Music that connects people to the land and sea has been with us for centuries. Recent singer-songwriters such as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell have built on that tradition.
Here in the Puget Sound region, you can add another name to that list: Dana Lyons.
He's known for his songs about social issues, especially the environment. And the title track of his latest album is called “The Great Salish Sea.”
The song is told from the perspective of Granny, a local resident orca whale who lived to be over 100 years old and was the world’s oldest known killer whale until her death in late 2016.
“The idea was to write about the changing sound of boats over the course of Granny’s lifetime - from the Native American dug-out canoes made out of cedar, to the great sailing ships, to the giant ships of today: the freighters, the oil tankers, the coal ships,” Lyons said.
To hear some of Lyons' music and read more about how the Salish Sea inspires him, visit our "Return To The Salish Sea" website.
