reservations.

“Still to this day, the struggle continues to just live in peace. Growing up here on the
reservation I’ve seen a lot of broken families…broken homes. I feel our families’ “tiospaye” are the core of what makes us who we are. Now family and its meaning is not as strong as it used to be for our people…almost non-existent. So I send my heart and soul out to the indigenous
children having a tough time in their lives and in their homes. This record is inspired by
them and made in their honor. I hope for the best for all. Tomorrow is another day.”
Mato Nanji’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 ‘60s,
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 (2005) would follow before the 2006 decision by the siblings to ‘disband’ and
pursue their own musical paths, but Mato carried on with the Indigenous band name.
“Playing with my family for 10 years was a lot of fun, but it was time to grow and keep
moving forward.”

Mato continued touring and in 2006 released Chasing the Sun. 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.
On 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.”
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 the Blues Bureau
International label 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. It’s truly
a blues lover’s ‘match made in heaven’.

In addition to his Indigenous ‘day job’, Mato Nanji has been a member of the critically
acclaimed Experience Hendrix Tour 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 Buddy Guy, Chris Layton, and Tommy Shannon (Double
Trouble), Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, and Robert Randolph.

• Band website