Ana Free
Encyclopedia
Ana Free is the stage name
of Ana Gomes Ferreira, a singer, musician
, songwriter
and performer who has had a series of top-five hit singles, including a number one, in Portugal
. She has a growing musical presence on the popular video sharing
website YouTube
, so far gaining over 30 million views.
. At a young age she was passionate about writing poetry and stories, and began writing and composing at the age of 10. Since then, she has been able to play the guitar fluently for over 15 years, and has amassed over 300 original compositions. During her childhood, she went to St.Julians International School in Carcavelos
, where she picked up her distinctive accent.
and recently finished a degree with First Class Honours in Economics
at the University Of Kent
in 2008. Ana developed a particular fondness for subjects like International Trade
and Game Theory
and went on to write a dissertation on What is the Impact of Technology on the Structure of the Major Record Labels (between 1995 and 2005)? for which she received a Distinction. As well as being fluent in both English
and Portuguese
, Ana also speaks Spanish
, French
and Greek
.
, Bob Dylan
, The Beatles
, Bob Marley
, Santana
, Sam Cooke
, Joni Mitchell
and Sheryl Crow
. She learned to play a lot of blues songs on guitar, which she practised with her father. She says that as a teenager she used to borrow her brother's records and listened to artists like Bryan Adams
, Guns'N'Roses, Bon Jovi
, Aerosmith
and 4 Non Blondes
. She was also a fan of mainstream pop acts like Christina Aguilera
, En Vogue
, Britney Spears
, Destiny's Child
, Spice Girls
, and Ace of Base
. Among these, she listens to artists like Pink
, John Mayer
, Rihanna
, Jason Mraz
, Pixie Lott
, Katy Perry
, Ellie Goulding
and Linkin Park
, as well as having strong influences from Portuguese, Greek, Spanish and French
music.
, where she sang "Crazy", a song she composed herself. She is currently recording her debut album after the success of her first single, which was released on 23 May 2008, "In My Place". The popularity of her song made it feature in various Portuguese series including Morangos com Açúcar
and Podia Acabar o Mundo.
In November 2008, Free was invited to record the Portuguese theme tune Voa Até Ao Teu Coração for the release of the Disney movie Tinker Bell for which she also recorded the music video.
In the autumn of 2009, Free recorded her five-track acoustic/pop EP Radian in London which went into physical distribution in FNAC stores in Portugal the following year. In February and March 2010 she debuted the record in Miami and New York City
. She was also featured prominently on a billboard in Times Square
. The album has an acoustic/pop theme and is a selection of 5 of Ana's most popular original-content YouTube videos.
In May 2010, Free travelled to New York City
to work with British film director
, music producer and writer
Mark Maclaine, for the filming of the videoclip for Questions in My Mind, her first single off the five-track EP Radian, released in February 2010. She also travelled to Portugal to record the videoclip with Portuguese rock band Hands on Approach
, for whom she recorded vocals on the song Black Tears, for their album High and Above.
Ana frequently tours in Portugal, and occasionally in London and New York
, and her gigs are recorded by her friends and uploaded to her blogs and websites. She opened for British singer/songwriter James Morrison
in the summer of 2010. In November 2010, she opened for Shakira
, which Ana considers one of her career's most defining and special moments. Some of her most popular songs, with over a million views each, include covers of Nickelback
's "Savin' Me
", The Rolling Stones
hit "Angie", and Shakira
's 2010 World Cup theme "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)
".
In August 2011 it was revealed that Ana had won the Music Crowns
pop category with her track 'In My Place' as judged by Samantha Mumba
, Liam Bailey
, Ahmir, Su-Elise Nash
and ultimately the UK and Ireland general public.
. In 2010, the Make A Wish Foundation
worked with Ana to fulfil the wishes of a young teenage fan suffering from cystic fibrosis
, by inviting her and her family to spend 5 days in London, where she accompanied Ana to studio, the London Eye
, and attended her popular show at The Barfly.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of Ana Gomes Ferreira, a singer, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and performer who has had a series of top-five hit singles, including a number one, in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. She has a growing musical presence on the popular video sharing
Video hosting service
A video hosting service allows individuals to upload video clips to an Internet website. The video host will then store the video on its server, and show the individual different types of code to allow others to view this video...
website YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, so far gaining over 30 million views.
Early life
Born to a British mother and Portuguese father, Free grew up with her older brother in CascaisCascais
Cascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
. At a young age she was passionate about writing poetry and stories, and began writing and composing at the age of 10. Since then, she has been able to play the guitar fluently for over 15 years, and has amassed over 300 original compositions. During her childhood, she went to St.Julians International School in Carcavelos
Carcavelos
Carcavelos is a parish in the Portuguese municipality of Cascais, about 12 km west of Lisbon. The village used to be known for the Carcavelos wine, but since the wine production is nowadays reduced, Carcavelos is better known among surfers because of the good surfing condition of the...
, where she picked up her distinctive accent.
Personal life
She is currently recording and living in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and recently finished a degree with First Class Honours in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at the University Of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
in 2008. Ana developed a particular fondness for subjects like International Trade
International trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
and Game Theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
and went on to write a dissertation on What is the Impact of Technology on the Structure of the Major Record Labels (between 1995 and 2005)? for which she received a Distinction. As well as being fluent in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Ana also speaks Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
.
