Raymond Carlos Nakai (b. 1946, Flagstaff, Arizona) is of Navajo and Ute descent. After an injury ended his time playing brass instruments in a military band, he took up the traditional cedar Native American flute, releasing his debut album Changes in 1983 and going on to record more than 50 albums, most for Canyon Records. His 1989 release Canyon Trilogy became the first solo Native American flute recording to sell over one million copies.

Mood and energy: Contemplative, breath-led, expansive. Recommended uses: reflection, meditation, nature immersion.

Sacred Ground Confidence Score: 5 out of 5 stars   Final recommendation: Approved.

Why this artist belongs in Sacred Sounds: Widely regarded as the most recorded and most influential Native American flutist of the modern era, whose Navajo-Ute heritage and five-decade recording career make him the essential reference point for this collection.