Meet Ana Gazzola of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Gazzola.

Hi Ana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a Brazilian singer and instrumentalist, and music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a very musical home. My mother played music and sang, and she taught the four of us how to play the guitar. Music was always present in our home.
I began my professional career as a singer when I was around twenty-one years old. From that point on, music became not only my passion, but also the path I chose for my life.

My musical journey first took me to Porto Alegre, then to Rio de Janeiro and later to São Paulo. From there, my career eventually brought me to New York and then to Los Angeles, which has been my home for the past thirty years.

Los Angeles is where I truly developed my career as a recording and performing artist. I have recorded several albums and had the opportunity to travel and perform around the world. Based in Los Angeles, I have been fortunate to share Brazilian music and culture with audiences across the globe, which has become an important part of my artistic journey and who I am today.
Of course, my journey as an immigrant in the United States wasn’t always easy. I didn’t arrive here and immediately start making a living as a singer. Like so many immigrants, I had to find ways to support myself while pursuing my dream. I worked as a limousine driver, delivered pizzas, and took on different jobs while continuing to build my career. I started performing in bars and jazz clubs, little by little creating my own path.

The world was also very different when I arrived in the United States. It was before September eleventh, and there seemed to be much more live music and many more opportunities for working musicians. Over the years, I have experienced firsthand the enormous transformation from that world into the digital world we live in today, and I have learned to evolve along with it.

Through all the challenges and changes, I was able to fulfill the dream that brought me here: to build a life through music in the United States while sharing my Brazilian roots with audiences around the world. Looking back at that journey today, I feel incredibly grateful and fulfilled.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being an artist always comes with challenges because there is no guaranteed job or steady paycheck. It can feel like a constant battle. There are times of abundance and times when opportunities are scarce, and along the way there are inevitably moments of uncertainty and self-doubt.

But I believe being an artist is one of those paths you choose because you truly and deeply love what you do. You don’t become an artist simply for the money; you do it because you have a passion for your art and a need to express and share it.

For me, that passion has always been the greatest reward. It gives me the strength to keep moving forward, to reinvent myself when necessary, and to overcome the obstacles that are part of this journey. Being able to make music and touch people through my art is, in itself, an incredible sense of fulfillment.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I believe every artist is unique. There are no two artists exactly alike. Each of us has our own voice, personality, experiences, and qualities that connect with people in different ways.

I am primarily known as a Brazilian singer. Singing is my main focus and has always been at the heart of my career. I am also an instrumentalist—I play guitar, saxophone, and percussion—and I have a great passion for playing instruments, but first and foremost, I consider myself a singer.

One of my greatest strengths is my deep knowledge and love of Brazilian music. I grew up listening to it, and throughout my life I have developed a strong understanding of its history, its composers, its rhythms, and its many different styles. That musical heritage is a very important part of who I am as an artist.

Here in the United States, my music is often described as Brazilian jazz, but my work embraces the richness of Brazilian music as a whole. I feel very fortunate to have built a career around the music I love and to be able to share the beauty and diversity of Brazilian music with audiences from different cultures around the world.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey is the importance of persistence and believing in yourself. Life and a career are never a straight line. There will always be unexpected turns, disappointments, and moments when things don’t happen the way you planned.

I’ve learned that you need to have a sense of direction—a vision of where you want to go—and keep moving toward it without allowing the small setbacks along the way to make you lose sight of your bigger goal.

You have to believe in your dream, pursue it, and think big. When you allow yourself to think big, you continue to grow, to challenge yourself, and to see possibilities beyond what is immediately in front of you. For me, persistence, vision, and believing that something is possible have been essential throughout my journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://anagazzola.com/
• Instagram: gazzola_ana
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anagazzola
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnaGazzola
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/Jlj8PkZh7o17npCwNu
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0rBtEt25rXBsU0pNGewFca?si=35875ca0b1d747d3

Image Credits
Photos by Alma Lopez Gaspar Dealba