Influences
Free claims to have been very musically influenced by the records her father used to play to her as a child. She says she grew up listening to artists such as Eric ClaptonEric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
, Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
, Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
and Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
. She learned to play a lot of blues songs on guitar, which she practised with her father. She says that as a teenager she used to borrow her brother's records and listened to artists like Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, Guns'N'Roses, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and 4 Non Blondes
4 Non Blondes
4 Non Blondes was an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1989. The group was formed by bassist Christa Hillhouse, guitarist Shaunna Hall, drummer Wanda Day, and vocalist and guitarist Linda Perry. Prior to the release of their first album, Roger Rocha replaced Hall on...
. She was also a fan of mainstream pop acts like Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
, Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
, and Ace of Base
Ace of Base
Ace of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren...
. Among these, she listens to artists like Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
, Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
, Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
, Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding
Elena Jane "Ellie" Goulding is an English singer-songwriter. In 2010 she became only the second artist to both top the BBC's annual Sound of... poll, and win the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards in the same year, following Adele's win of both in 2008...
and Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, as well as having strong influences from Portuguese, Greek, Spanish and French
Music of France
France has a wide variety of indigenous folk music, as well as styles played by immigrants from Africa, Latin America and Asia. In the field of classical music, France has produced a number of legendary composers, while modern pop music has seen the rise of popular French hip hop, techno/funk,...
music.
Career
She made her first live TV performance in the summer of 2007 on TVI in PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, where she sang "Crazy", a song she composed herself. She is currently recording her debut album after the success of her first single, which was released on 23 May 2008, "In My Place". The popularity of her song made it feature in various Portuguese series including Morangos com Açúcar
Morangos com Açúcar
Morangos com Açúcar is a Portuguese Teen drama. It is broadcasted daily on the Portuguese TV station TVI since 2003. In Portugal, it is currently on its eight season....
and Podia Acabar o Mundo.
In November 2008, Free was invited to record the Portuguese theme tune Voa Até Ao Teu Coração for the release of the Disney movie Tinker Bell for which she also recorded the music video.
In the autumn of 2009, Free recorded her five-track acoustic/pop EP Radian in London which went into physical distribution in FNAC stores in Portugal the following year. In February and March 2010 she debuted the record in Miami and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She was also featured prominently on a billboard in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. The album has an acoustic/pop theme and is a selection of 5 of Ana's most popular original-content YouTube videos.
In May 2010, Free travelled to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to work with British film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, music producer and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Mark Maclaine, for the filming of the videoclip for Questions in My Mind, her first single off the five-track EP Radian, released in February 2010. She also travelled to Portugal to record the videoclip with Portuguese rock band Hands on Approach
Hands On Approach
Hands on Approach are a Portuguese Pop rock band based on Setúbal, Portugal. Band members are: João Luís , Rui David and Sérgio Mendes .- Career :...
, for whom she recorded vocals on the song Black Tears, for their album High and Above.
Ana frequently tours in Portugal, and occasionally in London and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and her gigs are recorded by her friends and uploaded to her blogs and websites. She opened for British singer/songwriter James Morrison
James Morrison (singer)
James Morrison is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rugby, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered, debuted at the...
in the summer of 2010. In November 2010, she opened for Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
, which Ana considers one of her career's most defining and special moments. Some of her most popular songs, with over a million views each, include covers of Nickelback
Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
's "Savin' Me
Savin' Me
"Savin' Me" is a rock song written by Canadian band Nickelback. It was released as the third major single from their fifth album All the Right Reasons . The song has reached number two on the Canadian Singles Chart and number nineteen on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is one of the band's few...
", The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
hit "Angie", and Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
's 2010 World Cup theme "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)
"Waka Waka " is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring South African band Freshlyground. It was the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, along with its Spanish language version, entitled "Waka Waka "...
".
In August 2011 it was revealed that Ana had won the Music Crowns
Music Crowns
Music Crowns are annual online music awards for unsigned musicians in the UK and Ireland promoting originality and creativity through the submission of music through the Music Crowns websites. Only original material is accepted for entry. There are currently two separate awards - the Rock Music...
pop category with her track 'In My Place' as judged by Samantha Mumba
Samantha Mumba
Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba is an Irish singer and actress.Her first album was released in 2000. Her most notable role was Mara in the 2002 film The Time Machine. She has also appeared in a number of Irish independent films.-Early life, education and early career:Mumba was born in Dublin,...
, Liam Bailey
Liam Bailey
Liam Bailey is an English musician who has released two EPs; So Down, Cold and 2am Rough Tracks; Bailey also appeared on the Chase & Status single "Blind Faith" which was released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom, where it debuted at number five...
, Ahmir, Su-Elise Nash
Su-Elise Nash
Su-Elise Michelle Nash is a British singer that rose to fame in the now-defunct girl group Mis-Teeq.-Career:...
and ultimately the UK and Ireland general public.
Charity
Ana has contributed to a variety of charitable causes, including lending her name to the Liga Portuguesa contra o Cancro (LPCC) in 2009, as an ambassador for raising awareness for cervical cancerCervical cancer
Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...
. In 2010, the Make A Wish Foundation
Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...
worked with Ana to fulfil the wishes of a young teenage fan suffering from cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine...
, by inviting her and her family to spend 5 days in London, where she accompanied Ana to studio, the London Eye
London Eye
The London Eye is a tall giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames, in London, England.It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually...
, and attended her popular show at The Barfly.
Singles
| Singles | Year | Portuguese Chart |
|---|---|---|
| In My Place | 2008 | 1 |
| Self Inflicted | 2009 | 2 |
| Keep On Walking | 2009 | 2 |
| Questions In My Mind | 2010 | 4 |