Congolese vocalist Juanita Euka is set to release her debut solo album “Mabanzo” on March 25th, 2022 on Strut Records.
Juanita Euka is a familiar face in the London world music scene over the last decade. She fronted London Afrobeat Collective’s live shows, the Afro fusions of Animanz and Cuban collective Wara. As a solo artist, she attracted international attention in early 2020, performing her single ‘Alma Seca’ in series 3 of popular Netflix series Killing Eve.
With ‘Mabanzo’ (meaning ‘Thoughts’), Euka combines her many and varied musical influences. These include Congolese rumba, Afro-Cuban music, and ballads. Recorded entirely at home studios during lockdown, the album was thoroughly built by producer Greg Sanders with all musicians recorded remotely. “I have always written songs and poems since I was young,” says Euka. “I met Greg, a multi-instrumentalist and producer, while I was in Wara and we started the journey towards a solo project. Greg has that knowledge and vision of different sounds and it is the perfect way to celebrate my music journey. I have tried to bring all of the musical heritage that I have experienced into my album.”
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and brought up in Buenos Aires, Euka’s upbringing involved many different musical influences, especially her uncle, Congolese rumba legend Franco Luambo Makiadi. “In Argentina, I listened to a wide range of style from African-American artists to Dominican stars like Juan Luis Guerra, the Congolese guitar greats like my uncle and Papa Wemba and various music from Argentina including Mercedes Sosa. Some of my main inspirations were (and still are) international Afro-Cuban artists like Celia Cruz and La Lupe.”
Juanita Euka moved to the UK at 14. She joined Afro-Peruvian band Malambo and immersed herself in London’s own sounds.
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Author: World Music Central News Room
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