Ana Popović ( sr-Cyrl, Ана Поповић, born May 13, 1976) is a blues singer and guitarist from

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

who currently resides in the United States.

Biography

Early life

Popović was born in 1976 in Belgrade. Her father (Milton Popović) introduced her to the blues, and she started to play the guitar when she was fifteen.

Hush (1995–1998)

In 1995, she formed the band Hush with Rade Popović (guitar, vocals), Milan Sarić (bass guitar) and Bojan Ivković (drums). Hush performed

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

, but also incorporated elements of funk and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

into their sound. The band had their first performance in the club Vox in Belgrade. During 1996, Hush performed across

, also performing in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

. Thanks to their performance at the Marsoni Blues Festival in

Senta Senta ( sr-cyrl, Сента, ; Hungarian: ''Zenta'', ; Romanian: ''Zenta'') is a town and municipality located in the North Banat District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the bank of the Tisa river in the g ...

, Hush got the invitation to perform at the Fifth International Blues, Jazz, Rock and Gastronomic Festival in

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

. A part of their performance was released on a live album which featured recordings from the festival. In 1996, Popović played slide guitar on

Piloti Pilotis, or piers, are supports such as columns, pillars, or stilts that lift a building above ground or water. They are traditionally found in stilt and pole dwellings such as fishermen's huts in Asia and Scandinavia using wood, and in ele ...

album ''Dan koji prolazi zauvek'' (''The Day that Is Passing Forever''). During 1998, Hush had over 100 performances, playing in blues clubs and blues festivals. During the same year, they released their debut album, '' Hometown'', through PGP-RTS. The album was produced by Aleksandar Radosavljević, and featured Vojno Dizdar ( electric piano and Hammond organ), Petar "Pera Joe" Miladinović ( harmonica), Aleksandar Tomić (

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

) and Predrag Krstić (

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

) as guests. Beside the band's own songs, ''Hometown'' also featured covers of

blues standard Blues standards are blues songs that have attained a high level of recognition due to having been widely performed and recorded. They represent the best known and most interpreted blues songs that are seen as standing the test of time. Blues ...

s. In 1998, Popović went to

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

to study

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

guitar, and Hush disbanded.

Solo career (1999 – present)

Ana Popovic @ Piacenza Blues Festival day 4 07

In 1999, Popović formed the Ana Popović Band in the Netherlands. In 2000, she appeared, alongside

Eric Burdon Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer. He was previously the lead vocalist of R&B and rock band the Animals and funk band War. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, pow ...

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...

Buddy Miles George Allen "Buddy" Miles Jr. (September 5, 1947February 26, 2008) was an American composer, drummer, guitarist, vocalist and producer. He was a founding member of the Electric Flag (1967), a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys (1969–197 ...

, Double Trouble,

Eric Gales Eric Gales (born October 29, 1974), also known as Raw Dawg, is an American blues rock guitarist, originally hailed as a child prodigy. , Gales has recorded nineteen albums for major record labels and has done session and tribute work. He has a ...

and others, on the Jimi Hendrix tribute album ''Blue Haze: Songs of Jimi Hendrix'' with a cover of the song "Belly Button Window". In 2001, she released her solo debut, '' Hush!'', through the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

label

Ruf Records Ruf Records is a German independent record label, which was founded in 1994 by Luther Allison’s manager, Thomas Ruf, to promote Allison's career. The motto of the blues label is "Where Blues Crosses Over". The company's office is located in ...

. The album was recorded in

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, with the members of Ana Popović Band, as well as studio musicians. It was produced by Jim Gaines, who previously worked with Carlos Santana, John Lee Hooker,

Alexis Korner Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner (19 April 1928 – 1 January 1984), known professionally as Alexis Korner, was a British blues musician and radio broadcaster, who has sometimes been referred to as "a founding father of British blues". A major in ...

and others. The album featured

Bernard Allison Bernard Allison (born November 26, 1965) is an American blues guitarist, based out of Paris, France. Biography Bernard Allison was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. His father, Luther Allison, was a Chicago blues musician. Allison move ...

as guest. The album saw large success, so Popović left her guitar studies, and dedicated herself to performing. In 2003, Popović released her second album, '' Comfort to the Soul''. The album, recorded in Memphis and produced by Gaines, featured a fusion of blues,

