Tatamana

A unique and highly personal take on contemporary African music. Ange da Costa, known professionally as Batila, was born in the DRC to Congolese and Angolan parents and raised in London and Berlin. His music, he calls it ‘Bantu soul,’ reflects both his Congolese roots and his experiences of growing up in Europe. With songs in both English and Lingala this is a collection of militant messages and heartfelt personal observations. He encompasses subjects like Congolese spirituality and witchcraft in ‘Kindoki’, and ‘Naboyi’ which references activist and prophet Simon Kimbangu. Batila’s compositions generally revolve around the subjects of resistance, resilience and unification; but he also adeptly turns his hand to love songs on several of the 15 tracks.

The music is a broad mix of African pop with jazzy elements and singer-songwriter nuance. There is some excellent instrumentation on show with, inevitably, Congolese guitars as well as rock and pop flavours. An interesting debut from a versatile acoustic guitar-playing singer.