History
Anna's music career has been colourful and eclectic, resulting in a body of compositions and performances reflecting her unique take on the world and her taste in music.
Her early life was full of adventure and travel, she grew up in California and the U.K, moving frequently. In her late teens she followed her heart and love of house music to work in the clubs in The Balearic Islands and Greece as a dancer and promoter. This led to DJing and meeting up with jazz dancers and musicians who opened the door to the Acid Jazz and Jazz/Funk/Fusion world.
Throughout this, she kept up her dedication to piano and singing. By the time she received her scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music in 1998 for a Post Graduate in Jazz and Studio Music, she was already touring with her band Ana, incorporating Broken Beat, Drum and Bass, with experimental live sampling and an eight piece string section.
She went on to form Brotherly with Robin Mullarkey, and release two critically acclaimed albums, One Sweet Life, and Find First Light. Brotherly were nominated for Best Live Session on Radio One's Gilles Peterson Worldwide for their memorable Maida Vale Studios live session.
Brotherly have influenced many musicians and their song 'System' is studied at Berklee College of Music amongst other conservatoires for it's complex multi-layered rhythms and time changes. The lyrics and song continue to inspire fans all over the world.
Anna also writes with other producers (see songs page) and performs as a vocalist, solo piano, or with her piano trio all over London, the UK and Europe.
Anna has also produced her latest project Kinzoogianna which has seen six singles and one album release during 2022. It has been very well received, with great reviews and lots of radio play.
She has been signed to the record labels Bitasweet, Compost, Hospital Records, Jazz:Refreshed, Monumental, and Kudos.
Brotherly is currently signed to Whirlwind Recordings for their forthcoming double album release on Dec 4th 2020.
She has run the label Brotherly Music between 2005-present.
Influences/Education
Anna spends her time playing and writing, at her Kawai piano, with a Nord Stage Keyboard and LogicPro software.
Bach Partitas, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Robert Glasper, Nas, The Stylistics, Bruce Hornsby, Faure, Kabelevsky, Airto Moreira, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, D'Angelo, Lewis Taylor, Disclosure, Joni Mitchell, Bill Evans, Steely Dan, Rotary Connection, Kendrick Lamar, Dilla, Donnie and Lalah Hathaway, (too many to mention!) all go into the mix.
Education has been a lifeline to figure out what goes on musically with all her influences. Along with Classical ABRSM Grade 8s in Voice, Theory and Piano (taken as an adult to access higher education) Anna has studied Jazz Voice and Piano at Degree and Post Graduate level at the Leeds College of Music and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
She has been the Vocal Lecturer at Leeds College of Music, and Head of Performance at LCCM. Anna feels that being part of the circle of learning and teaching is a rewarding and fulfilling part of her career. Many of her students have gone on to have sparkling careers themselves, and unlock their own freedom of creativity. Or simply discover that they aren't actually tone deaf or unmusical, that they can join a club they've felt excluded from all their lives.
She currently teaches singing at her business www.sohovocaltuition.com
Clients include Grammy winners and shy beginners.