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

, soul and jazz. During the same year, on the Rhythm & Blues Festival in Belgium, she was invited by Solomon Burke to join him on stage, after which she joined him on the rest of the tour as a guest. In 2005, Popović released a live album and DVD entitled '' Ana! Live in Amsterdam'', recorded on January 30, 2005, on her concert in Amsterdam club Melkweg. In 2007, Popović released the album '' Still Making History'' through the American record label Eclecto Groove Records. In 2009, she released the album '' Blind for Love'', and in 2011 the album '' Unconditional'' through the same label. Both ''Still Making History'' and ''Unconditional'' reached number one in the United States '' Billboard'' Blues chart. In 2012, Popović moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and a few years later relocated to Los Angeles, California. Popović's ninth full-length album, entitled '' Can You Stand the Heat'', was released in April 2013 through ArtisteXclusive records. The album, produced by Tony Coleman, was recorded with John Williams on bass guitar, Harold Smith on rhythm guitar, Frank Ray Jr. on organ and Tony Coleman on drums. Popović performed at the 2013

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...

, where she introduced a new project: a nine-piece band under the name Ana Popovic & Mo' Better Love. In September 2013, Popović signed with Monterey International booking agency. In 2014, she was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year category. Popović released a triple album titled ''

Trilogy A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

'' on May 20, 2016. The album includes multiple guests, including

Joe Bonamassa Joseph Leonard Bonamassa ( ; born May 8, 1977) is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age twelve, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his ind ...

, Robert Randolph, Cody Dickinson (

North Mississippi Allstars North Mississippi Allstars is an American blues and southern rock band from Hernando, Mississippi, founded in 1996. The band is currently composed of brothers Luther Dickinson (guitar, lowebow, vocals) and Cody Dickinson (drums, keyboards, ele ...

), Bernard Purdie, and rapper

Al Kapone Alphonzo Bailey (born November 5, 1975), better known by his stage name Al Kapone, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. Al Kapone is known principally for his underground success in the Memphis hip hop scene in the 1990s, and his l ...

. Popović released her next studio album, '' Like It on Top'' on September 14, 2018. The album was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, and produced by

Keb' Mo' Kevin Roosevelt Moore (born October 3, 1951), known as Keb' Mo', is an American blues musician and five-time Grammy Award winner. He is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, living in Nashville, Tennessee. He has been described as "a living link ...

Awards and honors

* 2002 Nominated 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 Awards * 2003 Nominated for Best Blues Album at the Jammie Awards * 2004 Winner of the Jazz a Juan Revelation award 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, U.S. * 2010 Nominated for Best Overseas Artist at the

British Blues Awards The British Blues Awards were inaugurated in 2010. The prize was awarded in various categories, such as 'Male vocals', 'Female vocals', 'Guitarist', 'Bass player' and 'Keyboard player', 'Blues band', 'Young artist', 'Blues album', 'Blues festival' a ...

* 2011 Winner of Best Blues DVD at the Blues Matters Awards, UK * 2012 Nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album (''Unconditional''), Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist, and Best DVD at the 33rd Blues Music Awards * 2014 Nominated for Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, Blues Music Awards

Discography

* '' Hometown'' (1998) as Hush * '' Hush!'' (2001) * '' Comfort to the Soul'' (2003) * '' Still Making History'' (2007) * '' Blind for Love'' (2009) * '' Unconditional'' (2011) * '' Can You Stand the Heat'' (2013) * '' Blue Room'' (2015) with Milton Popović * ''

'' (2016) * '' Like It on Top'' (2018)

DVD

* '' Ana! Live in Amsterdam'' (2005) * '' An evening at Trasimeno Lake'' (2010) * '' Live for Live'' (2020)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Popovic, Ana 1976 births Living people Musicians from Belgrade Serbian blues guitarists Serbian blues singers Serbian emigrants to the United States Serbian expatriates in the Netherlands Serbian women guitarists 20th-century Serbian women singers Serbian rock guitarists Serbian rock singers Serbian singer-songwriters Singers from Belgrade Yugoslav expatriates in the Netherlands Serbian expatriates in the United States 21st-century Serbian women singers 21st-century guitarists Ruf Records artists 21st-century women guitarists