Traditional music
According to 2020 U.S. Census data, 5.1% of Nevada's population is identified as Native American, with the region's most important peoples being the Navajo and Paiute.
Among the former, the Navajos, traditional music is largely vocal and based on repetition. Ceremonies, sometimes very long (lasting up to ten days and nights), are continuously accompanied by sacred chants - invoking the Navajo gods and natural forces to restore harmony and balance. Among the Navajos, there are also songs associated with Késhjééʼ, the "moccasin game" and songs practiced as part of the ceremonial taking of peyote, typically accompanied by a rattle and drum. Other instruments commonly used by the Navajo include drums, rattles, flutes, whistles and the bullroarer (a rhombus).
Since the 1990s, there has also been a strong Navajo rock scene, with bands like Blackfire blending traditional music with alternative rock.
As for the Païutes, their traditional practices bear some similarities to those of the Navajos. Songs are characterized by repetitive rhythmic declamation of words, the repertoire is largely made up of short, rhythmic songs that can be repeated ad infinitum, and there are also game songs.
To get closer to these traditional practices, you can attend the Annual Southern Paiute Veterans Pow-Wow organized every November by the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza. This ceremony is dedicated to the veterans of the various wars in which America has been involved, and provides an opportunity for song and dance.
Otherwise, the village ofEagle Point, known for the glass platform of the Skywalk, is home to Hualapai, Havasupai, Navajo and Hopi dwellings and boasts a 250-seat amphitheatre where dances are regularly programmed.
Vegas icons
It's impossible not to know: entertainment is one of the pillars on which the image of Las Vegas rests. Over the generations, the city and its casinos have offered the biggest names Dantesque exclusivity contracts to ensure the daily presence on their stage, and only on their stage, of huge stars for an entire year - and sometimes (much) more. These shows are, in the image of Vegas, " bigger than life", costing fortunes to produce (some shows reach $50 million in production and sometimes take four years to become profitable) but contributing amply to the prosperity and reputation of the " city of sins". Among the artists eternally associated with Las Vegas, one of the first and most flamboyant will forever remain Liberace. Born in 1919, Wladziu Valentino Liberace first played with the prestigious Chicago Symphony Orchestra (at the age of 21) before turning to the clubs, where he played very... pop and sanitized classical music. He himself described his playing as " classical musicwithout the boredom ". As soon as he arrived in Las Vegas in 1945, his shows were a smash hit, with a mix of humor, exuberance (his famous exuberant satin and ermine costumes, blinged out to the extreme) and mainstream piano. With his lavish fees ($50,000 a week at the Riviera) and his cult of the grandiose show, he laid the foundations for the artistic line of "Vegassian" shows for years to come. Film buffs and the curious should check out Steven Soderbergh's 2013 film Ma vie avec Liberace(Behind the Candelabra), starring Michael Douglas in the title role.
The other Vegas icon is, of course, Elvis Presley. The King played half of his 1,000 American concerts on the Las Vegas stage, notably at the Hilton. In love with the city of sin, he filmed the famous movie Viva Las Vegas in 1964 then married Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967 in the Aladdin chapel. Although the King passed away in 1977, his soul has never left the premises, nor his look-alikes officiating all over the strip.
Last but not least, the city's latest icon: Frank Sinatra! His history with Vegas began in the 1950s, when he performed at the Sands with his famous RatPack. This group of artist friends brought together some of the most popular stars of their time, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. A popular crooner with a jazz accent, Sinatra embarked on an acting career alongside his life as a musician. But Sinatra's sulphurous reputation was not due to the movies, but to his associations, and in particular his friendship with Mafia boss Sam Giancana. Godfather of the Vegas show and immortal icon of song, Sinatra died in 1998.
Among the other shows that have left their mark on the city, Céline Dion's has a special place. The Quebecois queen of song played over a thousand concerts on the Colosseum(Caesars Palace) stage for sixteen years (!). In the same venue, Elton John played five hundred and Britney Spears around 250 at Planet Hollywood.
Classical music
Las Vegas has no great tradition in classical music, not even a major phalanx, but it does have a substantial stage: The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Located in Symphony Park, this neo-Art Deco-style international arts center has been conceived from the outset as an alternative to casino stages, and aims to offer the most brilliant programming possible while drawing inspiration from the world's finest opera houses, concert halls and concert venues (Palais Garnier, Musikverein, La Scala). Opened at the end of 2012, the Smith Center today offers a rich program of concerts ranging from classical to country and pop, and is home to the Nevada Ballet Theatre and the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra. The latter was founded in 1998 by conductor Harold Leighton Weller and has since been led by David Itkin and Donato Cabrera.
Contemporary music
The least we can say is that Vegas' native bands reflect the city's image and think big. Very big. At least those who have achieved a certain notoriety. Among them, the most famous example is The Killers, an indie rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 whose aesthetic is very mainstream stadium rock, made to be played on big stages (like Madison Square Garden or Wembley) in front of large audiences. Not the finest rock, but one that takes everything in its stride. A bit like the other big band in town: Imagine Dragons. Formed in 2008, this rock band likes productions that are also capable of stirring up crowds on very large stages.
Less well known here are the pop-rock band Panic! at the Disco, formed in 2004 and with a huge following in the USA, and the duo Crystal Method, whose electro-rock has left its mark on a whole generation of Americans.
Most of the headliners play at the Thomas & Mack Center. For the big DJs (Tiësto, Calvin Harris, Hardwell, Steve Aoki), head forHakkasan (the MGM Grand's discotheque) and for a good rap concert, Drai's is the place to be for lovers of quality hip-hop (Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Rae Sremmurd, 2 Chainz, Fetty Wap...).
