Ana Popović
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
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Ana Popovic
- Genres: Blues
Biography
If you're not a blues purist, you'll love the fiery, passionate playing and singing of Yugoslavian blues-rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Ana Popovic. Thanks to her father, the Belgrade-raised Popovic was introduced to the blues at an early age, through his wide-ranging record collection and jam sessions hosted at the Popovic home. Born on May 13, 1976, Popovic took up guitar when she was a teenager and formed her first band, Hush, in 1995. Within a year, with the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe, she was playing blues festivals in Greece and Hungary and working as an opening act for American blues masters, including Junior Wells.Popovic recorded her debut album with Hush in 1999, when she also moved to the Netherlands to study jazz guitar and world and pop music at the Conservatory of Music. She had the chance to see blues guitarist Bernard Allison at a club in Germany. He asked her to come on-stage and jam at the end of the show. While Allison invited Popovic to join him on a tour, she had to get back to the Jazz Academy in Holland. Allison asked for a copy of Popovic's record with Hush, and he sent it on to executives at Ruf Records in Germany, who were impressed with Popovic's powerful guitar playing and singing. Ruf contacted her to be part of their Jimi Hendrix tribute compilation, and then signed her to a recording deal of her own.
Several months after this, she was on her way to Memphis to record Hush! The album was well received by blues radio programmers and the non-blues purist segments of the American, European, and Canadian blues festival circuits. In the spring of 2001, she performed at the Memphis in May Festival alongside Bob Dylan, the Black Crowes, and Ike Turner. Within five years of leaving Yugoslavia, Popovic, now in her late twenties, had the chance to perform at many of the major European blues festivals, including Peer, Bishopstock, and Notodden. Along the way she's sat in with the likes of Allison, Michael Hill, and Kenny Neal.
Popovic has two albums out on the New Jersey-based Ruf Records America label, Hush!, released in 2000, and Comfort to the Soul, her 2003 release. Jim Gaines and David Z., who have worked with other blues-rockers, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana, and Jonny Lang, had roles in recording and mixing both albums. Five of Popovic's sparkling originals shine on Comfort to the Soul, including her homage to the tragic life of jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius, inspired by a book she read, as well as the album's opening track, "Don't Bear Down on Me (I'm Here to Steal the Show)." She also provides inspired, inventive covers of Howlin' Wolf's "Sitting on Top of the World" and Steely Dan's "Night by Night."
Popovic guests on Hill's 2003 two-disc Electric Storyland live album. In 2003, Popovic was nominated for a W.C. Handy Blues Award for Best New Artist of the Year and was the first European artist to perform at the Handy Awards. Two years later, Popovic released her first live effort, Ana! Live in Amsterdam. ~ Richard Skelly, Rovi
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Ana Popović
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| Ana Popović | |
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 Popović at the 13th Festival Mallorca Jazz sa Pobla. |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Ana Popovic |
| Born | May 13, 1976 Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia |
| Genres | Blues Blues-rock |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Associated acts | Hush |
| Website | Official website |
Ana Popović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ана Поповић, born 1976, Belgrade, Serbia) is a Serbian blues guitarist and singer.[1]
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Contents
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Biography
Ana Popović's father first introduced her to the blues, through an extensive record collection and sessions hosted at the family home. Popović founded her first band at age nineteen. Within a year, she was playing outside of her home country Yugoslavia and opening shows for American blues musicians such as Junior Wells. Her band, Hush, released the album Hometown in 1998. The next year, Popović relocated to Amsterdam, Netherlands, to study jazz and world guitar at the Conservatory.[1] In 2000, Popović formed the 'Ana Popovic Band' that became a fixture on the Dutch blues scene, and ventured into neighboring Germany. Popović signed with the German based Ruf Records, and released three albums; Hush! (2001), Comfort to the Soul (2003) and Ana! (2005: live CD & DVD).
In 2003, Popović was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award in the United States.
In 2006, Popović signed a recording contract with the Los Angeles, California, based EclectoGroove Records (a division of Delta Groove Music.) For EclectoGroove she recorded a further three albums: Still Making History (2007), Blind For Love (2009) and Unconditional (2011). Both Still Making History and Unconditional reached number one in the United States Billboard Blues Chart. At the 33rd Blues Music Awards (2011) Popović was nominated 3 times: Contemporary Blues Album (Unconditional), Contemporary Blues Female Artist and Best DVD (An Evening at Trasimeno Lake).
Today, Popović and her four-piece band are booked all over the globe, playing major blues / jazz and rock festivals. She has shared a stage with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Solomon Burke, Jonny Lang, Sonny Landreth, Ronnie Earl, Koko Taylor and Robert Cray.
Discography
with Hush
Studio albums
- Hometown (1998)
Solo
Studio albums
- Hush! (2000)
- Comfort To The Soul (2003)
- Still Making History (2007)
- Blind For Love (2009)
- Unconditional (2011)
Live albums
- Ana! Live in Amsterdam (2005)
- An evening at Trasimeno Lake.(2010)
Video albums
- Ana! Live in Amsterdam (2005)
- An evening at Trasimeno Lake. (2010)
Awards
- 2002 — Three-way nominee for "Best Singer", "Best Guitarist" and "Best Album" at the French Blues Awards.
- 2003 — First European nominated for "Best New Artist Debut" at the W.C. Handy Award in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.
- 2003 — Nominated for "Best Blues Album’’ at the Jammie Awards in New York City.
- 2004 — Winner of the award Jazz à Juan Revelation in Juan-les-Pins, France.
- 2006 — Nominated for 'Best Blues DVD (2005)', 'Best Live Performer', 'Best Female Blues Artist' and 'Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)' at the 'Living Blues Awards'.
- 2007 — Nominated for 'Blues Artist of the Year' (BluesWax 2007, USA).
- 2010 — Nominated as 'Best Overseas Artist' at the British Blues Awards.
- 2011 — Winner 'Best Blues DVD' at the Blues Matters Awards (UK)
- 2011 — Three-way nominee for "Contemporary Blues Album" (Unconditional), "Contemporary Blues Female Artist" and "Best DVD" (An Evening at Trasimeno Lake) at the 33rd Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.
References
- ^ a b Skelly, Richard. "Ana Popovic Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p469321/biography. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
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