Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w. d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a . c o m 41 by WyLIE guStafSoN I n July 2013, my telephone rang with the southern-tinged voice of Nick Spitzer on the line. Nick is a long-time music lover and professor of American studies and anthropology at Tulane University. He is also the host for his long standing NPR program "Ameri- can Routes" which has highlighted American roots music that routinely gets overlooked by corporate radio. He invited my four-piece music combo, "Wylie & the Wild West," for a "cultural diplomacy" tour to Inner Mongolia, Shenyang, and Beijing, China. We are known for our high-kicking, cowboyish brand of traditional country music and yodeling. I've always liked to think my five-gener- ation Montana ranching background adds a sense of authenticity to what we do. Nick put together the tour which was co-sponsored by the US Embassy in Beijing. In the last few years it seems that the American State Depart- ment has realized the power of American music to win the hearts of the world. East is East and West is West but yodeling just might help bring them together! oN a faSt PLaNE to CHINa I traded the seat of my cutting horse for a ride on a roaring jumbo jet and we all arrived in Hohhot Inner Mongolia on September 5, 2013, after a meandering 22-hour flight. The economically robust industrial city of Hohhot is just south of Mongolia proper. It is a sprawling city of two million souls earnestly trying to catch up with the 21st century. We were slated to perform daily to a crowd of 1,000 people for a three- day cultural music festival, which included three other international musical groups. The curious and enthusiastic crowd of mostly young folks showed their appreciation for the yodeling and simple guitar-based sound of our group. Curiously, we have found that whenever we travel to an international destination that the closer to Elvis you can sound… the better the response. The familiar echoes of Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash in our rhythms excited the crowd, and they showed their appreciation for our American music with continuous applause and shouts of encouragement. After every performance, our shy 22-year old guitar slinger Sam was surrounded by a throng of women seeking autographs and photo ops. Sam was pleasantly surprised to be told that he looked like film star Keanu Reeves. On the Mongolian grasslands with Wylie's tour entourage Inner to Mongolia Montana A Cowboy's Trip

• Cover