OKMULGEE, Okla.- Mvskoke soprano Kirsten Kunkle recently performed a lullaby in the Mvskoke language at the Kennedy Center. She was joined on stage by her five-year old daughter, Stephanie. To Kunkle’s knowledge it may be the first time an Indigenous language has ever been performed at the prestigious performing arts center.
“This was truly, to our knowledge, the first time Native languages have been sung in the Kennedy Center,” Kunkle said.
The Jan. 13 performance came about through Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, who had been asked to curate a concert with PostClassical Ensemble, a Washington D.C. based orchestra. When Kunkle was asked by the conductor, Ángel Gil-Ordóñez, if she could perform something in Mvskoke she immediately thought of “Mvskoke Lullaby.”
She also immediately thought of her daughter, who has been listening to the song since she was born. “I learned it and I wanted her to grow up hearing it. She knows it and has sung it her entire life. She’s actually performed it with me before at a school event for Indigenous Peoples Day,” she shared.
Gil-Ordóñez was thrilled at the idea, and her daughter was as well. “She did amazing, she was such a pro, we practiced every night what it would be like singing and leaving. I think she stole the show,” Kunkle said.
Kunkle learned the song through language material offered by the Mvskoke Language Program, which has lyrics, sheet music, and historical recordings of the song. She said, “It’s probably the most recognizable piece in Mvskoke and I’ve used it in outreach before, so I know it pretty well.”
To view a video of this first for Native language performance and an interview with Kunkle, visit our youtube channel, youtube.com/@MvskokeMedia.
