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Jana Mashonee Named March “Best Vocalist Of The Month” With
“A Change Is Gonna Come
By Dale Kawashima
Jana Mashonee, a talented soul/R&B singer & writer
based in Greenwich, CT, has won the March SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of The
Month” Competition, for her performance of the Sam Cooke classic song, “A
Change Is Gonna Come.” Mashonee will be independently releasing her third
album, New Moon Born, next month (April 2009).
Jana Mashonee
Mashonee’s rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come” is faithful
to the spirit of this ‘60s soul standard, yet it also impressively showcases
her own powerful vocal style. This version starts out intimate and understated,
then gradually builds in emotion and energy. Mashonee’s “A Change Is Gonna
Come” also features guitarist Derek Miller (a Juno award winner), and a video
has been made of this song.
Mashonee, who is of American Indian ancestry, grew up in Charlotte, NC, where she was first introduced to music by her father (who is a singer and
drummer). She started to play piano when she was seven, and began performing as
a singer during her high school years. Mashonee subsequently attended and later
graduated from Davidson College, a prominent liberal arts school in Charlotte.
Soon after graduating, Mashonee signed with Curb Records and
released a single. However, she left Curb and focused more on her own
songwriting. “After Davidson (and Curb), I wanted to take a personal journey,
and I decided to move to the New York area,” explained Mashonee, “It was there
that I met Stephan Galfas, who has become my writing collaborator, co-producer,
and my manager.” Galfas is known for his work with Cher, Kool & The Gang,
George Clinton and E.L.O.
Mashonee has previously released two albums: American
Indian Christmas (in 2005) and American Indian Story (2007). Notably,
American Indian Story was nominated for a Grammy award, for Best
American Indian Album. And both of these album have won NAMMYs (Native American
Music Awards).
Jana Mashonee
Currently, Mashonee is about to release her third album, New
Moon Born, which marks a new direction for her. The songs (and lyrics) are
more mainstream pop, with less emphasis on Native American themes. “My new
album is in a more pop direction, although my music will always have that
Native American spirit in me,” she said.
In addition to promoting her new album, Mashonee will be
touring steadily, performing shows with her band and playing solo. She also is
beginning to pursue acting – she recently starred in an independent film named Raptor
Ranch, which will be released later this year. “Music definitely remains my
priority, but I there are a couple good possibilities in movies coming up.”
In addition, here are four, talented vocalists/artists who complete our Top Five Vocalists honorees list for this month's competition, with their credits, plus their e-mail and website links. You can listen to their songs by clicking the music players below.
Erin Hunt
"The Woman I Am." (pop/R&B). Performed and written by Erin Hunt of Toronto, ON, Canada.