Steven Ralph Arrigton was born in 1956 to Dan and Lillian Arrington in Great Lakes, Illinois. Shortly after his birth the family returned to their hometown of Dayton Ohio. Music has always been a part of Arrington’s life. He grew up listening to the popular music of the day on the radio and in the family home on the record player. Iconic singers like Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye are just two of the names that impacted on his young life, foretelling what would be a relatively successful music career.

The young and radiant Senaya was born under the Senegalese sun, in the capital city of Dakar. Very proud of her roots, she considers herself as originating from both Senegal and Guadeloupe. Her father is a Senegalese businessman and her mother hails from Guadeloupe. She works in the medical field and also has a beautiful singing voice.  Senaya’s parents are also both passionate lovers of music.  The artist, mother to a young daughter, has lived in several countries:  Guadeloupe, France, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and since 1996 she lives in Montreal, Canada.  Her many trips have developed in her a large capacity for adaptation and rich life experience.  Senaya enjoys her vast cultural heritage.   She carries within her “Afro-Caribbean” roots, as well as her grandmother’s Indian origins.  Senaya is a lover of cultural diversity with a wide openness to the world.  Senaya wears many hats: she is a self-taught songwriter, composer and interpreter.  Her songs are inspired by the cultural mosaic which surrounds her.  She sings salsa, zouk, blues, acoustic soul, Caribbean jazz, and R&B, among other styles. This artist became the first Black woman in Quebec to receive the prize of Interpreter of the Year at the 35th International Song Festival of Granby  (the most important francophone festival in North America) in 2003.

r. Thomas Panakal was born in India. He studied Economics, Political Science and World History in his homeland.  He received his Ph.D from the School of Gandhian Thought and Development Studies at the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam (in the state of Kerala, India). Dr. Panakal immigrated to Canada. He completed his post-graduate studies in Canada and the U.S.A. in Political Science, International Relations and Education. He also studied Anthropology. In other words, Dr. Thomas Panakal is a multidisciplinarian. He taught World History and English for many years in Montreal (Canada). Dr. Panakal received a Gold Medal from the Rotary International for the best essay on the United Nations Organization, and he is the recipient of the largest number of prizes in the graduating class at college, Kerala University. He has written several books and more than 300 articles published in The Journal of Gandhian Studies (New Delhi), Canadian-India Times (Ottawa), Vancouver Sun (Vancouver, Canada), Femina and Youth Times (Mumbai), Alive (New Delhi), Guardian (Trinidad, West Indies) and others. Dr. Thomas Panakal has served as a visiting member of the Faculty of Mary Mata College in India and has conducted classes and seminars at Mahatma Gandhi University attended by students from outside India. The historian has been interviewed on many occasions on radio and television stations in Montreal such as CJNT (Indo-Montreal Magazine programme). Presently, Dr. Panakal works on the editorial board of Bharat Times (an Indian newspaper from Montreal). It is important to note that he is a regular columnist for this publication. In 2009, Dr. Panakal received an award (for his articles) from Bharat Times.

Hubert Davis grew up in Vancouver BC and was raised by his mother.  Davis is a writer and director who earned his BA in Film & Communication at McGill University in 1999. He also studied Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia with screenwriter Peggy Thompson (The Lotus Eaters, Better than Chocolate).  Hubert Davis is a filmmaker and a commercial director at Untitled Films.  He worked as a Commercial Editor with the edit house Panic&Bob from  2002 until 2005.  His work has been reviewed in various media including publications such as Who’s who in Black Canada (by Dawn P.  Williams), Metro newspaper (in French and English),  The Vancouver Sun, Sway Magazine, The Globe and Mail, Le Devoir, Canada AM, CTV.ca, etc.

P.T. When did your passion for music begin?

G. It all started when I was five years old.  I come from a single-parent family, growing up with my mother and my sisters.  I was surrounded by women and music was always part of our lives.  Because of this, I was practically immersed in it.  During my childhood, we often listened to French Caribbean vinyl records. I used to enjoy using a sock as a microphone and sing in front of a mirror (laughter).

Dr. Carson, M.D was born in Michigan in 1951 to a young mother in inner-city Detroit.  He and his older brother, Curtis, grew up amid poverty, crime, and violence.  His parents divorced when Dr. Carson was very young.  He and his brother were raised by their mother.