Ana Serrano van der Laan (born 10 February 1967), known professionally as Ana Laan, is a singer-songwriter born in Madrid, Spain. She composes in English, Spanish and Swedish, with a smattering of French.

Biography

Born in Madrid, Spain, in 1967, she grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, in a trilingual (English, Spanish and Swedish) home. She moved to England during her adolescence and later to Spain, where she studied English Philology. She also began her musical career in Spain, taping and performing with a wide variety of Spanish-language artists, among them Javier Álvarez,

Sergio Dalma Josep Sergi Capdevila Querol (born 28 September 1964), professionally known as Sergio Dalma, is a Spanish singer. He is one of Spain's best-selling recording artists, having topped Spain's official Productores de Música de España national albu ...

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, Diego Vasallo,

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and

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. In her first two CDs, she appeared under the pseudonym Rita Calypso for Siesta, an independent label in collaboration with producer Ramón Leal. With Siesta she participated in other projects, among them as part of the pop duo Magic Whispers. Rita developed a certain following in the indie scene after her first CD, "Apocalypso." :"Rita is a femme fatale, with lush pouty lips and dark hair, a man-devourer given to ravishing multimillionaire lovers in the Costa Azul (Mexico). She sings them her versions of songs from the 1960s and 1970s in their yachts. She has a frivolous and glamorous persona," recounts Ana Laan in an interview. In her first solo CD, Ana Laan recorded her own songs with

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(Bajofondo Tango Club) and

(her ex-husband), and coproduced the album with Leo Sidran. The CD was published in the United States in 2004 and in Argentina in 2005, to rave reviews in both countries. The response prompted a series of concerts in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and Buenos Aires, along with a showcase in the 2005 Latin Alternative Music Conference in New York. In December 2004 the Chicago Tribune lists her album Oregano among the top 10 best Latin recordings of the year. Her song "Para el dolor" (For pain), the second track in "Oregano," was included in ''"Music From the Wine Lands"'' a compilation by Putumayo World Music, a New York City-based record label. The album also won the '' Independent Music Award'' for the best Latin album. In 2005 she separated from Uruguayan singer

. She spent the summer of 2006 in New York recording her second disk, "Chocolate ''and'' Roses", also produce with

Leo Sidran Leo Sidran is an American Grammy-nominated musician, composer, performer, and producer whose credits include co-producing the Oscar-winning song "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" for the soundtrack to the movie '' The Motorcycle Diaries''. Sidran began ...

. Although her Latin roots are still evident in this collection, her compositions include more songs with lyrics in English, a little French, along with several bilingual English-Spanish songs and a Swedish pop song. She is accompanied by Phil Mossman (

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(

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), Ramón Leal and Javier Álvarez. This album was presented at the ''

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'' festival in Austin, Texas, in March 2007 and in August she went on a brief tour throughout the United States.

Musical influences

Ana Laan recognizes a variety of influences in her music, among them:

Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but was an und ...

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, Rufus Wainwright, Les Luthiers, Camille, Keren Ann,

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, Shawn Colvin,

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, The Beatles, João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Marisa Monte, Gilberto Gil,

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, Bebel Gilberto, Brazilian Girls, Blue Nile, Bulgarian Voices,

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(Ariel Ramírez), Billie Holiday,

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, Blossom Dearie, Emilíana Torrini, Imogen Heap,

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, Javier Álvarez, and Fernando Cabrera.

Discography

Albums

* ''Apocalypso'' – 2002 (pseudonym Rita Calypso) * ''Sicalyptico'' – 2004 (pseudonym Rita Calypso) * ''Orégano'' – 2004/5 * ''Chocolate and Roses'' – 2007 * ''Sopa de Almendras'' – 2011

References

External links

Ana Laan's official page

Ana Laan's official page on MySpace

Rita Calypso on Siesta Records

Ana Laan an exquisite voice

Review of Chocolate and Roses in Ojo Critico de RNE

Photos of her concert at Libertad 8
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laan, Ana Spanish women singer-songwriters Spanish singer-songwriters 1967 births Living people Bossa nova singers Singers from Madrid Spanish people of Dutch descent 21st-century Spanish singers 21st-century Spanish women singers