By Angie Lemon PR
Published November 16, 2021
A 15-track African music album titled Tatamana is set for release on November 19, 2021 through Galileo Music.
Touted as being personal and political commentary, this is the debut album from a Congolese and Angolan singer, songwriter and musician called Batila (reall name Ange da Costa Batila) who says he cherishes 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.
The songs on Tatamana (Kikongo for Hold Onto What You Love) are sung in English and Lingala, bringing forth catchy rhythms and beautiful vocal hooks and harmonies.
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The album fires off with Black Love, a perfect political pop song with multiple layers of meaning, yet minimalistic lyrics. It is no coincidence that Batila chose to hold a traditional Congolese mask on the cover photo, a mask that symbolises great beauty and strength and comes from a deep-rooted tradition but also has modern meaning.
As a modern storyteller, Batila says: “I chose this mask carefully as a reminder of my ancestry, as a homage to the culture and art of my birthplace. It’s new, present and mysterious at the same time.”
Batila has written Tatamana on the cover using Mandombe, a new language revealed to Mbanza-Ngungu in Congo-Kinshasa in 1978 by the prophet Simon Kimbangu. It is based on the sacred shapes and , and intended for writing African languages such as Kikongo as well as the four national languages of the Congo: Kikongo ya leta, Lingala, Tshiluba and Kiswahili.
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Batila is a master of understated relevance, as a modern story-teller and political commentator, the album has minimalist lyrics yet maximum relevance.
Kindoki is a song dedicated to the theme of voodoo or witchcraft. Devalued by the imperialists as ‘black magic’ or ‘mumbo jumbo’, this spirituality fell into disrepute. Batila calls upon his ancestors in Kindoki and asks for this knowledge, these supernatural powers, this magic. “My soul won’t be sold again to non-believers,” he vows.
Naboyi is a song of resilience which translates as I refuse or I don’t want. It references Congolese activist and prophet, Simon Kimbangu, killed by the Belgians for enlightening the Congolese in 1921. Simon Kimbangu is believed to be the child burned on Kongo Empire prophet and leader, Kimpa Vita’s back,
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“I don’t want mental slavery/fighting for my rights/ I don’t want superficiality foreign spirituality/
Mfumu Kimbangu ya nga/Mfumu Kimbangu is mine/Let them talk their heaven talk/hell is for us all/you either write the book/or you get fooled by their false interpretation.”
What About Me is a standout song on the album. It is about finding personal independence from stereotypes, a song that is about breaking free from the confines that we impose on ourselves and that the world also imposes on us. It’s about freedom from limitations. It is a very catchy song with positive lyrics:
“And don’t you tell me now/ What about all night shifts that you’ve worked so hard/What about that hustle just to be someone/What about me the one you say you love/Let your light shine.”
Burning Flowers, Zola and Jazzybelle show that Batila is just as comfortable writing songs of love as he is making social commentary.
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Batila was born in Congo-Kinshasa and raised between Berlin and London as the first-born child to a set of Congolese and Angolan parents. The name Batila, he says, comes from his grandfather and means, in Kikongo, one who protects, conserves and holds it together.
“I am proud and in love with Congolese music so you can always find a little bit of my childhood sounds in it… That’s why I also name my sound Bantu Soul… it’s music for my people. Everything and nothing inspires me. I am a very melancholic but not a sad person. I dedicate my music to music- lovers, people who like to dive a bit deeper without sounding too intellectual. I dedicate my music to the youth and my generation in the diaspora, who are not fighting to be accepted by the white man. I AM, I don’t need permission, I don’t need to be cool, trendy,” Batila says.
All the songs on Tatamana are written by Batila and recorded live with his band, The DreamBus and many other great musicians between Berlin, Paris and Kinshasa. BATILA plays acoustic guitar on all tracks apart from Jazzybelle and Ba Nzambe Ya Se.
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Tatamana Track Listing:
- 01 Black Love
- 02 Kindoki (Voodoo, Witchcraft)
- 03 Naboyi (I Refuse)
- 04 Resurrection
- 05 Afreekan
- 06 Ba Nzambe Ya Se (Gods On Earth)
- 07 Far Too Long
- 08 I Need To Go
- 09 What About Me
- 10 Burning Flowers
- 11 AWA (na komi confiné) (Now)
- 12 Lobiko (Blessing)
- 13 Zola
- 14 Dangerous
- 15 Jazzybelle