Taos Pueblo musician Robert Mirabal was told his recordings weren't "traditional" enough to qualify for a Grammy nomination.
So he created a new character called Johnny Whitehorse and recorded an album with more traditional flute sounds. And "Totemic Flute Chants" ended up winning a Grammy on Sunday.
"We were joking at the time, 'What if he wins a Grammy?'" Mirabal told The Albuquerque Journal. "Everything was based on a very tongue-in-cheek creation."
Johnny Whitehorse even has a record deal -- something Mirabal doesn't have. "That's funny, isn't it? They signed a character for a five-album deal," he said of his deal with Silver Wave Records.
Get the Story:Taos Pueblo Musician's Cd, Recorded Under a Pseudonym, Honored With Grammy (The Albuquerque Journal 2/12) Relevant Links:
Johnny Whitehorse - http://www.johnnywhitehorse.com
Johnny Whitehorse, myspace - http://www.myspace.com/jwhitehorse
Silverwave Records - http://www.silverwave.com/index.shtml
Grammys - http://www.grammy.com
