
Biography
From jazz to samba and spicy afro-caribbean rhythms, Ana Baiana has found her language. Being a tireless explorer of rhythms and cultures, makes her part of what we call today "world music". She mixes jazz, samba, afro-Caribbean and latin rhythms and tops it with her most inspired scat.. Born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland in a multilingual family, she started listening to music from around the world from childhood. Her father was a bass player and a booking agent, her mother loved music and dancing. At age 5, she knew she wanted to become a singer. At 9, she started studying piano and later, singing lessons with Hungarian teacher Magda Fonay. At 14, she started singing jazz and Brazilian standards, much influenced by assisting to memorable concerts at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland. In the '70s, she went traveling to the USA, Mexico and Brazil. Back in Geneva, she continued performing and also did some studio sessions, french TV musical theme for "Dr. Erika Werner", jingles and more. In the early 80’s, she was a pioneer performer at the New Morning, in Geneva, Switzerland with "Guaraná" directed by renowned composer-arranger and guitarist Paulo Bellinati from Sao Paulo, as well as with her own jazz-rock fusion group Mabouya.
In 1982 she went traveling to Colombia, Venezuela, different Caribbean islands including Puerto Rico where she has lived ever since, performing jazz and Brazilian music and her original compositions. From 1982 on, she has been singing in Puerto Rico with Danny Rivera, O'Brasil directed by singer and composer Roberto Figueroa ("Para decir adios"), Las Bohemias and more. That same year, she recorded 2 original songs with latin-jazz group Batacumbele founded by percussionist Angel Cachete Maldonado, later performing with the group (1986 to 1988) at prestigious festivals in Cartagena and Bogota, Colombia and Puerto Rico. In 1984, she made an incursion into African pop music recording 3 songs in lingala on LP "Buku Ya Lopango" in duet with singer-composer from Congo, Maray-Maray, (former member of Papa Wemba's Viva la Musica band). In the late 1980s, she was raising a family, remaining as active as possible… In 1991 she recorded on “La Inglesa” by rap singer Vico C from Puerto Rico. Since 1994 she has been part of the Brazilian jazz scene of Puerto Rico with Jazzil, Sambossa, Bossa Brasil with brazilian guitarist Paulo de Sousa. In 1999 she releases her CD "Looking for Light", including latin-jazz, samba and Bomba in French which was quoted as “a cultural legacy for music ‘connaisseurs’ and a valuable contribution to the portorican rhythm of bomba with "Loiza" and "Tambour toujours" standing out as a pioneer in the composition and interpretation of this particular rhythm in French”.
In 2000, she joined the "Bombazo de Puerto Rico", appearing on the video “Raices” produced by Banco Banco Popular 2000 and went on the Bombace Tour of Puerto Rico. In 2003, she performed at Festival de Jazz Boriken and the “Jazz en la Plaza” Series, directed by arranger and saxophonist José “Furito” Rios, San Juan, PR. She also performed with the bomba and plena group Calabo Caribeño (100th Anniversary of University of P.R. and more) In April of 2005, she released her CD "Baiana" recorded in NYC under the musical direction of renowned bass-player John Benitez. Since 2008, she’s been presenting different formulas of her world music repertoire at La Fête de la Musique and French National Day sponsored by the Alliance Francaise, at the Ventana del Mar, Condado, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
She also performed vocals and balafon with Raul Berrios and his Ibabali Ensemble, Festival de Percusion, Conservatorio de San Juan, PR that same year, she performed at the "Bomplenazo" yearly event at the Hostos Community College, Bronx, NY, and performed at the FB Lounge in Manhattan, NY under the direction of portorican pianist and composer Pedro Bermudez, also recording a song on his CD “No limits” in 2010. In 2011, she recorded “Les Moulins de mon Coeur” (“The windmills of your mind”) Michel Legrand’s famous composition, recorded in French in a latin arrangement by Manolo Navarro, featuring William Cepeda, Frankie Perez, Elias Lopez amongst others.
In 2013, Performed with the Trio Camaleon with guitarist Hector Miranda, including the Sunset Jazz Festival in St. Croix
In July of 2017, she was a special guest at the Puerto Rico Jazz Series “Tribute to Giovanni Hidalgo”, Anfiteatro Tito Puente.
In 2018 O'Brasil performed at the Vivo Beach Club, Puerto Rico.
In 2022, celebrating 40 years in Puerto Rico, she performed with her Latin Jazz group at “La Goyco” sponsored by the America Jazz Foundation, at Doña Ana, Bayamon with Manolo Navarro, Pepe Negron, Danny Lloret amongst others and at the Buho's Cafe in Piñones, PR
In 2023 she received an award on the 30th anniversary from the Emmanuelli brothers, founders of the Bombazo de Puerto Rico as well as a special recognition from the Swiss Consulate in NY and PR for her 40 years+ on the Portorican stages, singing with colombian pianist Hector Martignon and his Foreign Affair Trio plus swiss vibraphonist Jean -Lou Treboux.