LIVING MY LIFE

Collection Contents

#		Title	Length
1		Intro Infinity & I of the Storm	7:26	Play
2		P.I.A. (Plan In Action)	3:39	Play
3		Home 2 Me	5:20	Play
4		Summertime	4:02	Play
5		Down By The River	5:08	Play
6		Later	5:19	Play
7		Living My Life	3:59	Play
8		Deja View	5:46	Play
9		My Funny Valentine	6:26	Play
10		Journey Begins With You	5:34	Play
11		Stoopid	4:04	Play
12		Time	5:14	Play

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Description

Me'na dubs Canton, Ohio her home. An area steeped with tradition. With a host of eclectic entertainers hailing from the area. Walter Williams, James Ingram, Howard Hewitt, and Macy Gray. Just to have your name associated with these individuals is an achievement within itself. She temporarily put aside her musical aspirations and focused on raising her family. Mena a power company executive was stricken with a rare congenital brain condition called A.V.M. she states it was a bomb exploding in my head! Surviving two brain surgeries, and a lengthy recovery. After the storm. She promised the Savior, to lift her voice in praise, and give God the glory!!

Mena was introduced to a Cleveland based musical production team of the late Douglas Green, and Nathaniel Rhodes. The team took on the task of honing her Vocal, and acting abilities. The collaboration led to her debut at the prestigious Karamu Theater in NO NIGGERS, NO JEWS, NO DOGS. Her voice drove the productions soundtrack to great musical heights. She also did a stint as Anne Wiggins Brown in the musical GERSHWIN BY GEORGE. This operatic piece tested her abilities to its fullest. Which garnered critical acclaim!

Then the vocalist channeled all of her energies into the completion of her debut CD. With the aid of visionary Nathaniel Rhodes, and the exceptional Bill Ransom as producers. Who decided to go with the live acoustical sound. The journey had begun. Living My Life is a collection of songs that convey a wide range of emotions. From the sensual I Of The Storm. The poignant Time. Mena penned the introspective title track Living My Life. The inspirational Journey Begins With You. The melancholy Stooped is about an unintelligent situation. Some well loved standards Summertime, Down By The River, and My Funny Valentine. Whether near a pulpit, or under concert lights. Her dedication is unparalleled. Realizing she is blessed! Angels have certainly set her free. Mena is definitely Living Her Life. MENASVISION.COM/1-866-509-4654


"FANTABULOUS"------Charleston Okafor WCSB



Talking about jazzy soul or soulful jazz music, an album by a songstress named MENA, Living My Life (US Menasvision, 2006) is also worth checking. Its a combination of standards (My Funny Valentine, Summertime, Down by the River) and new and more soul-oriented songs. Of the last mentioned, the title track is an impressive slice of mid-tempo soul with a real instrumentation, including tasty acoustic piano basis and some funky guitar playing.

Other tracks that should grab your attention include the ethereal, trumpet-flavoured (Joe Miller) ballad Deja View, the extremely stylish flute and piano-laced Journey Begins with You, the equally elegant ballad tune Home and the absolutely wonderful, sax-drenched ballad Stoopid. The swaying closing track Time is something you might expect from a future Ledisi album. If youre into jazzy soul music like Fertile Ground and more recently The Five Corners Quintet and The Invisible Session, Menas CD should be right up your alley!


Ismo Tenkanen
Soul Express
editor



Chris Parker for clevescene.com
Canton singer Me'na survived brain surgery and rediscovered her love of music, working in musical theater before recording her debut, Living My Life. Over an elastic, R&B funk riff on the title track, Me'na sings of her trials and inspirational rebirth. She collaborated with producer Nathaniel Rhodes on 7 of the 12 tracks, mostly soul- and blues-inflected originals with a cool cabaret vibe. She also lends her versatile vocals to excellent renditions of old standards "Summertime" and "My Funny Valentine." The album highlight is the sassy, infectious "P.I.A. (Plan in Action)," in which Me'na proclaims, "Most of my adult life, I've dealt with some funny-ass ways." You go, girl!