Biography

Charley Buckland is a performer with a vast array of talents to draw from. Some years ago Charley decided to work for the betterment of Indian people using his multidimensional creative abilities. Carrying his Indian heritage from the Muheakun (Mohican) and Mohawk people he spent his early childhood growing up on the land his ancestors settled in upper New York State. There he was greatly influenced by the memories of his Great Grandfather Amos, and learned much about the traditions of his heritage from his Grandmother Hannah. As a child, he spent time on the Onandaga reservation in New York State as well as the Seminole reservations in south Florida where he learned a great appreciation for the Everglades. He later journeyed to the Lakota reservations in South Dakota where he became acquainted with their traditional customs. His respect for Earth is unfaltering and to this day he strives to make others aware of the dangerous disappearance of once triving natural habitats and especially the tribes of indigenous people who inhabit them. As a member of Phantom he released two records in Europe and Japan which still receives airplay in Japan. Upon returning from Europe he composed and produced a solo effort entitled Spider Heart. This album is now receiving airplay in Canada, South Dakota and the San Francisco Bay Area. He has written and produced the Lakota Theme performed throughout the United States and abroad by the Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theater. In September 1997 he wrote and produced three compositions entitled Carolina, White Pines and Southern Grass for the play The First Time for Barbie by Edward Bohan which subsequently won the Beaux Arts Award for Best Play in the New York Playwright series entitled "90 Plays in 90 Days." Most recently he has completed the theme for the first Native American Music Awards entitled The Peoples' Wings which aired on the Arts & Entertainment History Channel in January 1999.

Charley is a multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter playing bass, guitar, dulcimer, keyboards, drums and percussion. He is a classically trained trumpet player, flutist and studied theory at the University of Miami. After performing extensively in Florida and the southern states, he relocated to the northeast and is currently working out of New York City.

His diverse talents and background give themselves to the creation of truly original musical compositions combining heartfelt lyrics, beautiful melodies and unique sound designs.

"Music is the universal form of communication. We are able to touch only a few people in our lives and it is my hope that through music I may touch just a few more."