Above photo of Donna Gentile and Tim White performing at Ninham Mountain Pow Wow in Kent/Carmel, NY courtesy of Richard Killian.
About the Medicine Songs
Donna sings originals and covers with a rich, vintage voice and percussive rhythm guitar style. Think upbeat, heart-felt, playful, deep and soulful Americana, folk, roots and Native spirit-inspired. Gentile has had profound medicine music come through after praying to ancestors as well as a song for veterans and all who serve… songs to help process emotions and take back personal power… songs to celebrate the journey through parenting, triumphs after pain, enduring love, living freely and fully, and more.
Listen below and read about the Cherokee Song for Gentle Birthing and Shawnee Song for Crossing Over.
River Song for Kira — Cherokee Song for Gentle Birthing
In Cherokee tradition, women take pregnant mothers to sacred space and ask the unborn child and Creator to bring forth a song for gentle birthing. The mother sings the song to the baby in her belly during pregnancy and again at birth, which comforts the baby and eases the transition from womb to the world. Later in life, when the child is older, and if that child strays and gets into trouble or loses his or her way, the youth is invited back home where the tribe makes a circle around them and sings their birth song in an effort to bring that relative back home to his or her roots, connection and knowing.
During pregnancy, Gentile prayed to ancestors for medicine to help protect the baby in her belly from violence they were experiencing throughout pregnancy. After that, she learned about the Cherokee tradition described above from Walela, a band consisting of three Cherokee women singers. It inspired Donna to visit the Farmington River where she immersed her belly into the water and asked Creator and her unborn baby to bring forth a song for gentle birthing. River Song For Kira was born. It is a sacred song to be shared.
Above photo of Kira Gentile by Donna Gentile.
Crossing Over — Honor Song to Give Our Loved Ones Wings
When Donna’s father was home on hospice, she prayed to ancestors for medicine to help him change worlds and received a teaching by Tecumseh (Shawnee) called “Life Your Life,” which she read to her father.
In the teaching, Tecumseh states — “Prepare a noble death song for the day you go over the Great Divide… and sing that song like a hero marching home.”
Gentile told her Dad she would write him such a song. Then realizing the depth of the promise, she prayed to ancestors for medicine. Crossing Over came through just three days before her father passed, and Donna was able to sing it to him before his Soul took flight.
Gentile had done a sacred stone ceremony with her Dad in which he held river stones and prayed medicine into them for family members. The Eagle and rock medicine made their way into the song. Crossing Over is an honor song that is meant to give our loved ones wings. Please share!
Photo collage of Fred Gentile and Eagle by sister Betsy Gentile.
Heritage
Donna’s mother is Irish, Lithuanian and German and her father is Italian and Slovakian (that we know of).
Gentile’s daughter may have Cherokee on her father’s side and it would make sense due to the fact that a Cherokee Birth Song came through her.
The Gentile girls believe their Dad was Native American by the way he lived his life and due to the fact that a medicine song inspired by Tecumseh (Shawnee) came through him before changing worlds and he said “I’m coming back as a bald eagle, so look for me.” The family has had many profound eagle encounters since.
Purpose
Gentile believes that we are all connected and all native to the lands from which we come with ancient indigenous roots and deep connections to nature and our divine Creator. She celebrates her European roots, and her heart is native to the United States of America.
Donna’s message is one of triumph, freedom, unity, healing and empowerment. She sings and dances for ancestors, veterans and all who serve (including the two-legged and the winged), for liberty, and to raise the vibration and have good ‘ole fashioned fun!