Biography
Born in Congo and residing in London, Juanita Euka works as a singer and songwriter whose range encompasses numerous traditions. Her compositions incorporate influences from her African and Latin roots alongside hip-hop, soul, and jazz. For more than ten years she has participated in the active London music community, leading London Afrobeat Collective and Animanz while also establishing the Afro-Latin ensemble Wara. The label Strut released her debut solo single “Alma Seca” in 2020, and the track appeared in the third season of Killing Eve that same year. Her first album, Mabanzo, arrived via Strut in March 2022.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is her birthplace. Her father served as a diplomat, and her uncle is Congolese rhumba legend Luambo Makiadi Franco. At age two her family moved to Buenos Aires after her father received an appointment as ambassador to Spain. She attended Lycée Francaise, studying in French during morning sessions and Spanish in the afternoons, while her parents spoke Lingala at home. A television program called Chiquitas, featuring children performing as actors, singers, and dancers, captured her attention at five and prompted her decision to pursue entertainment. Radio, television, and other local sources in Argentina introduced her to numerous musical styles. Early inspirations included tango, Mercedes Sosa, Juan Luis Guerra, Congolese great Papa Wemba, and Cubans Celia Cruz and La Lupe. At 13 she performed publicly for the first time when required to sing before her class, astonishing her instructor and classmates with her voice.
In 1997, when she reached 14, her family relocated to London, England. Soon after arrival she connected with artists in the thriving local scene and absorbed sounds from numerous Latin, African, and American musicians ranging from Los Munequitos to James Brown. She joined the Afro-Peruvian band Malambo despite prior unfamiliarity with Peruvian music, drawn instead by its African foundations.
Throughout the following decade and a half she performed with many ensembles of singers and instrumentalists. Session vocal work occupied part of her time, and she collaborated with jazz quartets, big bands, soul and funk outfits, supplied backing vocals for hip-hop artists, and contributed to library recordings. In 2011 she entered the London Lakumi Choir, where she encountered keyboardist, lyricist, and songwriter Eliane Correa, who in turn introduced her to German-Chilean rapper/MC Fedzilla, born Frederica. The three formed the Afro-Latin band Wara with Euka as frontwoman. A self-titled EP appeared in 2011, followed in 2013 by their debut album, Leave to Remain, which earned acclaim.
In subsequent years Wara reduced to the core trio of Euka, Correa, and Fedzilla, engaging additional players from London’s international community for live performances. Shortly after London Afrobeat Collective, another nonet, issued the widely praised 2015 album Food Chain, Euka began singing with the group in concert. She received the Vocalist of the Year honor at the 2017 Latin LUKAS Awards.
She joined the world funk fusion project Animanz in 2018 alongside guitarist Max Rodriguez, bassist Joshua Brandler, keyboardist Marc Goymour, and drummer Andrea Gugel. Euka fronted the ensemble on the 2018 debut album Exotic Other, the 2019 Drink the Water EP, and the 2021 holiday release Jingle Bell Soul. That year London Afrobeat Collective also put out its second album, Humans, featuring Euka in the studio and onstage. Wara simultaneously released the dancefloor hit “Tiempo.”
Guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer Greg Sanders, founder of the world music orchestra Teotima Ensemble, first met Euka while performing with Wara. Deeply linked to leading musicians across London’s international circuit and fluent in Congolese, Brazilian, and Cuban idioms, Sanders began writing with Euka during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. She signed with Strut, and the pair started laying down preliminary tracks remotely with numerous musicians assembled by the guitarist, all working virtually to issue her initial solo single “Alma Seca.” The track received airplay from Gilles Peterson on Worldwide FM and on BBC Radio Three. After quarantine lifted in 2021 they resumed writing and recording together, though the remaining musicians tracked their parts remotely. The single “Nalingi Mobail Te” emerged from Strut in January 2022 and was followed in February by the wiry funk of “Mboko Moko.” Both tracks attracted support from DJs and critics, clearing the path for Mabanzo’s March release.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is her birthplace. Her father served as a diplomat, and her uncle is Congolese rhumba legend Luambo Makiadi Franco. At age two her family moved to Buenos Aires after her father received an appointment as ambassador to Spain. She attended Lycée Francaise, studying in French during morning sessions and Spanish in the afternoons, while her parents spoke Lingala at home. A television program called Chiquitas, featuring children performing as actors, singers, and dancers, captured her attention at five and prompted her decision to pursue entertainment. Radio, television, and other local sources in Argentina introduced her to numerous musical styles. Early inspirations included tango, Mercedes Sosa, Juan Luis Guerra, Congolese great Papa Wemba, and Cubans Celia Cruz and La Lupe. At 13 she performed publicly for the first time when required to sing before her class, astonishing her instructor and classmates with her voice.
In 1997, when she reached 14, her family relocated to London, England. Soon after arrival she connected with artists in the thriving local scene and absorbed sounds from numerous Latin, African, and American musicians ranging from Los Munequitos to James Brown. She joined the Afro-Peruvian band Malambo despite prior unfamiliarity with Peruvian music, drawn instead by its African foundations.
Throughout the following decade and a half she performed with many ensembles of singers and instrumentalists. Session vocal work occupied part of her time, and she collaborated with jazz quartets, big bands, soul and funk outfits, supplied backing vocals for hip-hop artists, and contributed to library recordings. In 2011 she entered the London Lakumi Choir, where she encountered keyboardist, lyricist, and songwriter Eliane Correa, who in turn introduced her to German-Chilean rapper/MC Fedzilla, born Frederica. The three formed the Afro-Latin band Wara with Euka as frontwoman. A self-titled EP appeared in 2011, followed in 2013 by their debut album, Leave to Remain, which earned acclaim.
In subsequent years Wara reduced to the core trio of Euka, Correa, and Fedzilla, engaging additional players from London’s international community for live performances. Shortly after London Afrobeat Collective, another nonet, issued the widely praised 2015 album Food Chain, Euka began singing with the group in concert. She received the Vocalist of the Year honor at the 2017 Latin LUKAS Awards.
She joined the world funk fusion project Animanz in 2018 alongside guitarist Max Rodriguez, bassist Joshua Brandler, keyboardist Marc Goymour, and drummer Andrea Gugel. Euka fronted the ensemble on the 2018 debut album Exotic Other, the 2019 Drink the Water EP, and the 2021 holiday release Jingle Bell Soul. That year London Afrobeat Collective also put out its second album, Humans, featuring Euka in the studio and onstage. Wara simultaneously released the dancefloor hit “Tiempo.”
Guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer Greg Sanders, founder of the world music orchestra Teotima Ensemble, first met Euka while performing with Wara. Deeply linked to leading musicians across London’s international circuit and fluent in Congolese, Brazilian, and Cuban idioms, Sanders began writing with Euka during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. She signed with Strut, and the pair started laying down preliminary tracks remotely with numerous musicians assembled by the guitarist, all working virtually to issue her initial solo single “Alma Seca.” The track received airplay from Gilles Peterson on Worldwide FM and on BBC Radio Three. After quarantine lifted in 2021 they resumed writing and recording together, though the remaining musicians tracked their parts remotely. The single “Nalingi Mobail Te” emerged from Strut in January 2022 and was followed in February by the wiry funk of “Mboko Moko.” Both tracks attracted support from DJs and critics, clearing the path for Mabanzo’s March release.
Albums
Singles
