Juanita Euka Mabanzo

Strut present Mabanzo - the debut solo album by Congolesevocalist, Juanita Euka. A familiar face to many from London's vibrant live music scene over the last decade, Juanita has fronted London Afrobeat Collective's dynamic live shows, the fusions and cross-pollinations of Animanz and maverick Cuban collective Wara. As a solo artist, she broke through in early 2020, performing her single 'Alma Seca' in season 3 of blockbuster series Killing Eve. On Mabanzo (meaning 'Thoughts'), Juanita brings her many and varied musical influences into play and pulls no lyrical punches. Killer dancefloor single 'Na Lingi Mobali Te' is pure contemporary Congolese guitar gold, 'Mboka Moka' channels '80s boogie and Quincy horn stylings on an anthem for personal struggle and 'Baño de Oro' brings a heavy Afro-Cuban workout. Elsewhere, the epic ballad 'Sueños de Libertad' is an impassioned call for freedom and the lilting 'For All It's Worth' champions love overmaterialism.