Batila

Batila © Daron Bandeira

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. 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. Tatamana is his generous debut album and has 15 original songs. Tatamana translates from Kikongo as ‘Hold Onto What You Love’ which for Batila includes personal freedom, parental love, black love, fighting for one’s rights, freedom from self-imposed limitations such as self-hate and doubting one’s own abilities. It’s an album with personal and political commentary from Batila yet sung with catchy rhythms and beautiful vocal hooks and harmonies. He is a master of understated relevance, as a modern story-teller and political commentator, the album has minimalist lyrics yet maximum relevance.

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