Digital Scholarship and Initiatives

Jana (born Jana Sampson) is one of fifteen artists profiled in this annual music issue of Native Peoples. RoseMary Diaz calls her “unmistakably one of pop music's rising stars, and perhaps Native America's premiere diva” (p. 26). Her accomplishments include a Nammy award in 2001 for Best Pop Artist, a Grammy nomination (shared with Crystal Lewis) in 2001 for “Kiss and Tell,” which they co-wrote for Lewis's Fearless album; a hit single, “More than Life”; and credit as the first Native American artist to debut with a Billboard Single of the Week ("Ooh Baby Baby”). Jana has signed a recording contract with the German label Radikal Records and will release a new CD in the fall. She will perform in two upcoming films (including Dreamcatcher). RoseMary Diaz describes her shows as “. . . full-tilt, high-energy, fun and, shall we say, aesthetically appealing showcases of voice and sound, music and dance, artistic creativity, spirit and culture” (p. 27).