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MJF68, Sept. 26-28, 2025

ARTISTS

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Ana Popovic & FANTASTAFUNK Big Band
  • Grounds Artist
  • Sunday, September 29 9:30 pm - 10:45 pm West End Stage Presented by Castoro Cellars

Ana Popvic, the award-winning, hard-touring, guitar slinger blends smoking electric funk and slide guitar, jazzy instrumentals and a tight blues groove with soulful, feminine vocals. Add to the mix her incredible stage presence, all of which makes her an irresistible force in the world of contemporary blues music. Her sound simply never stands still, she’s pushing limits, bending genres, and reinventing her music and herself with each new record.

Not surprisingly, she can claim any number of notable accolades and achievements from the highest quarters of the music industry. She's shown her commitment to celebrating her guitar-driven, eclectic music style through consistent touring, awards, and recognition for the past 25 years. In the process, she's emerged as one of the most thoughtful, dynamic, and committed performers in modern songwriting and guitar.

Ana's latest studio album, Power, released on May 5, 2023 on ArtisteXclusive Records, brings those dynamics to the fore and, in the process, turns this set of songs into both a powerful and personal tale of survival through faith, determination and tenacity. They were spawned from a decidedly tricky set of circumstances that tested Ana's devotion to making music and her perseverance.

Power symbolizes unity. Album cover art: two holding hands, black and white, is what this world needs. It's the power, and it's the force that's going to move this world forward. Without that power, there wouldn't have been so much remarkable music today, ideas, and reforms. And indeed, not this record. This story is about friendship and embracing yourself with everything life throws at you.

If that all isn’t enough, in 2023 she decided to take on an even bigger task: fronting her brand new, genre-bending, BIG BAND project "FANTASTAFUNK" that showcases an excellent 11-piece band, a funk, gospel and soul extravaganza!

Called "one helluva a guitar-player" by Bruce Springsteen and nominated for seven Blues Music Awards, Ana was added as the only female guitar-player to the 2014-2018 all star Experience Hendrix lineup — a nationwide tour celebrating the music and legacy of Jimi Hendrix with Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and many more world-renowned artists.

She appeared on the covers of Vintage Guitar and Guitar Player magazine. Her latest album Power (2023) made it to #1 on the Billboards Blues Charts — THE list of best selling albums nationwide. Her albums Can You Stand The Heat and Unconditional were Pick-Of-The-Week by USA Today and featured on NPR Music.

You’ll find Popovic in a select group of excellent modern rock-blues guitar players. One reason could be the fact that she’s always willing to work a little harder and travel a little further to master her craft. Ana and her powerful band are tirelessly touring, playing major blues, jazz and rock festivals. She is endorsed by Fender, D'Angelico, Jim Dunlop and DR strings. She has shared headlining stages with B.B. King, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Clark Jr., and many others. When not on tour, she resides in Los Angeles, Calif.