Now Playing: "You Don't Move Me" by Ana Popovic (1.2 MB sample)
Also visit: Ana Popovic The Official Site.
The sensational Ana Popovic will take the stage with her one-of-a-kind blues fireworks at the 2008 Riverside Bluesfest, Saturday, August 30, 2008 on Labor Day weekend in St. Marys, Ohio.
Ana Popovic is unique; her ascent in the blues world is as unprecedented as it is well-deserved. A European in an American-dominated genre, a woman guitar slinger in a male-dominated field, a young person in a style of music with deep roots, an innovative song-writer comfortable with jazz and rock as well as blues, she defies blues stereotypes while somehow maintaining blues traditions.
Born in Belgrade, Serbia (at that time Yugoslavia), Ana Popovic grew up listening to her father's American blues and soul record collection, and watching him play guitar and bass in frequent jam sessions held in their home. When she picked up the guitar herself at age fifteen, her natural talent soon became obvious. By 1998, when her band was regularly appearing on Yugoslavian television, she sent an audition tape to a school in the Netherlands and was immediately accepted.
The Dutch band she formed to help pay tuition bills quickly became a blues favorite in the Netherlands and Germany, and with bombs falling at home in Milosevic's Yugoslavia, Ana decided to leave school and signed a recording contract with German blues label Ruf Records.
Ruf sent Ana to Memphis, Tennessee to record her first CD “Hush!” and put her on the road in the USA and Europe. Touring in 2002 with Walter Trout on the “Jimi Hendrix Tribute Tour” led to Ana receiving France Blues Award nominations for Best Singer, Best Guitarist and Best Album. Many nominations and awards would follow on both sides of the Atlantic, including the WC Handy Best New Artist of 2003. She remains the only European artist ever to be nominated for that award.
Ana Popovic's dynamic shows prompted a Jazz News headline to proclaim in 2005: “Jimi Hendrix is a woman - her name is Ana Popovic.” Being compared to Hendrix is a difficult standard to live up to, but the more Ana Popovic tours and continues to tear up stages, the fewer doubters she leaves in her wake.
Her latest CD “Still Making History” was released in 2007. The title refers to the changes taking place in her native country and in her personal life. At turns geopolitically aware, introspective and playful, the songs showcase Ana's strong vocal, instrumental and songwriting range with intelligence and ass-kicking chops. This is a surprising combination, unless you're already familiar with Ana Popovic's music. Don't miss your chance to catch this star on the rise at the 2008 Riverside Bluesfest.
The Riverside Bluesfest is a celebration of the Blues music genre, held annually during Labor Day weekend at K.C. Geiger Park in St. Marys, Ohio. The festival includes live music, food and refreshments in a family-friendly atmosphere. A production of the K.C. Geiger Park Improvement Committee, the Riverside Bluesfest is a not-for-profit event with proceeds benefiting the K.C. Geiger Park Improvement Fund.
Ana Popovic will join Sonny Boy Terry, Stacy Mitchhart and the Jimi Vincent Band on stage, along with one more internationally-known artist yet to be announced. Tickets will go on sale Memorial Day and will be $15 in advance and $20 the day of the show.
The opening act at the Riverside Bluesfest will be the winners of the 2008 Blues Challenge: Lima, Ohio band "No Right Turn."
Ticket information and the latest Bluesfest news can be found online at www. stmarysblues.com.
