Dimensions Weekly Mens Lifestyle Magazine

In the U.S., where nearly all of our music has been influenced by a steady flow of immigrants from all over the world, Blues music is unique. Created within the African-American communities of the Deep South at the end of the 19th century, it is a thoroughly American art form.

So, what is a nice girl from Serbia doing belting out those soulful tunes? DW was eager to talk with Ana Popovic, who is making quite a name for herself in the Blues genre, and along the way, earning the great respect of peers, fans, and critics alike. She’s touring now for her latest album, Blind For Love, but we caught up with her on a break at home in Amsterdam.

DW: Tell us, how does a girl growing up in Belgrade, Serbia come to know and love the Blues?

AP: My dad had a wonderful collection of Blues and Soul music that we listened to all the time. I remember that I loved it, and it gave me such a good feeling from very early on in my life. My father would pick up a guitar and encourage me to sing. Music was very important in our house. I just loved it and have very good memories of that period in my life, so that pretty much formed my musical taste.

DW: Was it common for a Serbian family at that time (late 70’s/early 80’s) to listen to American music?

AP: No, it really wasn’t common, but my father had a circle of friends who all had the same taste, and they would come over and enjoy the music together. Most people in Serbia really love their own music, which has very deep roots, so hearing something sung in English was unusual, and we were kind of different. But we were hooked. We had the records and also all the magazines, like Blues Review, Guitar Player, Rolling Stone. These were in my house all my life. When I first came to the States, and started meeting some of the writers from these magazines, it really felt like being home.

DW: The Blues genre was born out of hardship in the American South. Living in Belgrade during the late 90’s was a very difficult time of daily air raids and bombings. How has that experience affected your own interpretation of the Blues?

AP: It definitely did, later on. But I must say, my childhood was filled with joy and just wonderful moments and memories. The economic and political situations were way better back then so my original connection to that music was very positive and joyful. But later on, when I learned the language, I started to understand what they were singing about. Then when everything happened with (Serbian President Slobodan) Milosevic, yes, I could definitely understand what these people were going through.

I could understand how people everywhere go through hard times and suffer. My previous album, Still Making History, was very political. The songs were about really hard times in my country under the Milosevic regime, but also about people struggling under difficult circumstances in other countries around the world. My songs were also about giving hope to people, that things can get better. I’m very careful in my musical choices. I want my music to stand for something, have a message, and inspire people. It should get them – and me – to think, to do better, to be better.

DW: Let’s talk about your guitar playing. Your talent has been compared to Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Robert Cray. It doesn’t get much better than that! How does that make you feel?

AP: What I like about these reviews is that I’m compared with so many different guitar players, not just one. It’s not like I sat at home practicing so hard until I sounded just like one particular guitar player, like I was copying somebody. There are a lot of guitar players out there who are just trying to copy and almost take the place of legends that are not around anymore like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Albert King. But I was always searching for my own style and sound. Finding your own style is a long road and a never-ending task, and I’m never completely satisfied so I keep working and searching. So that’s what I really love about those comparisons – the variety of names that come up.

DW: In addition to the style and sound of your guitar playing, the critics were also complimenting your technique - the quality of your guitar playing.

AP: Well, that’s nice too! I’m really flattered. I take my music very seriously, and I’ve worked very hard at it for a long time so I do appreciate that.

DW: Your current album, Blind For Love, has been described as “eclectic,” – revealing influences from blues, jazz, rock, gospel, and funk. What was your goal for this collection?

AP: That word really can be used to describe every album I’ve ever done. I never like to repeat myself, so just because something was very successful on a previous album, it doesn’t mean I’m going to do it again. I like to experiment with different sounds, but I do think there still are a lot of similarities – you can always hear my voice and my guitar playing, which really connect all the songs. My fans know to expect different things from me, but they also know my albums are always going to feature a lot of Blues. They know they can count on that. Those are my roots, and where my heart is, but I don’t want to be safe. It’s important to explore and challenge myself.

DW: Mark Dearnley (AC/DC, Tom Petty, Paul McCartney) joined you in producing this album. What was that collaboration like?

AP: I really loved that whole process. I wanted someone who would give a lot of input, and not just say yes to everything I did. Mark comes from more of a rock background so it was really nice to get a different perspective. He came in with some really good ideas and a great sound. I’ve worked with a lot of wonderful Blues producers, but it was nice to work with somebody new who comes from a fresh angle. I’m really looking forward to working with Mark again. This is definitely not the last record we’ll do together.

DW: Aside from touring and promoting this album, what else are you working on?

AP: I’m working on a DVD and a live record. Parts of that are already recorded. I’m also already working on my next record, which is going to be a completely different thing. I think my fans are really going to like it, but I can’t talk about it now because it’s going to be a surprise. It’s something I haven’t done in a while that they’re probably waiting for, but I don’t want to say anymore….

Ana’s back in the USA next month.

02/18/10: Ft. Pierce, FL – Sunrise Theatre w/Robert Cray
02/19/10: Boca Raton, FL – The Back Room
02/20/10: Port Canaveral, FL – Miliken’s
02/21/10: Clearwater, FL – Clearwater Sea Blues Festival
02/24-25/10: Key West, FL – The Green Parrot

-DW | Entertainment

Share