Slavic Touch from the Heart of Europe
ANNA MARIA JOPEK
’Just thirty seconds of Anna’s tune belong to the most beautiful music
I’ve heard in months’
‘Anna is original, unique, different. She’s brace, she’s modest, she’s open.
She’s a great musician.What she’s been doing all her life is just trying to
play the best notes.Trying to sound good. In that particular sense, she’s a
lot like me and that’s why I decided to work with her. Because she just
cares for the music.’
- Pat Metheny
(said at the press conference when their album „Upojenie” went gold on
the day of its release).
'Please do not file my music under jazz', Anna Maria Jopek says, though.
‘Nor under pop, folk... whatever. I embrace a lot of influences. Jazz is by far
the most important in its freedom, its harmony and its sense of time but I
was brought up with the old Polish folk songs. So I'm kind of rooted here in
all these Slavic landscapes and sounds.
Anna Maria Jopek collaborated
with giants of music such as:
Pat Metheny,
Brandford Marsalis,
Oscar Castro Neves,
Bobby McFerrin,
Youssou N’Dour,
Nigel Kennedy,
Chris Botti,
Makoto Ozone,
Richard Bona,
Mino Cinelu,
Christian McBride,
Gil Goldstein,
Gonzalo Rubalcaba,
Tord Gustavsen,
Tomasz Stańko
Manu Katche,
Ivan Lins,
Sara Tavares,
Camane,
Tito Paris,
Paulo de Carvalho,
Dhafer Youssef.
AMJ & Tito P
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AMJ & Brandford Marsalis
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AMJ &
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AMJ & Bobby McFerrin
AMJ performed in the
greatest international
venues like:
Cornegie Hall,
Hollywood Bowl,
Blue Note Tokyo,
Royal festival Hall,
Queen Elizabeth Hall,
The Israel Opera in Tel Aviv
Tokyo Opera City
Apart from that, she was
a guest of many festivals
in Austria, Spain, France,
Germany, Italy, UK,
Sweden, Turkey or Czech
Republic, Ukraine, and
Russia.
Anna Maria Jopek released 18 albums in Poland and 4 of them had worldwide premiere.
Pat Metheny & Anna Maria Jopek
Upojenie, 2008
Anna Maria Jopek
ID, 2007
Anna Maria Jopek
Secret, 2005
Pat Metheny - one of the most
important and at the same time most
loved artists of modern music agreed
to do the whole album with Anna
Maria Jopek and her friends.
ID is an album recorded with
world-famous artists such as
Mino Cinelu, Manu Katche,
Christian McBride, Richard
Bona, Tord Gustavsen,
OscarCastro-Neves, Branford,
Marsalis, Dhafer Youssef.
Anna Maria Jopek sings English
versions of the best-known
songs from her previous Polish
albums. She also made her
own versions of songs by Sting
and No Doubt.
Anna Maria Jopek
Barefoot, 2002
Barefoot - as one of the critics
put it: the best produced
album in the history of Polish
music.
Anna Maria Jopek’s latest releases:
Anna Maria Jopek
Polanna, 2011
The search for the essence of Polish soul in music, in the
arrangements of Gil Goldstein - multiple Grammy Award winner and Krzysztof Herdzin. The band, created especially for the purpose
of this project, consists of Cuban piano master Gonzalo
Rubalcaba, the great lady of Polish folk music, Maria Pomianowska
and the classic cellist Rafał Kwiatkowski. Guests appearance by
Stanisław Soyka. The albums take a fresh look at both important and
beautiful moments in the history of our music. From Wacław of
Szamotuły, through old folk music, Stanisław Moniuszko, Mieczysław
Karłowicz, to Karol Szymanowski and the Skaldowie band. Among
the compositions, we can also expect a premiere set. The album was
recorded in the Radio Gdansk studio and brought together in the
New York’s MRS studio by Grammy Award winner Joe Ferla with the
touch by Steve Rodby.
LIVE:
Uciekaj, uciekaj https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnoNwn7SrfQ
Rdzawe liście https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ-KEoc-rk4
Anna Maria Jopek’s latest releases:
It is an attempt to find a common denominator of the Polish and Japanese music. The project was
accomplished together with Makoto Ozone, the most outstanding Japanese jazz pianist. We
will also have a chance to hear Tomohiro Fakuhara as a guest star - the artist of Kabuka
theatre who will play bamboo flutes. The album was recorded and mixed by Tadeusz Mieczkowski
in Warsaw Sound and More studio. Anna Maria Jopek has visited Japan eight times so far
performing in the most important places in the country. In December 2011 and January 2012 AMJ
had series of concerts (in Tokyo including famous Blue Note Tokyo, Osaka and Matsuyama) with
her own band and also with Makoto Ozone.
