Ani DiFranco

Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco was born on September 23rd, 1970 from parents with Italian and Jewish-American backgrounds. Both her father, Dante, and her mother, Elisabeth, were folk musicans. She grew up in Buffalo in the state of N.Y. and played her first gigs at the age of nine, playing in local bars in her hometown. She moved to New York City at the age of 16 and in 1988 she made a demo which has become a highly sought-after fan item.

Ani’s lyrics focus, amongst other topics, on war, GLBT issues, rape, the music industry and, recently, the joy of motherhood.
Early on, DiFranco saw how some talents were ignored while others were hyped up. Based on experiences in meeting with the industry she decided to stay independent and as a result she formed her own label: Righteous Babe Records(RBR among her followers). The label was formed in 1989, and a year later her self-titled debut hit the streets. From day one her popularity grew on a mouth to mouth basis. In 1991 her nex...