Zana Mesihovic, songwriter/artis
Zana Mesihovic wrote a song in what seemed like a nanosecond and nailed the feeling of the new film, The Lightkeepers. The song, "If You're Wondering," is heard in a key montage sequence. The Lightkeepers is directed and written by Daniel Adams, the song has made it to this year's Oscar shortlist. Her band, "The Balkan Soul Orchestra " have recently had a few notable performances in L.A. and another song from their up and coming album "Red Shoes" has been played on the radio station kJazz.
An established performer across the Balkans, Zana Mesihovic has gained a solid reputation as a singer-songwriter, appearing regularly on screen, stage and radio. Her voice embodies the spirit and feist of Balkan gipsy jazz. The result is a pure cross-cultural blend of the traditional and contemporary, with influences that stay true to her rich Balkan roots and her passion for jazz standards. Her music has been referred to as "Balkan Soul" or "World Soul". A typical set list would include Zana's original material and jazz standards. Her background alone is a whirlwind ride. She spent her early childhood in Mostar in the former Yugoslavia, learning to play piano and winning local dance contests. But her musical sensibilities were quickly curtailed at the age of 11 - war broke out in Bosnia/Herzegovina. Her family was forced to sell their possessions in exchange for bus tickets, and flee as refugees to Sweden. Despite the upheaval, Zana resumed her music studies, and her talent soon came to the attention of a world-renowned jazz pianist and vocal coach. He took the precocious singer under his wing, tutoring her until his untimely passing, when Zana was just 13. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Her songs have so far been released on Universal, Sony BMG and Virgin.