Colorful and lively Bantu soul! That's how singer-songwriter and guitarist Batila calls his style, which is a mixture of (neo) soul, reggae, hip-hop, pop, rock, jazz and Congolese rumba. His stage name means "protector" and the title of his debut album roughly means "don't give up, cherish what you love. Batila was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but emigrated to Germany as a child. In
… his music, he honors the art and culture of his native country by combining it with Western musical styles. The album was recorded in both Berlin and Kinshasa. Batila sings in both English and Lingala, catchy songs about, among other things, freeing yourself from stereotypes, African spirituality (voodoo) and love. (SvdP)more
