Widely regarded as one of the worlds most viable female guitarists 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.
Back in 2015 we listed Ana as one of our Five Fabulous Women of the Blues…
Not unexpectedly, she has received several awards and achievements from the music industry’s top levels since then. In fact, over a career of 25 years, Ana has demonstrated her dedication to promoting guitar-driven, varied musical styles with her regular touring schedules, and has emerged as one of the most insightful, dynamic, and dedicated performers in contemporary songwriting and guitar, winning accolades, and acclaim along the way.
Ana’s new album, titled ‘Power,’ which will be released by ArtisteXclusive Records on May 5, 2023, puts those characteristics to the forefront, transforming this collection of songs into a compelling and personal story of survival through faith, dedication, and resilience.They arose from a difficult set of circumstances that put Ana’s dedication to create music and her tenacity to the test.
filled with bootstrapping motivation…
Raw Ramp Music Magazine
“Power” signifies human oneness.The album cover art, which displays two people holding hands in black and white, is just what the world needs. It is the power and the impetus that will propel this world ahead. Without its authority, there would be less amazing music, ideas, and reforms today. This is a story about friendship and accepting yourself in the face of adversity.
“In the fall of 2020, while the world was dealing with Covid, I found myself in a dire and devastating situation,” explains Ana. “I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Having lost my mother three years before the same illness, my world just crumbled. My family had just built a beautiful new home in Manhattan Beach, California. It seemed that everything we had looked forward to, suddenly came to a crashing halt.”
“It left me with so many uncertainties. We didn’t know what to do,” continues Ana. “Should we move back to Europe? Should I abandon my music career and simply stop performing? I didn’t know what choices I had or what path I should take.”
Her bass player and musical director, Buthel Burns, gave her the support and encouragement she needed.
“You can’t retire! You’re born for this,” Buthel told her. “We’ve got work to do. We need to touch people with our music.”
“He simply has that gift; he can build people up!” Ana says.
Consequently, between fourteen chemotherapy treatments and flights back and forth between L.A. and Amsterdam, where she received her treatments, Ana and Buthel collaborated on Zoom to create the material that became the new album. Then, in between treatments, she arranged demos, recordings, re-recordings, and live gigs with her band. She never missed a performance.
Her determination is reflected in each of the songs on the album. She and Buthel wrote and produced the disc, which was mixed & mastered by multi-talented Grammy Award and Dove Award-winning producer Jeremy Bishop Hicks, with an all-star lineup of top-tier musicians from Detroit, Dallas, and New Orleans, including powerhouse drummer Chris Coleman (Beck, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder).
The results validate Ana’s emotional engagement, which allowed each song entry to become a testament to her power and prowess. Her vocals span from fiery to heartfelt, and her excellent guitar solos, always in the service of the song, range from searing rock and blues guitar to subtle and sensuous jazz licks.
For example, the slide-guitar clap-along ‘Turn My Luck’ (video shared below) which is about organizing oneself to move in a positive direction, and so is filled with bootstrapping motivation. The vocal is cabaret-fantastique style ragtimey-jazz soulful, and therefore padded with deft sophistication. And, on the song, the guitars & rhythms become the nudges (we need) to find the motivating capacity to keep moving on… Propulsatory!
Ana embarks on a UK tour from 8-12 March, taking in Chester, The Live Rooms (March 8), Stroud, The Subscription Rooms (March 9), London, O2 Islington Academy (March 10), and Southampton, The Brook (March 12). Tickets are now available from https://anapopovic.com/tour. Special guest is Toby Lee.
Ana’s new album Power is out 5th May 2023.
Pre-order here: https://anapopovic.com/store
Photos: © Brian Rasic
RAW RAMP 