AMBE, Andrew Balfour (2017)
Sung in Ojibwe
Come in two-legged beings
Come in all people
There is good life here
Come in!
—Cory Campbell
SHEHECHEYANU, Jonathan M. Miller (2000)
Sung in Hebrew
Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe,
For giving us life, for sustaining us,
And for enabling us to reach this season.
—Traditional Shehecheyanu prayer
JAYJAYKAR! Shruthi Rajasekar (2018)
Sung in Hindi
Victory to the Lord, Praise the Lord!
Praise be to You, Jesus Christ
He embodies absolute kindness
He wants only the best for everyone
He loves everyone
He lifts up those who have fallen
He removes all our burdens
Your greatness is boundless
—Pastor Anil Kant, tranlation by Nirmala Rajasekar
AFKA HOOYO, Timothy C. Takach (2017)
Sung in Somali
Through the fixing of its spelling
My language is delivered:
My difficulties done with,
I’m freed from every hindrance.
Settling the orthography’s
Our economy’s foundation;
It defends against all defects.
In the oneness of our nation
It underwrites and it defines.
Refrain: I must give to Somali,
Develop through Somali,
Create within Somali,
I must be rid of poverty,
And give myself for my own mother tongue.
Only a single night divides
Old yesterday’s despair
From today’s delighted laughter
You people gathered here
How close you’ve grown together:
You face in one direction.
Do you hear deliverance call?
Have you divined its meaning?
Does it taste good in the mouth? Refrain:
You who are still unaware, look!
You who are deliberately deaf: listen!
If the pot isn’t placed on the fire
The dish cannot be cooked
So how will it ever satisfy?
Consider this in light of our goal:
Where does deep hurt lie
But in our backbone–
Time to treat that injury! Refrain:
—“Settling the Somali Language” by Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadrawi), trans. Mohamed Hassan, Said Jama, and W. N. Herbert
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME, arr. Paul A. Tate and Deanna Light (1996)
As performed by ABBA
Refrain: If you change your mind, I’m the first in line.
Honey I’m still free, take a chance on me.
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around.
If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down.
If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown,
Honey I’m still free, take a chance on me.
Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie.
If you put me to the test, if you let me try.
Take a chance on me (That’s all I ask of you honey).
We can go dancing, we can go walking, as long as we’re together.
Listen to some music, maybe just talking, get to know you better.
Cos you know I’ve got so much that I wanna do,
When I dream I’m alone with you it’s magic.
You want me to leave it there, afraid of a love affair,
But I think you know that I can’t let go. Refrain:
You can take your time baby, I’m in no hurry, know I’m gonna get you.
You don’t wanna hurt me, baby don’t worry, I ain’t gonna let you.
Let me tell you now. My love is strong enough
To last when things are rough, it’s magic.
You say that I waste my time but I can’t get you off my mind
No I can’t let go, ’cos I love you so. Refrain:
—Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad
SON DE LA VIDA, José Galván Castañeda (2018)
Sung in Spanish
Gentlemen, I suggest,
That life is to be enjoyed,
Gentlemen, this I suggest to you.
Don’t agonize about the future,
The past is only a joke now,
It’s better to enjoy the present,
The present is the only thing that exists.
That’s why it’s better for us to enjoy
Life’s groovy beat.
Sometimes I break down and cry
Because my heart aches,
But it doesn’t hurt as much
Whenever I sing this song.
When I have money
I enjoy it with all my heart
But when I don’t have a penny
I have fun anyway, dancing to the beat of this song.
This is the way we sing in México,
With love and with passion,
And with our throats wide open,
Giving our hearts away.
—Text by José Galván Castañeda
FATHER THUNDER, Laura Jēkabsone (2023)
Sung in English and Latvian
Father Thunder has nine sons:
Three strike, three rumble, three flash lightning.
Thunder had nine lightning bolts,
With them bolts he struck the oak,
Three bolt axes chopped the stump,
Six lightning flashes split the top.
The Sun cries for three years, gathering golden branches.
Father Thunder has nine sons.
—Latvian folksong
CLOUDBURST, Eric Whitacre (1996)
Sung in Spanish
The rain…
Eyes of shadow-water,
Eyes of well-water,
Eyes of dream-water.
Blue suns, green whirlwinds,
Birdbeaks of light pecking open
Pomegranate stars.
