Jana: Jammin' with the Young Diva

from Native Peoples Magazine

Jana, a rising pop diva from North Carolina's Lumbee tribe, is quickly learning the vagaries of the music biz. Some six years ago, Rodney Shelton, a successful dance producer, asked her to put vocals on a dance track called "What Am I To You." When Shelton brought the song to Curb Records, they told him they wanted to sign the singer, and a star was born. Almost.

"Being an overnight sensation isn't as easy as people think," the singer recently joked. "When Rodney told me Curb wanted an album, I thought he was joking, but despite my lucky break, I've had to work hard to prove myself as an artist, and as a Native woman. I've had some [business people] tell me I could pass for Hispanic--why not drop the Indian stuff and cashing in on the Latin market--but I'd never do that. Not many Native artists ever get a crack at mainstream success: I'll never abandon my roots."

To date, Jana's singles have included her early hit "Ooh, Baby, Baby," "What Am I To You" and a rendering of Sheryl Crow's "Near Me" (in which Jana incorporated powwow drumming). The dance cut "More Than Life" broke into the Top 10 on Billboard's Artists to Watch chart, while her latest, "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" (on Curb/London/Sire), features a tasty cover of a Meatloaf original.

So when will the long-awaited album appear? "We're hoping for fall of 2001," Jana says, "But I'm glad it's taking so long. It gave me a change to polish my writing (she has written several songs for the album), put together a stage show and record some pop tunes, as well as the dance stuff. I didn't want to put out something with one hit and a lot of filler.

"I also want to produce my own music. I'm looking for a way to combine traditional Native rhythms into pop and dance music. We use some traditional dance in my stage show, and I always invite traditional dancers on stage, when I can. Most people have never seen real Native music; I want to build bridges and show them how intelligent and energetic it is."

While she's waiting for her album to come out, Jana will be keeping busy with other projects. This summer she is starring in her first film, Dream Catcher, a romantic comedy with an all-Native cast, and headlined in the New York Blues Festival on May 4. In her spare time she designs jewelry and sell it over the Internet.