Jacquie Godden has written, performed and produced this original story. Music with Percussion arranged and performed by James Imani Henry.  Additional percussion by Rondo Raja, Max Rossmassler & Jacquie Godden.

Percussionist James Henry &  Jacquie Godden
During the recording

Jacquie Godden
Jacquie Godden's cultural upbringing and musical training reflect the width and diversity of the African American experience. Jacquie was raised in Greenwood Mississippi in the 1950's by her grandmother. Later she went to live with her mother, and attended high school in Yellow Springs, Ohio. In her midteens Jacquie and her mother moved to the village of Nsukka, Nigeria where her mother taught at the University of Nigeria and she finished high school and one year of college. While in college at Ohio State, she embarked upon what would prove to be an enduring celebration of dance, propelling her to San Francisco where she studied modern dance and performed with Gloria Unti and Ed Mock at the Performing Arts Workshop and ballet with Penelope Lagios of San Francisco Ballet Theater.

Once in S.F. Jacquie became smitten with North Indian classical music. This led her to study and later to serve as co-director of the Ali Akbar College of Music. There she studied classical Indian vocal music with the legendary Master Ali Akbar Khan. She began her study of tablas under the tutelage of the eminent tabla masters Zakir Hussain and Swapan Chaudhuri and a brief study of Kathak dance with Chitresh Das.

Jacquie has been lead vocalist and back-up singer in bands and a studio musician both here in the U.S. and Australia. She brings a profound life-long love-affair and devoted practice to her art, richly expressed with a vibrant palette of music and performance.

Jacquie is a recent recipient of the Marin Arts Council's 1998/99 Individual Art Grants in the category of Music Composition "...to further your artistic endeavors." for her Invocations for Kwanzaa - Suite 1 (the soundtrack of Seven Nights with Nana and Achebe)

James Imani Henry - percussionist, songwriter, educator, vocalist. He combines Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Afro-South American, Afro-North American funk and World Music with his incredible musical flexibility. Visit him at www.sambasamba.com