Album Notes

New Yorker, Manda Djinn, grew up with a background of the twentieth century's favorite African American singers such as: Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn & Ella Fitzgerald.

Manda Djinn moved to Paris, France in 1984 and toured the country singing jazz. Her life changed when, in 1989, a fan invited her to participate in a sacred music festival held in Lescar, France. The concert was a hit with the fans and the performer and Manda Djinn decided to devote the major part of her time to church singing. The road since has been paved with successful concerts in hundreds of churches around France. Djinn has been called a "poem", a "goddess", a "princess" and a "queen" of gospel and spiritual music by French journalists and fans alike.

In Personal Statement, Manda Djinn turns toward the future. Among a selection of tested classics such as "Let my People go" and "I Believe" she gives a taste of contemporary gospel with a special arrangement of the gospel standard, "I Saw the Light" . Also included are two of her original ballads: " Someone Who", taken from her musical comedy, "The Gospel Truth" and "Never Too Late" written with her pianist of five years, Roland Chammougom. She and Roland also collaborated on "Personal Statement". Listen carefully to this cut because her statement is very personal and very real. The other original included in the album is the reggae, "Yes I am", written especially for Manda Djinn by country-rock singer, Rebecca Venture, also a transplanted American entertainer living in France.

Ms. Djinn continues as a concert singer and now as a playwright. Watch out for her next recording where she ventures into a complete album of her original contemporary gospel with the influences of a life in music. The title, "Sista's on her Way".