“Wow. Grateful to share that Cardinal has made it to the first round of GRAMMY© voting in Best American Album. This album means a lot to me – it’s full of stories, heart, and the people who shaped my journey. Thank you to everyone who’s listened, supported, and believed.” Darryl Tonemah, Oct. 10, 2025
The release of the album Tonemah “Cardinal“ was already a year ago! Get ready for a new album. Darryl Tonemah says to be prepared, it is going to be ROWDY!
As a Storyteller, Tonemah’s lyrics offer meaning where the listener needs to find it. The beautiful song “FIREFLIES” can be heard on the Tonemah website. “It was my most personal, intimate, vulnerable writing. The album release concert (of Cardinal) was designed around telling these stories. Thankfully, we had a full house. Afterward, I didn’t want to go back into the room because it was so personal. I just wanted to go sit by myself. Thankfully, the people there were so supportive.” Darryl Tonemah
About Tonemah CARDINAL
Some albums are more than just a collection of songs—they are a window into the artist’s soul, a reflection of their life’s journey. CARDINAL is one of those albums.
Tonemah, the Native American Music Award Winner and Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame Inductee, presents his most personal and compelling work to date, CARDINAL.
“This new record took a lifetime to live and a few years to write and to record! It was pared down to how I want to present these stories to the listener.
dARRYL tONEMAH
It was a labor of love.”
CARDINAL is not your typical album. It’s a musical memoir —a chronicle of Tonemah’s journey through love, loss, joy, pain, and redemption. He doesn’t shy away from the dark and challenging moments but also finds space to celebrate the light and beauty that life brings. His storytelling is raw, honest, and deeply emotional. This is not music created for the sake of it; this is music born from necessity—a way for Tonemah to share his experiences in the most authentic way possible.
With nine tracks, CARDINAL offers a diverse range of stories, each encapsulating a different chapter of Tonemah’s life. He sings of the MMIW Epidemic in “Sleep Well,” loss of loved ones in “Moon,” and “Both Sides of Leaves.” In “The Missouri” and “At Sundown, he tells deeply personal stories. Each song is part of his journey. The songs are now available on all streaming platforms. Fans can expect to be captivated by Tonemah’s intimate songwriting and powerful vocals, which invite listeners to reflect on their own journeys.
CARDINAL doesn’t blink—it stares directly at the truth and invites you to connect, feel, and experience life alongside the artist.
“Like a million fireflies” lighting up his music, Darryl Tonemah is a bright light in the performing and songwriting world. Read more about CARDINAL, his latest, most personal, and powerful album!
About Tonemah
Darryl Tonemah is a full-blooded Native American (Kiowa/Comanche/Tuscarora). Also known as Dr. Tonemah, his life’s journey has given him a unique perspective, evident in his songwriting.
“I have had the blessing of seeing and experiencing a lot of things during my travels – some great, some heartbreaking, some funny. They all inspire song ideas, lines, chord progressions, and drum patterns scribbled on pieces of paper that I had in my pocket.”
Darryl Tonemah
Tonemah’s live shows — whether with a full band or an intimate acoustic set — always find him connecting with his audience. A singer/songwriter in the purest sense, Tonemah’s performances combine the energy of rock, the intelligence of folk, and the heart of country to create a musical niche he calls “Native Americana.” At times, Tonemah is the trickster, the son, the father, and the seeker; he is always the consummate storyteller.
Darryl Tonemah of Tonemah Music
Follow on X @Tonemah
and Darryl Tonemah on Facebook.
The image on the left is from the Album Release Concert of Tonemah Cardinal.
Stay tuned as we await news of his new release!
Represented by Ray Barry of Barry Entertainment. For further information, please email BarryEntertainment@gmail.com
Images Courtesy of Tonemah, except for the Artist’s Collage, which in part uses a Tonemah image and Trina Astor-Stewart’s “Fireflies at Siler Forest Pond, from her book, Butterfly Baby.”
Please note: The author of this post has received no financial remuneration for mentions of creative people, books, products, places, or businesses mentioned in this post.
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