Sydney-based singer/guitarist Anna Salleh (pronounced ‘Sah-lay’) is one of Australia's much-loved exponents of Brazilian jazz and other crossover music styles -- including honey-smooth bossa nova, irrepressible samba, enchanting choro and surprise favourites all in the mix. Songs of beauty, sorrow, irreverence and joy.
Anna cut her teeth performing in many venues including clubs, festivals, concert halls and other venues - from Australia to Malaysia, and from the United Kingdom to Brazil. Apart from jazz, she has also explored a cappella and music for improvised theatre. Find out more about where Anna has performed.
In 2010, Anna fell under the spell of Brazilian music that first captured her imagination as a child when her father took her to see the cult film Black Orpheus. She spent three months in Rio de Janeiro performing with local musicians and seeking out the wisdom of elders to deepen her understanding of Brazilian music. Anna's journey of musical discovery in Brazil led to an ABC radio documentary, an ongoing show, and two albums including the live recording 'A Felicidade' (pronounced 'Ah-felee-see-dah-jee') released in 2012, and 'Gorgeous Songs from Brazil & Beyond’, released in 2016. Samples of Anna’s more recent recordings can be found here with video samples here.
Bossa nova pioneer, Roberto Menescal said of Anna that she comes to jazz with a Brazilian bias, with a natural groove that is in tune with Afro-Brazilian rhythms. "As we say: She plays a little drum at midnight. Makes a little macumba," he said. (Macumba is an African-Brazilian religion with rituals that include playing drums late at night).
From 2013 Anna appeared regularly at Sydney's top jazz club Foundry616 with some of Sydney's best jazz/world musicians including guitarist Guy Strazz. Her latest quartet SERAFINA features celebrated clarinet, sax and flute player Loretta Palmeiro, guitarist Gino Pengue and percussionist Jess Ciampa. In the Summer of 2020/21 Anna and band were nominated as one of the Sydney Morning Herald's top picks. Critic John Shand wrote that Anna's had "the right sort of light, supple voice (and excellent Portuguese) to give this music the lilt it demands". "If this isn't the sound of summer, I don't know what is,” he added.
Read what other people say about Anna.
Thank you to photographers David Brazil, Max Mason-Hubers and Nik Azwaa for images used on this site.