February 10, 2007

Jana honors her roots

"American Indian Story" is soul-stirring CDShe blends the elements of blues, gospel and even pop into her music, bringing out the best of all the styles. The percussion and flutes, performed by the SAGA Native Ensemble, are prominent on this CD, and you get caught up in the throbbing beat and haunting melodies. Jana also combines Native American languages into many of the songs, using Lumbee, Lakota, Oneida and Navajo with a natural transition that flowed from one language to the other. The lyrics to her songs are on this CD, and Jana not only wrote the songs, but located all the typeface for the translation of the Native American lyrics.

Jana is Native American by birth and heritage, and her ancestry is reflected in her striking appearance. She is a member of the Lumbee tribe, the second largest tribe east of the Mississippi River. It is in the top 10 of largest tribes in the United States.

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