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About Batila

 

BATILA's sound is an inspiring journey through space and time. With his combination of Congolese rhythms, a touch of reggae, soft jazzy vibes, and some electronic sounds, the cosmopolitan singer-songwriter is so versatile that no genre could fully describe his music. When writing about Black artists, people tend to ascribe to their attributes such as "different", "colourful", or "vibrant".While these words seem like clichés, in this case they are not far from reality.


BATILA carries the meaning: "the one who protects holds together and preserves".Inspired by his ancestors and named after his grandfather, BATILA thus tries to live up to his calling. Supported by mentor: inside, inspired by his ancestors and shaped by his strong awareness of his Congolese roots, Batila defined his distinctive timbre and melodic style, which is still reflected in his music today. 

Batila started writing poetry at the age of 10 and developed a strong relationship with the urban Congolese music of the time. He was deeply in love with poetry, the distinctive singing of black voices, and the typical Congolese songwriting style, in which, for example, songs are often written from a woman's perspective or socio-political issues are cleverly wrapped up in love stories. "Don't give up /what you love, hold on to"-is the translation of his debut in Kikongo and a personal journey to the spirituality of Congo and Blacklove. All songs on TATAMANA were recorded live with his band The DreamBus and many other great musicians between Berlin, Paris, and Kinshasa.


BATILA brings us closer to the history of his country of origin, reinterpreting it by combining his deep understanding of music, creative writing, and hope. As an artist, he makes those lyrics flow as elegantly as melancholically over his light and sophisticated guitar sounds

Contact us.

batila@batila.me