Anna Maria Jopek & Makoto Ozone
Haiku, 2011
LIVE:
Dolina & Oberek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfa55URJeuc
Biel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFUogm9DdfQ
Anna Maria Jopek’s latest releases:
Anna Maria Jopek
Sobremesa, 2011
SOBREMESA: a kind of "dessert" after the sophistication of the main course. It presents the stories of Lisbon,
the city where Anna Maria Jopek has found her second home. It is a collection of Anna Maria Jopek's beloved
songs from the world of Portuguese and lusophone culture. Among the guests, we have an opportunity to
hear the greatest artists such as "the prince of Fado" - Camané, charismatic voices from Cape Verde Island Sara Tavares and Tito Paris, the legendary Portuguese singer - Paulo de Carvalho, Angolan multiinstrumentalist and vocalist - Yami, or the Brazilian composer and singer - Ivan Lins. The album contains
three premiere compositions (among others, the already popular duet with Tito Paris "Tylko tak mogło być")
and Polish lyrics for lusophone music created especially for this project. Anna Maria Jopek performs mainly in
Portuguese, sometimes even in the Creole language and Kimbundu. The album was recorded in Lisbon with
the multicultural band created for this occasion. The album was mixed by Scott Petito (sound engineer of
Michael Franks albums) in NRS Studio, Woodstock, NY. In November 2011, during the Sobremesa Tour in
Poland Anna Maria Jopek performed 14 concerts for nearly 10,000 people.
Tylko, tak mogło być https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkdF7PhfGDE
Rua dos Remedios http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LpRPCzk6Hs
International press about Anna Maria Jopek:
Her music (...) is a unique combination of Jazz and World Music (Jazz-World
Fusion), incorporating a vast scope of musical influences like Polish folklore,
Brazilian Bossa Nova, African chanting and of course the European Classical
tradition. It doesn’t take a genius to realize by now that I loved the concert every
possible way. The Jerusalem Post
As beautiful as she is talented, one could easily imagine her choosing a dual
career as a model or actress, but Anna singularly focuses on what she feels is
most important, the music. JAZZREVIEW.COM
Despite her intense interaction with the audience in Indonesian, it was her music
that brought everyone to a standing ovation, a just appreciation for a breathtaking
performance. The Jakarta Post
12 brilliant albums in just 10 years are surely an awe-inspiring record for even a
most accomplished musician. jazzis.com about ID album
When most people think of Polish music. . . they think of Chopin. But I have just done
an album, Polanna , where we tried to find the essence of Polish soul in music. In
one sentence, Polish music is a curious mix of wrath and melancholy.
AMJ in The Irish Times
Haiku - My best album 2012 Jazz Life Japan magazine
ANNA MARIA JOPEK - LIVE PROJECTS
Anna Maria Jopek is a versatile and demanding artist. She works with her own band but also
sings duos with world-known artists and performs with musicians from around the world.
This makes organization of her every concert a different creative challenge for our company.
These concerts have different faces:
ANNA MARIA JOPEK & BAND - Polanna - in this version, the artist reveals her new
insight on beautiful and important moments in the history of Polish music. She reaches back to
the sources of traditional, classical, jazz and popular music. Anna’s Band consists of outstanding
instrumentalists, stars of the Polish jazz scene. During the concert, the musicians create
captivating improvisations. The spectacle is accompanied by tension and concentration but at the
same time, it brings the feeling of lightness and playing with musical forms
ANNA MARIA JOPEK & YAMI - Sobremesa - this unique musical project is not only the
legendary Fado music, sometimes called 'blues from the edge of Europe', but also a unique cultural
melting pot of musical tradition from which AMJ and African artist Yami have grown. A joint
concert of Anna Maria Jopek and Angolan musician,Yami will be the opportunity for the audience
to hear the music of one of the world's most poetic cities - Lisbon.
ANNA MARIA JOPEK & MAKOTO OZONE - Haiku - a joint concert of Anna Maria
Jopek and Japan's greatest jazz pianist, Makoto Ozone. Another extraordinary musical adventure.
The artists find common aesthetics for Zen philosophy of Far East and Slavic expression.
ANNA MARIA JOPEK & DHAFER YOUSSEF - what is unusual in this project is
the combination of Dhafer's Arabic energy and Anna's Slavic expression. This is another
artistic blend that provides an unforgettable experience during their performance. The
duo successfully toured in Poland during promotional tours for the 'ID' and 'Jo&Co'
albums.
ANNA MARIA JOPEK & RICHARD BONA - they started collaboration during
sessions to Anna’s ID and Jo&Co album which went Platinum and Gold almost right after
releasing. Anna and Richard are always happy to perform together to combine Slavic and
African influences in music.
ANNA MARIA JOPEK & NIGEL KENNEDY & KROKE - 'Kroke' is one of
Europe's best Jewish bands. On the basis of traditional Jewish themes, AMJ with Nigel
Kennedy and 'Kroke' improvise and create original arrangements making this thrilling
performance addictive for music-sensitive listeners.
www.4music.com.pl
Music itself is the highest award
for me. And the greatest challenge.
With so many questions remaining
to be answered.
more about Anna Maria Jopek: www.annamariajopek.pl
4music Management & Booking
Joanna Drozda
mob. +48 602 787 737
[email protected]