Canyon Records
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Founder | Ray Boley, Mary Boley |
| Headquarters | Phoenix , United States |
| Products | Native American music recordings |
| Website | canyonrecords |
Canyon Records, located in Phoenix, Arizona, has been a prominent producer and distributor of Native American music for more than fifty years.
History
Established in 1951 by Ray and Mary Boley—who had inaugurated Phoenix’s first recording studio in 1948—Canyon Records originated when Ray recorded Navajo vocalist Ed Lee Natay. The album Natay, Navajo Singer continues to be available today. To promote this release, the Boleys secured a booth at the 1951 Arizona State Fair, where strong interest from Native American attendees inspired them to capture recordings of Hopi and other Southwestern tribal music traditions.
Canyon Records was created as a complementary venture to Canyon Films, which specialized in documentaries and commercial projects. Differing from earlier recordings that primarily served academic purposes, the Boleys focused on Native communities as their primary audience, thereby affirming Indigenous music and culture during a period marked by widespread marginalization.
After divesting Canyon Films in 1971, the Boleys expanded Canyon Records by launching a retail storefront and establishing a distribution network throughout the western United States and Canada. Although initial skepticism existed among retailers unfamiliar with the potential market for Native American music, the company ultimately succeeded in penetrating these markets.
By 1984, the Boleys divested their retail and distribution segments to concentrate exclusively on production activities. That same year, Ray Boley partnered with Native flutist R. Carlos Nakai, distributing his solo flute album Changes. Nakai’s work attracted audiences beyond Native listeners, including new age enthusiasts and tourists, substantially broadening Canyon’s market reach and shaping mainstream perceptions of Native American music. Over his career with Canyon, Nakai released more than thirty-five albums and authored a book.
The 1980s and 1990s witnessed an expansion in various Native American musical genres—such as Pow-wow, peyote song, and contemporary blends—as interest grew among both Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences, aided by media exposure from productions like Dances with Wolves.
In 1992, ownership of Canyon transferred to Robert Doyle, who had served as a long-term executive assistant. The company further developed its infrastructure in 2000 by acquiring additional facilities including a warehouse, a commercial recording studio (Jack Miller Productions), and a graphic design agency (Nile Graphics), enhancing its global operations.
Canyon Records has earned two gold record certifications for Native American music—both awarded to Nakai—and garnered twenty-two Grammy nominations with one win for Primeaux & Mike's Bless the People. Additionally, it has received four INDIE Awards along with twenty-five Native American Music Awards (Nammies).
Continuing its commitment to innovation, the label represents artists spanning traditional and modern styles such as Louie Gonnie; Cheevers Toppah, Alex Smith & Kit Landry; Randy Wood; Jay & Tiinesha Begaye; Pow-Wow ensembles like Black Lodge Singers and Northern Cree; Native Church performers including Verdell Primeaux and Kevin Yazzie; as well as chicken scratch bands like Thee Express.
Further reading
- Record labels established in 1951
- Native American music
- Record labels based in Arizona
- 1951 establishments in Arizona
- Native American cultural institutions
- Companies based in Phoenix, Arizona
- Native American history of Arizona
- American companies established in 1951
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment