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| Xyara playing one of her flutes |
Street musicians are a rare commodity in the small town of Berea, Kentucky. Xyara, a flutist, is one of those rarities that fills Berea's main street with lilting rhythms for a short period of time each year. A former native of Appalachia she now lives in southern Oregon. Her family still resides in Appalachia where she visits once a year while also bringing her music to her native streets.
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| Xyara's headdress |
Her clothes and headdress exude a mother earth quality. When I asked her how she feels about Appalachia now that she lives in Oregon she said that the natural beauty of the land such as the sassafras and tupelo trees speak to her when she visits. She feels that she will always have part of her being in the natural richness of the stories and traditions of Kentucky.
Her lovely lilting notes attract the smiles of passing folks. She is animated as she plays in her bare feet -- moving in rhythm to her music.
Xyara travels with a collection of flutes that she plays at different times. There is a softness to listening to flute music that soothes one's soul.
