"Radmilla Cody says her singing career started in a sheep corral behind her grandmother's home on the Navajo reservation near Flagstaff, Ariz.

Her first audience was the sheep. Her inspiration came from what she saw and heard around her.

"When you're way out in the middle of nowhere, and you're herding sheep, and you're spending time jumping over the salt bushes and sitting around listening to all the beautiful sounds of nature, something's going to make you open your mouth," Cody says.

Cody's voice is bicultural. Her mother was Navajo, her father African-American. Now, she sings folk songs in the language of her Native American ancestors — with a twist.

Her mom was just a teenager when Radmilla was born, so she was raised by her Navajo grandmother. There was no electricity or running water, and young Radmilla Cody lived a very traditional life, learning to herd sheep, spin wool for clothing and cook meals using only what they grew or raised."

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Radmilla Cody: Two Cultures, One Voice (NPR 5/10)