Internationally renowned guitarist Ana Popovic has built her career on defining and describing, on her own terms, the essence of American music, simultaneously pushing limits, bending genres, and reinventing her music and herself with each new record.
Not surprisingly, she can claim any number of notable accolades and achievements from the highest quarters of the music industry. She’s shown her commitment to celebrating her guitar-driven, eclectic music style through consistent touring, awards, and recognition for the past 25 years. In the process, she’s emerged as one of the most thoughtful, dynamic, and committed performers in modern songwriting and guitar.
Described as “one helluva guitar player” by Bruce Springsteen and has been nominated for eight Blues Music Awards. She’s appeared on the covers of Vintage Guitar and Guitar Player magazines. Earlier releases, Can You Stand the Heat and Unconditional, were tapped as a “Pick-Of-The-Week” by USA Today and given prominent airplay on NPR. In addition, most of Ana’s albums have climbed to the Top Five of the Billboard Blues Charts and continue to receive regular airplay on radio stations worldwide.
Notably, Ana was the only female guitarist to be included in the 2014-2018 all-star Experience Hendrix tribute, a national tour celebrating the music and legacy of Jimi Hendrix that also included such celebrated participants as Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, among others.
In addition, she and her six-piece band continue to tour relentlessly, having shared stages with B.B. King, Gary Clark Jr., Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa, and many others.
Ana was initially introduced to the blues by her father, a storied musician in Belgrade. She took up guitar as a teenager and formed her first band, Hush, in 1995. She started the Ana Popovic band in 2000 and never stopped touring. She proudly states that she has the best job in the world, and it’s the only job I ever had.” Ana recorded her debut album, also named Hush, in 1999 and subsequently moved to the Netherlands to study jazz guitar and other musical pursuits at the Conservatory of Music. Now affiliated with ArtisteXclusive Records, she claims no less than twelve albums in her storied catalog.
Today she is stronger and more driven than ever before. She wants to inspire people: no matter what life throws at you, pick yourself up and come back twice as strong. She is a mother of two and is enjoying her second hobby – interior design. She’s learning a new instrument – playing drums. Popovic performed 150 shows in 2020, and she’s directing music videos. The “Recipe Is Romance” music video is, more than anything else, a strong message to all women that “you can still feel attractive, you can feel sexy, feel good in your skin, even if you’re still recovering after such life struggles, you can reinvent yourself and find power in that.”
Well positioned among today’s blues elite, Ana’s confidence and credibility continue unabated. “Once I found myself back on my feet, everything instantly crystalized for me,” she reflects. “I was able to embrace myself, reinvent myself, both my appearance and my sound. I’m ready to keep celebrating life through music. That’s where I am now, and happily, I don’t want to look back.”
WNYBS Discount Code: WNYBS-ANA
Tickets are available here – https://events.eventgroove.com/event/Ana-Popovic-73075