But tell me, burnt earth, is there no water?
Only blood, only dust,
Only naked footsteps on the thorns?
The rain awakens…
We must sleep with open eyes,
We must dream with our hands,
We must dream the dreams of a river seeking its course,
Of the sun dreaming its worlds,
We must dream aloud,
We must sing till the song puts forth roots,
Trunk, branches, birds, stars,
We must find the lost word,
And remember what the blood,
The tides, the earth, and the body say,
And return to the point of departure…
—Octavio Paz, 1914-1998. (Adapted by Eric Whitacre, Translation by Lysander Kemp)
GAHU JAMA, Nii Adjetey Mensah (2017)
Sung in Ghanaian
Friends, we’re coming.
We’re dancing forever.
We’re dancing Gahu!
Gahu is greeting all of you.
We are sending our greetings.
—Original arrangement by NiiBox
CANTO DE PILÓN, arr. Cristian Grases (2025)
Sung in Spanish
Grind and grind, María, grind the corn.
Today, today, today, today I ground all the corn.
Today, today, today, today, that mother ordered to grind.
I ground, María ground, and also Pilar ground.
—Words and music traditional from Venezuela
SIR DUKE, Stevie Wonder, arr. Paul Langford (2019)
Music is a world within itself
With a language we all understand,
With an equal opportunity for all to
Sing, dance and clap their hands.
Well, just because a record has a groove don’t make it in the groove.
But you can tell right away the letter A when the people start to move!
Refrain: They can feel it all over. They can feel it all over, people.
Music knows it is and always will be
One of the things that life just won’t quit.
But here are some of music’s pioneers
That time will not allow us to forget.
Well, there’s Basie, Miller, Satchamo,
And the king of all, Sir Duke.
And with a voice like Ella’s ringin’ out,
There’s no way the band could lose! Refrain:
KAISA-ISA NIYAN, Nilo Alcala (2017)
Sung in Maguindanaon dialect
Just one,
Two,
Or three of that.
Four are alternating.
Five: too noisy, it’s disturbing.
Six: a sound so loud!
Seven: a dragon…
Eight: pounds heavily on a puddle.
Nine: a box.
Ten: a drawer.
—Based on a children’s game chant from Maguindanao, Southern Philippines
AIA LĀ ‘O PELE I HAWAI’I, Jace Kaholokula Saplan (2022)
Sung in Hawaiian
Pele is in Hawai’i
She is dancing at Maukele
She rumbles and mutters
As she consumes Puna.
Flashing in the heavens, on and on
O Pele, Pele.
—Traditional Hawaiian Chant
KHUMBAYA, arranged for Soweto Gospel Choir by Lucas Bok (2010)
Somebody’s cryin’ Lord. Khumbaya.
Somebody’s prayin’ Lord. Khumbaya.
Oh Lord! Hear my prayer!
As I lift my voice and say,
I need your love today.
I need you right away.
Somebody’s in despair!
Somebody feels like no one cares!
I know you’ll make a way,
Yes, God will make a way.
Oh! Khumbaya.
Oh, Lord, Khumbaya
—Traditional Spiritual
I KNOW I’VE BEEN CHANGED, As performed by LaShun Pace (1991)
Refrain: I know I’ve been changed
I know I’ve been changed.
Angels in Heaven done signed my name.
Well, if you don’t believe that I’ve been redeemed,
The angels in Heaven done signed my name.
Oh, follow me down to that old Jordan stream.
I stepped in the water and the water was cold.
Oh, it chilled my body but not my soul. Refrain:
Somebody said, how can a brown cow eat green grass
And give you white milk? Well, if you think that’s something
God’s chemical laboratory of redemption took my black soul
And dipped it in red blood. And I came out white as snow. Refrain:
—Based on a traditional Negro Spiritual
JOY, Julio Morales (2019)
Close your eyes, listen to the hum of the spirit.
Your trial is done and your day is new.
There’s no time for being blue.
Joy way down, you can feel it too.
Feel it chase away the blues.
Refrain: Joy, joy, joy when feels impossible.
Joy, joy joy, when the choice is optional,
Something you can’t destroy, joy
Is what I feel.
Oh, it’s so real.
Hold your light as you travel through the valley.
When you feel it in your soul, you’ll never tire.
When you smile, you conquer the fire.
After storms roll, glee will fall and joy will ignite.
