Brazilian singer and composer, she is the younger sister of Flora Purim. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Yana started her career in Los Angeles, in 1977, working with Michel Colombier. One of the songs they wrote together, Blues Ballad, was recorded on Flora's Everyday Everynight album. Leading her own groups, she became a fixture on the weekends at the best LA jazz clubs of the late 70s, like Carmelo's, Donte's, Comeback Inn, Pasquale's and The Baked Potato. 
 Yana also sang with Frank Rosolino, Joe Farrell, Moacir Santos, Hugo Fattoruso, and Dave Frishberg. As a lyricist, she wrote for Mal Waldron, Thad Jones, João Donato, Joe Sample, and many others. Her self-titled debut album for RCA, produced by Arnaldo DeSouteiro, was initially recorded in LA with Dave Frishberg, and completed in Rio with João Donato, Azymuth's bassist Alex Malheiros and Pascoal Meirelles. Other albums followed, featuring Herbie Hancock, Lew Soloff, Alphonso Johnson, George Young (2), Hugo Fattoruso, Dave Matthews (3), Claudio Roditi, Airto Moreira and Heraldo Do Monte. 
 In 1984, she took part of the Olympic Games Jazz Festival in Los Angeles with Moacir Santos, Milcho Leviev and Charlie Haden, performing at the jazz club Comeback Inn, owned by jazz impresario Will Rabee. She relocated to Paris in the 90s.