The group consist of Levi Mitchell Platero on guitar, with his father, Murphy L Platero on Bass guitar and Vocals, and his older cousin Douglas Jay Platero on drums.
In order to tell the story of this family band we have to start at the beginning. In the early 50's, the Gospel was preached to a small Navajo reservation 35 miles west of Albuquerque, NM (Tohajiilee). In one those meetings, many gave their lives to Jesus Christ. One of them was a lady by the name of Racheal Platero. With her new found faith and love, she proclaimed the love of God to her entire family. In the late 50's her sons came to follow the Lord Jesus. Chester & Robert (Bobby) Platero had no clue to what God had in store for them. They came together and worshipped. In the midst of all of them God called Chester Platero (Murphy's dad) and his older brother, Joe D Sandoval, to preach the Gospel to the Navajo Nation, when there were no Native preachers or Native ministers or churches.
In the late 50's and the entire 60's/70's, they went and preached the Gospel to a Nation carrying a large Tent that was given to them by a Native brother from the state of Washington. "Harvest Time Crusades" was born. The young Plateros had been given a mission and God did not send them with empty hands. They played music....and sang gospel everywhere they went. (Bobby tought his brothers to play guitars and the drums).
God was moving and 100's were coming to follow Jesus in the early Revivals. Entire families came and dedicated themselves to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now at places they had first set up their Gospel Tents, now Churchs were built. The men prayed, Joe Sandoval / Chester / Bobby / John Johnson, and Jackson Platero (Eugene's father) and asked the Lord for a home church. In 1964, they built the Word Of God Church in Tohajiilee, NM.
In 1974, Murphy at the young age of 11, would come to help his father in the ministry. From there he learned to play the drums and the guitar, and sang with his cousin, Eugene Platero, Douglas's dad) who played lead guitar and sang. They started a group and named it "The Harvesters" after the crusade name and later named the band, "Morning Star Band".
In 1984, Eugene and Murphy decided to start their own music ministry and parted ways to start their own family's. With this the two new groups were formed, " New Harvest" with Eugene and his wife, Marita Clitso from Kayenta, AZ. Murphy married Janice Yazzie from Helper, Utah..and started "Hidden Manna" in Tohajiilee, NM.
The two groups made a huge impact on the Navajo Nation with their own style of gospel music - country and rock, contemporary sound (see music store).
Eugene and Marita were blessed with three wonderful kids and the middle child was Douglas Platero.He began to help his father in the music ministry at the age of 10 years old in the mid 90's and to this day he continues to be there for his family. In 2004 of March, Douglas and Adrienne (Janice's niece) were married in Albuquerque and moved to Tohajiilee, NM.
Janice and Murphy were also blessed with three kids. Levi who also is the middle child would also begin to help in the family music ministry at the age of 8. In 2000 Levi was playing drums and movied to guitar in 2003.
In the Winter of 2004, Levi and Douglas, together, started playing and practicing almost every day after work and school. In November, Murphy sat in with them at the small home studio/ practice room just to see what they knew. Two hours later he found out that these two boys had been given a gift.
From that moment on Levi would press his dad to continue to practice with them. In January of 2005, they played their first engagement. "It was amazing", as one minister said when he heard The Plateros.
The Platero family is thankful and give praises to the Lord Jesus for His blessing and wonderful word that is to continue in this Family.
Murphy Platero
Indigenous in the News Featured Artist Review The Plateros - Hang On By:
I anticipate nothing less than brilliance in this new effort titled Hang On and most certainly nothing more than a legendary blues bike ride to go with it. I?m diggin? the Saturday night of life. The doctor just gave me a clean bill of health so I ride tonight full of myself and breath of gratitude to the creator for giving me parents with the good stuff. Pop, thanks man for a body that is my chapel of desires and thanks for teaching me to ride that little red Schwinn with the training wheels strung high so I could balance the dream of riding roads in Italy.
As I move into the second track Where Would I Be it seems the production quality has improved, there?s some delay on the vocals, and generally a good layout on the CD itself with tighter vocal harmonies. The rhythm section is not being overshadowed by the brilliant guitar work but they are providing the foundation from which Levi can work and work it he does. Do I hear an organ in there under the guitar break?
The song Latter Rain has the sound and feel of 40?s jazz boogie. Reminds me somewhat of Brian Setzer?s stuff a little. An interesting shift for a guitar player so young yet. A strong experiment in styles. Tasteful use of effects pedals is always a point with my assessment of an artist?s playing. Please don?t over do it and Levi doesn?t.
When The Night Falls is a good solid slow blues shuffle with an interesting chord progression. Levi is stretching out vocally as well and I can feel this young man pushing the envelope on all levels of his performance and playing. ?Don?t be afraid when the night falls on you? is good advice. The organ is an excellent addition to the sound. We thank Bronson Begay for his excellent organ work. I would also like to mention Jack Howell who assisted with much of the song writing and added some guitar work and D. Davis who added further drums and percussion to Hang On.
The title song of the CD Hang On starts out with a hard rockin? guitar lick and a sentiment of encouragement to not lose the faith. All of these songs are basically dance material. This band has that bar band sensibility in their choice of material. Again brilliant guitar solo work.
Forever I?m With You features an intricate and complex arrangement. The Plateros are throwing every thing but the kitchen sink at us in this one. Vocal harmony, organ, brilliant solo and fill work on the guitar in a song with a very romantic sentiment. This is a top-notch effort.
The eleventh track, Changin? is a song about how life can work for you. As uncomfortable as the notion of change is, it is unavoidable. ?I was angry, I was mean and now a calm has fallen over me? ?The sweet voice of victory has come to me and now I see, I?m changin?, rearrangin?,? sings Levi in a more Baritone voice than I?ve heard him in before. A smooth maple sugar voice akin to Lou Rawls.
The song Oh But Why has an acoustic guitar intro and using the acoustic styling shows good taste. Also sung in Navajo. I think that this is going to be a trend in Native music the more language revitalization takes hold singing our traditional languages becomes stronger and more prevalent.
One of the things that I look for in prodigy players, young people born with extraordinary talent is that as they progress and grow they acquire the element they aren?t? born with, maturity. To hear them down and dirty in the pocket, functioning as a unit not as a star with back up. This CD has that going for it in a big way.
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