Growing til your spirit glows. Refrain:
I go to prepare a place for you,
With my joy in my pocket and my love for you.
Close your eyes, feel it in your soul.
Let your joy live inside of you and go on. Refrain:
—Text by Anthony Wright
NIIBOX AND FAMILY, Nii Adjetey Mensah
With over 30 years of experience in music performance, arts education, and public speaking, Nii Adjetey Mensah bridges the worlds of art and business. Son of Master Drummer Sowah Mensah and director, choreographer, and dancer Rev. Naa-Abashie Ankrah, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1985 and began performing traditional African music and dance in 1987.
As NiiBox, he is a composer, instrumentalist, beatboxer, emcee, and dancer who has collaborated with artists such as World Voices, Marty Haugen, and Mos Def. Through groups like Sankofa and Manifesters, he has led hundreds of workshops and residencies, educating diverse audiences on African and urban art forms.
A Distinguished Toastmaster, Nii has delivered programs for major organizations including Wells Fargo, Chevron, and Yahoo. He is also Executive Director of Face Forward, promoting social change through the arts, and a Corporate Treasury Consultant at Wells Fargo with over a decade of financial expertise.
KAJ CIA SIAB, HOPE Community Academy
HOPE Community Academy’s dance team, Kaj Cia Siab, is a vibrant, student-centered program led by coaches Pa Nhia Moua and Kyra Thor. Rooted in cultural pride and expression, the team honors Hmong history through movement while building strong technical dance skills. Open to grades 6–12, dancers meet twice weekly to grow in teamwork, discipline, and confidence. The program blends traditional and contemporary influences, creating space for creativity and identity exploration. Grounded in values of community, perseverance, and respect, Kaj Cia Siab empowers students to become expressive performers and thoughtful leaders, both on and off the stage, while preserving and celebrating their cultural heritage.
LOS ALEGRES BAILADORES, Rebecca Moran Cusick
Los Alegres Bailadores is a vibrant Mexican folkloric dance group that has shared colorful, authentic performances throughout the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota for over 45 years. Founded in 1977 by Rebecca Moran Cusick, the ensemble reflects her lifelong dedication to preserving and celebrating Mexican cultural traditions rooted in her family’s legacy.
Dedicated to honoring the rich diversity of Mexico’s regions, Los Alegres Bailadores educates younger generations and communities through performances that bring tradition to life. Rebecca’s training in Mexico and ongoing cultural research ensure each dance remains authentic, carrying forward the music, artistry, and heritage of Mexican folklore for future generations.
PHANTOM CHORUS THEATRE
Phantom Chorus Theatre is a grass-roots non-profit theatre company specializing in collaborative, experimental, original works or adaptations. Through the mediums of puppetry, movement, music, and multimedia, they strive to harness the power of imagination–to make the impossible real. With a focus on accessibility and community outreach, their aim is to bring a unique theatrical experience to a wide audience.
Co-artistic directors Thalia Kostman and Marc Berg have been collaborators since 2016. Having worked together on a variety of projects–and sharing a passion for puppetry, movement, and mask– they decided to form Phantom Chorus Theatre as a way to foster not only their own artistic voices, but the voices of their fellow company members and collaborators.
RGK DANCE ACADEMY, Renu Kumar
RGK Dance Academy, founded by Renu Kumar in 2004, is a leading Modern Indian dance institution known for its dynamic Bollywood-inspired programming. Blending folk, contemporary, semi-classical, and classical forms like Kathak and Bharatanatyam with styles such as hip-hop and salsa, the academy has trained over 2,000 students and produced 96 original works, including 19 annual Bollywood dance-dramas in Minnesota.
Renu leads a dedicated team in creating performances that highlight the power of storytelling through dance, often exploring real-life themes and multicultural connections. Beyond performance, RGK Dance Academy fosters a vibrant, inclusive community where students engage in dance and theater while deepening their understanding of Indian culture.
Through classes, productions, and annual charity events, RGK Dance Academy empowers youth and supports local and global causes—using the arts to inspire, connect, and give back.
JHADIYA STEELE
At just 22, Jhadiya is already making waves in gospel and soul music. Grounded in the legendary Steele family legacy and boldly carving her own path, she is a dynamic vocalist, writer, composer, and worship leader with a voice full of power, precision, and spirit.
FEATURING:
