About me
"It is the music that stays when everything
around me is crumbling."
Hi! Thanks for being here.
Singing and creating music is like a language for me. It allows me to express from the depths of my soul and give voice to the inner world.
It means a lot to me to be able to share my music with you, despite the vulnerability it takes to do so. Yet, I've come to understand that it is part of my mission to raise awareness for the soft and vulnerable aspects of being human.
My songs want to touch something within you.
They want to build a bridge between
the softness and the fire of our heart.
My story begins with the tape recorder
Well, not quite. It begins with my great, great grandparents. And their parents. But as far as I can recall, it begins with being born into a family where there was music. When I was four years old I received a tape recorder. Simultaneously, my older sister got a piano, which fascinated me as well. Sometimes you would find me sitting in my room, enthusiastically singing “I keep on fallin’…” or "Say my name, say my name.." into the microphone of my tape recorder. Without really knowing what Beyoncé and Alicia Keys were singing about, their music was a big part of my childhood.
Along with R&B and Robby Williams, I regularly heard piano music from my sister and my dad, Austrian folk music on his accordion, and my brother’s drum beats echoing through our house.
When I was nine years old, I started playing the piano and at fifteen I bought a guitar. My first compositions were born.
Diving deeply into veganism was what truly ignited my songwriting during my studies in Salzburg. For a long time, I kept my music to myself – until 2016. Encouraged by lovely friends, I started a YouTube channel, played my first gigs and did busking. One led to the other and it felt beautiful to give more space to music again.
Then, life had a different plan for me.
I unexpectedly became pregnant.
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2004
A journey through the dark valley
Shortly after, I found myself in the midst of green Andalusia at a small festival. I sat in a circle with lovely people. An open jam came into being - there were drums, shakers, guitars and freestyle singing. Something new opened up within me that evening. The sounds that my voice created were new, yet familiar, surprising and yet totally me. It was as if a soft primal force was singing through me. Incredibly freeing and fulfilling. Never will I forget that evening. It has influenced my vocal expression to this day.
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A few months later, I gave birth to my son in our home. A truly powerful experience. Then suddenly I lost the ground beneath my feet. I faced the path of single parenthood. What followed was a struggle, a search for myself and a new home as young mother. The ground beneath my feet stayed shaky and yet it continued to carry me forwards.
The music and my solo project became my inner anchor. Singing grounded me and helped me to feel the present moment. New songs and a new vocal expression developed in this time of transformation. It became clear to me: it is the music that stays when everything around me is crumbling.
My new focus and orientation called for a new name. And alongside a mother and her son, Ina Danu was born. Danu, the earth-mother and river goddess from Celtic mythology kept stuck in my mind. The multilayered symbolism behind her name resonated with me, with my musical intentions and with the symbolism of my real name Sabrina. Ina Danu stands for transformation, salutary change, the river of life, the mystical, the love for Earth and for being held by Great Mother.
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2018
Heartfirst, the journey continues
In the last 2,5 years, I devoted myself to writing and finishing off my new songs. In summer 2022 the time felt ready to finally start recording my debut album Roots Within which I released in autumn 2023.
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Also, in 2022 I started holding and facilitating singing circles. What a beautiful experience to connect with others in the circle and celebrate the power of our voices together.
If you want to join me on my journey, you can subscribe to my newsletter. In my newsletter, I am sharing insights from behind the scenes, exclusive freebies, upcoming dates for events, and of course you will be the first to know when there is new music.
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I’d be excited to have you in the boat.
Much love
Ina Danu
Bio
Based in Upper Austria, Ina Danu is a heart-centered musician and conscious folk singer songwriter. Her honest and soul-touching songs tell the story of her journey as a young mother and woman. They inspire trust in the wild river of life and the connection to our inner spiritual sanctuary. With soothing tones, uplifting words and her grounding voice, she holds the listeners in a warm embrace, weaving an intimate, organic sound.
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Born 1993 and raised in the Mühlviertel, Ina began playing the piano at nine years old. When she was 15, she tought herself the guitar and started writing songs. Since 2016 Ina shares her music on social media and at different venues all over Austria. A new and challenging chapter began after she had given birth to her son in 2018. Ina was forced to parent her son alone and move cities. In the midst of inner and outer chaos, expressing through music became ever more important to her. In 2019, Ina felt a clear call to step back into her light and commit to the musical path.
Today, Ina Danu’s music is marked by the insights and processes that the past years have initiated in her. In summer 2022 she started recording her debut album "Roots Within", which will be released in autumn 2023.