If you have spent an evening in Temecula wine country, there is a good chance you have already heard Bella Popa. The 23-year-old singer and guitarist has played hundreds of shows across Southern California — sunset sets on winery patios, full-band nights at House of Blues Anaheim, the San Diego County Fair — and every Tuesday she hosts the open mic at Miramonte Winery that has become one of the valley's most reliable nights out.
A Southern California Upbringing Built On Music
Bella grew up in Southern California in a house where music was never just background. Her father immigrated to the United States from Romania; her mother was born in Minnesota and raised in Southern California. Musical theater filled the home, and Bella took to it immediately.
She was singing on stage by the age of four, taking every chance she could get to perform. At five she taught herself piano from YouTube videos. Raised in Seal Beach and now rooted in Temecula, she has turned that early instinct — learn a song, then get up and play it for people — into a full-time career as a working musician.
The Sound: Country Soul With A Classic Rock Backbone
Bella performs with an acoustic guitar and a voice that moves easily between genres. Her sets mix originals with the covers a room actually wants to sing along to, and she reads the crowd as she goes — quieter during dinner service, fuller as the night builds. One longtime listener described her range as running “from country to Disney classics”; another called her shows the kind that “captivate everyone listening.” The shorthand people reach for is Stevie Nicks meets Chris Stapleton on a Temecula patio.
Where To Hear Bella Popa Live In Temecula
Her regular stages read like a map of Temecula Valley wine country: Miramonte Winery, Lorimar Winery, Leoness Cellars, Altisima Winery, Danza del Sol, Oak Mountain Winery, Callaway Winery and Peltzer Winery. Beyond the valley she has played Stone Brewing, House of Blues Anaheim, the San Diego County Fair and Lake Alice Trading Co.
Upcoming public dates are listed on her live performance calendar, which updates automatically as new shows are added.
Solo, Duo Or The Full Bella Popa Band
Bella books in three formats. Solo acoustic suits ceremonies, cocktail hours and winery afternoons. A duo fills a larger room. The full Bella Popa Band is built for receptions, festivals and nights where the dance floor is the point. She also performs the National Anthem at civic, veterans' and sporting events, including the MilVet 10-year anniversary.
Hosting Temecula's Weekly Open Mic
Every Tuesday from 6 to 9 PM, Bella hosts and produces the open mic at Miramonte Winery on Rancho California Road. It is free to attend and free to perform, the backline is already set up, and it draws everyone from first-timers to touring professionals. Read the full guide to the Miramonte Winery open mic.
Booking Bella Popa
Bella performs throughout Temecula Valley, San Diego, Orange County and greater Los Angeles, and travels for destination weddings and private events. To check a date, Hire Bella and include your date, venue, how long you need her and whether you are thinking solo, duo or full band.
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