Treasures of the Southwest

What was your favorite fact that you learned about the landforms, economy and culture of the Southwest?  I loved being able to share what I learned about Arizona and New Mexico when I lived on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona.  It was also fun to see pictures of many of my favorite places on earth, like Sedona, Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico.  I didn't realize how many of the fruits and vegetables that we eat in Minnesota were grown in the Southwest.  I also learned that the some of the cotton of the clothes I wear every day was grown in the Southwest.

As always, my favorite part to learn about each region is the genre or genres of music that are popular there.  Here are some of my favorite musicians from the Southwest:

Buddy Holly was from Lubbock, Texas, and still influences many musicians today with his energizing style of rock and roll.

Roy Orbison, probably known best for his song "Pretty Woman", was also from Texas.  "You Got It" was another favorite, which he performs here.  If you like his music, you should check out some of the songs he wrote and performed with The Traveling Wilburys.

When my mom was a kid growing up in South Dakota in the 1950s, she would take tickets from the concert goers at the door.  She met many famous musicians that way and had her picture taken with them, including old-time country musician Conway Twitty who spent part of his life in the Southwest.

Oklahomans Carrie Underwood (gospel and country vocalist) and Kristin Chenoweth (known for her role as Glinda in the Broadway version of "Wicked") join Christina Applegate for a visit down memory lane as they sing a medley of songs from the 1960s.

Radmilla Cody is a famous vocalist  from the Navajo Nation in Arizona who obviously takes a lot of pride in her Navajo upbringing and culture .  The first video shows the special clothing, jewelry, rugs and other art that is unique to the Navajo culture as she drums and sings a song in her language.  The second video is Ms. Cody singing "Beautiful Dawn", again in the Navajo language.  Did you notice the landforms, animals, blankets, and other special art pieces that represent the culture of the Navajo people in Arizona and New Mexico?