Ana Popović

Biography

Ana Popović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ана Поповић, born May 13, 1976) is a blues singer and guitarist from Serbia who currently resides in the United States.

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, but also incorporated elements of funk and soul into their sound. The band had their first performance in the club Vox in Belgrade. During 1996, Hush performed across Serbia, also performing in Greece. Thanks to their performance at the Marsoni Blues Festival in Senta, Hush got the invitation to perform at the Fifth International Blues, Jazz, Rock and Gastronomic Festival in Hungary. 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 album Dan koji prolazi zauvek (The Day that Is Passing Forever).
During 1998, Hush performed more than 100 times, 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) and Predrag Krstić (trumpet) as guests. Beside the band's own songs, Hometown also featured covers of blues standards.
In 1998, Popović went to the Netherlands to study jazz guitar, and Hush disbanded.

Solo career (1999–present)

In 1999, Popović formed the Ana Popović Band in the Netherlands. In 2000, she appeared, alongside Eric Burdon, Taj Mahal, Buddy Miles, Double Trouble, Eric Gales and others, on the Jimi Hendrix tribute album Blue Haze: Songs of Jimi Hendrix with a cover of the song "Belly Button Window×Belly Button WindowStudio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Belly Button Window5:142I Won't Let You Down4:223Sexiest Man Alive7:534Lrbc 200610:025Interview4:546Jam9:317Live At Cafe Wilhelmina5:348Crossroadz4:199Ana's Demonstration1:4910House Burning Down9:1711Blues Caravan10:0012How'd You Learn To Shake It Like That5:58". In 2001, she released her solo debut, Hush!, through the German label Ruf Records. The album was recorded in Memphis, 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 and others. The album featured Bernard Allison 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×Comfort to the Soul2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Don’t Bear Down on Me (I’m Here to Steal the Show)3:552Love Me Again5:103Comfort to the Soul3:294Change My Mind4:305Sittin’ on Top of the World3:486Night by Night3:367Navajo Moon4:478Need All the Help I Can Get2:519Recall the Days3:4510Fool Proof3:2411Jaco4:00. The album, recorded in Memphis and produced by Gaines, featured a fusion of blues, rock, 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×ANA! Live in AmsterdamApril 2005 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Intro3:022Don’t Bear Down on Me3:373Sittin’ on Top of the World4:334Love Me Again5:115Comfort to the Soul6:046Navajo Moon8:577Night by Night4:128Big Town Playboy6:019Won’t Let You Down4:5310Jaco6:3811Long Way Home5:0712My Man9:29, recorded on January 30, 2005, on her concert in Amsterdam club Melkweg.
In 2007, Popović released the album Still Making History×Still Making History19 June 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1U Complete Me3:482Hold On4:113Between Our Worlds5:094Is This Everything There Is?3:595Hungry4:086Doubt Everyone But Me4:237You Don't Move Me4:438Still Making History6:079My Favorite Night4:5710How'd You Learn To Shake It Like That?3:5811Shadow After Dark4:1812Calendars4:2413Sexiest Man Alive4:1414U Complete Me (Blues version)5:23 through the American record label Eclecto Groove Records. In 2009, she released the album Blind for Love×Blind for Love21 July 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Nothing Personal3:372Wrong Woman3:453Steal Me Away3:324Blind for Love3:145More Real3:386Putting Out the APB3:497Get Back Home to You3:348The Only Reason3:549Part of Me (Lullaby for Luuk)3:1710Lives That Don't Exist3:5511Need Your Love3:2212Blues for M5:24, and in 2011 the album Unconditional×Unconditional16 August 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Fearless Blues3:162Count Me In4:543Unconditional3:534Reset Rewind3:385Slideshow5:236Business As Usual3:237Your Love Ain't Real4:168Work Song4:029Summer Rain4:3610Voodoo Woman4:1211One Room Country Shack6:3312Soulful Dress2:53 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 album, Can You Stand the Heat×Can You Stand The Heat16 April 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Can You Stand the Heat5:002Can't You See What You're Doing to Me3:533Mo' Better Love3:274Object of Obsession4:145Boys' Night Out2:276Hot Southern Night3:407Every Kind of People4:108Ana's Shuffle4:079Blues for Mrs. Pauline / Leave My Boy Alown7:1210Leave Well Enough Alone aka: High Maintenance You4:1111Tribe5:4812Rain Fall Down4:0813Growing Up Too Soon2:5914Mo' Better Love3:27, 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, 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×Trilogy20 May 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 23 tracks · 3 discsDisc 11Love You Tonight4:042She Was a Doorman4:033Show You How Strong You Are3:234Fencewalk4:215Train4:576If Tomorrow Was Today5:157Long Road Down4:328Hook Me Up4:379Too Late5:26Disc 21You Got the Love5:262Johnnie Ray3:443Woman to Love3:174Let’s Do It Again3:495Who’s Yo’ Mama?3:166Wasted2:167Crying for Me3:09Disc 31New Coat of Paint3:252Waiting on You4:303In a Sentimental Mood3:374Old Country3:445Waiting on You (Double-Time Swing)3:576Heaven’s Crying (a.k.a. Song for the Next Generation)3:577You Don’t Know What Love Is4:45 on May 20, 2016. The album includes multiple guests, including Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph, Cody Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Bernard Purdie, and rapper Al Kapone.
Popović released her next studio album, Like It on Top×Like It On Top14 September 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Lasting Kind of Love4:552Like It on Top4:453Sexy Tonight3:354Slow Dance6:365Funkin’ Attitude4:586Last Thing I Do3:097Virtual Ground3:538Brand New Man3:589Matter of Time2:5310Honey I’m Home3:45 on September 14, 2018. The album was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, and produced by Keb' Mo'.
In late 2020, Popović was diagnosed with breast cancer, but continued to perform live, and also worked on her new album in between medical treatments. On May 5, 2023, Popović released Power, her first studio album in five years.

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
2011 Winner of Best Blues DVD at the Blues Matters Awards, UK
2012 Nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album (Unconditional×Unconditional16 August 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Fearless Blues3:162Count Me In4:543Unconditional3:534Reset Rewind3:385Slideshow5:236Business As Usual3:237Your Love Ain't Real4:168Work Song4:029Summer Rain4:3610Voodoo Woman4:1211One Room Country Shack6:3312Soulful Dress2:53), 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

DVD

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