Nahko and Medicine for the People

Formed in 2008 around singer‑guitarist Nahko Bear, who was born in Portland, Oregon, Nahko and Medicine for the People belongs to an American strain of worldbeat and world music nourished by acoustic songwriting, percussion, brass, violin and a collective way of playing that gives the project the feel of a band rather than a mere backing group. The band first emerged on the independent circuit and in the streets before moving onto alternative stages and festivals, where they have crossed paths with artists such as Michael Franti, Xavier Rudd, Dispatch and SOJA. Nahko and Medicine for the People’s lyrics regularly address social and environmental issues in a direct song format that blends contemporary folk with a world‑music approach. Their discography includes On the Verge (2012), Dark as Night (2013), HOKA (2016), Take Your Power Back (2020), beautiful trouble (2021) and TRENCHES (2023). In parallel, Nahko Bear released the solo album My Name Is Bear in 2017, extending a trajectory in which the personal and the collective advance together.