Ana Patan is a German musician, of Romanian descent.
She’s a singer/songwriter i.e. a storyteller;
her instrument of choice is the electric guitar.
Born and raised in Romania, she was adopted by the folk – music movement that blossomed in the wake of the overthrow of the communist regime. Her music was not necessary folk but more pop/rock, with an enthusiastic inclusion of influences ranging from Jazz to Prog-Rock.
Patan won first prize in a national music competition, followed by top-level stage performances and media coverage. She went on to study music theory and guitar in Germany – Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, coupled with a healthy dose of live performances.
From 2009 she has focused on the reboot of her own musical language, developing a unique style of guitar playing that is almost orchestral in order to be able to fully accompany herself solo, or with a bare bones band with the simple addition of drums and bass.
Mångkulturell musik med ett positivt budskap och unikt sound som sträcker sig från jazzig art-rock till världmusik och progg, extrovert och rik på kontraster och Dualiteter: enkel och sofistikerad, rolig och exponerande, organisk och intellektuell, energisk och avslappnad.
Berlin-baserade bandledaren, kompositören, gitarristen och sångerskan Ana Patan har under de senaste två decennierna, sedan hon kom fram i en explosiv musikscen som uppstod hemland Rumänien efter att diktaturen störtats, haft en framgångsrik karriär, främst i kontinentala Europa. På hennes senaste album “Spice, Gold and Tales Untold” hörs framstånde medmusikanter som Devin Townsend, Zoltan Csörsz, Jonas Hellborg och Jonathan Herrera.
Plattan har spelats flitigt på radiostationer runt världen och har vunnit beröm av såväl musikälskare och kritiker.
“Hon är lika bra på allt: gitarrspel, sång, komponerande. Vilket faktiskt inte är så vanligt, att till exempel skickliga, ja, virtuosa gitarrister kan göra så bra, direkta och tillgängliga låtar.
Och jo, hon kan höja rösten och ropa till, än mer bestämd, för att sen få sin röst att mjukna igen.
Och så låtarna. Både melodiska och rytmiska, alltid melodiska oavsett hur rytmiska de än blir. Jazz? Ja. Funk? Ja. Rock? Pop? Jo, det också. Alla nämnda genrer, ofta på samma gång, i och ur varann. Nedtonad heavy metal? Ja, kanske det dessutom.”
Bengt Eriksson, HiFi & Musik
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“A brilliant songwriter” Lee Sklar
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“Jazz queen with her guitar” Bild, Germany
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“Her vocal leaps seem effortless. At the same time Ana Patan is in full control of her guitaristic craft.” Tagblatt
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“A sophisticated jazz/rock style. Her material is characterised by a sultry vocal delivery, along with intelligent and witty lyrics” Radio Wigwam, UK
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“From her well-groomed pool of knowledge, skill and talent, Patan brings you the most beautiful songs you never knew existed.” Ons Nieuws, The Netherlands
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“Combination of sophisticated music and broadly relatable human themes” The Proglodytes, USA
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“A treat for inquisitive minds: a new dimension of music – desperately clever, […] achingly beautiful! Very higly recommended” Steve Lazenby, UK
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“Music flowing without limits, without barriers, impetuous like the water in a torrent” Metalhead Italy
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“…One of the best I’ve heard in many years, across all genres.
By the way, the sound is also one of the best!
This album breathes and lives music.
One of my absolute top recommendations for you this year!!!”
Hören und Fühlen, Austria
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“The sparkling and aromatic stories defy categorising to capture hearts. This album is a real treat. ” Let It Rock, Canada
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“A deceptive simplicity imbued with richness of subtleties; revelry in wit, warmth, and joy; centering around Patan’s beautiful voice” Radio Eclectic, UK
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Patan’s formidable talents are showcased on originals that are sexy but smart, hip but not pretentious, breezy in spots but never snoozy. Highly recommended!” Vintage Guitar, USA
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“There’s her voice, coming out quite straightforward. There’s rhythm, force and passion, as well as clever lyrics, that make the album worthwhile.” Der Hörspiegel, Germany
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“The bare yet intricate music is complemented superbly by Ana’s earnest vocals, sometimes fragile and at other times loud and proud.” Prog Radar
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“Achieves that very difficult trick of appearing to be of the most utter simplicity but is, in reality, a very cleverly constructed music. By god, this is so good!” Lazland, UK
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“An excellent album, […] superb stuff” Anil Prasad, Innerviews, USA
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“A unique and captivating universe to be urgently discovered in her album Spice, Gold and Tales Untold” Gitarre Xtreme, France
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A shiver runs down your spine when listening to this CD. The sparse arrangement and the unpretentious singing of Ana Patan, the simplicity and authenticity of the artistic expression contribute to the unique atmosphere of this recording.” Jazzfun, Germany
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“Guitar chops with great effect and a tone and taste that is reminiscent of people like Mike Stern or John Scofield. Quite unusual and refreshing” Music Talks, Australia
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“If you want music that will lift you up, make you feel stress-free and invigorated, have moments of pure joy, excitement and love, music that will also make you think and question the norm, then “Spice, Gold and Tales Untold” is the album for you.” Rock News and Views, UK
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“Many intriguing and involving stories which breathe and come to life quite spectacularly. An album that has surprised me in its simple brilliance and one that, if you let it, will enrich your life in a myriad of ways.” Prog Radar, UK
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Think singer/songwriter greats like Janis Ian, Joan Baez, Joan Armatrading and Joni Mitchell (the four Js) but Ana can do the guitar thingy very well indeed.
She is comfortable with her art and her vision, expressing it without compromise. I believe it’s called maturity, and this is what all musicians try to aspire to.
Stripped down bare in order to reveal honesty, inspiration, and utter class, the sophisticated object is to seduce, charm and make one smile: Spice Gold and Tales Untold.
So, this surely is an authentic musical divertissement that has a time and space well deserved in your daily routine. It’s fun, mostly upbeat, original, heartfelt, and enjoyable.” Prog Rogue, Canada
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One doesn’t know where to direct one’s respect for this globetrotter with Romanian roots: to the rhythmic and soloistic guitar work? To the fact that the singer/song poet Ana Patan, along with bass giant Jonas Hellborg and Flower Kings drummer Zoltan Csorsz, recorded everything on analog tape? Her lyrics, which are funny, philosophical and cheeky? Sometimes dreamy, sometimes funky, sometimes African: “The Human” allows a rhythmic casualness à la Paul Simons Graceland flare up […] “How Could We Live Before” asks whether there was life before the internet.
Voc/ g / b/ dr – what a striking effect lies in this clear arrangement!” Good Times Magazine
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“What really distinguishes Patan and her album is the raw, simple, natural sound. The purely analog recording stands clearly apart from the artificially produced musical expressions of our times.” Munich Talk, Germany
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“The most spectacular rise of all Romanian pop-rock musicians in the last years. Laudative cronicles, votes from music-lovers and journalists all over Europe. I’d call her a self-made woman.” Actualitatea Muzicala, Romania
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“Her musical presence brings a charm we’ve been missing” Sound on Sound Magazine