Naxx Bitota Trio
World Music
NAXX BITOTA TRIO
INSTRUMENTS
NAXX BITOTA
VOCALS
LIONEL KATSHINGU
BASS
For Naxx Bitota, mutuashi is the rhythm that speaks to her soul. Her music lives where Congolese rhythms meet influences from rumba, reggae, Afropop, and the energetic swing of soukous seben.
In mutuashi, the vibrant musical tradition of Naxx’s birthplace, song and dance arrive together. It is woven into the fabric of collective life – gatherings, celebrations, and rites of passage. Naxx expands on this energy to create music that is both buoyant and richly complex.
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and later transplanted to Quebec, Naxx studied classical, gospel, folk, and choral music as part of her journey. The trio highlights the partnership she shares with her husband, Lionel Katshingu, along with the message of being responsible for ourselves and for one another.
Through music and movement, the Naxx Bitota Trio invites you to unite in an experience that will be felt as much as it is heard. If shared rhythm can create bridges between cultures, these irresistible grooves are sure to do so.
Even if you don’t understand the words, you will understand the message.
Même si vous ne comprenez pas les mots, vous comprendrez le message.
“Her voice is so gentle that, in each of her songs, Naxx Bitota seems to want to take us into her arms.”
>Le Devoir
“An incredible artist whose music takes Congolese traditions into a whole new dimension.”
> Festival International Nuits d’Afrique
“ … A vibrant and sunny journey …”
> Grand Théâtre de Québec
BIOGRAPHY
Born under the sun of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Naxx Bitota discovered her gift for music at the age of 9 and was already dreaming of making a career of it. She emigrated as a teenager, first to Belgium, then to Quebec in 2008, always with the firm intention of exploiting the wealth of her artistic talent. She has forged a reputation for herself by performing in a variety of choirs: classical, gospel, folk and traditional African.
Naxx Bitota defines her musical style by fusing Afropop and Mutuashi, a unique traditional style from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her compositions, created around a variety of African rhythms, reveal her enthusiasm and commitment. Always armed with her creative generosity, her contagious energy, her passion for singing, but above all her singular sound, she performs on many local and international stages. Her committed, yet festive personality and all her inspirations converge in a powerful and refined “Afropop Mutuashi”.
After her acclaimed debut album “Kuetu”, released at several national and international events, including the historic Sauti Za Busara festival in Zanzibar, Tanzania, the Folk Alliance International in Kansas City, USA, the Festival des musiques du bout du monde in Gaspé, Canada, and the Semaine international de la Francophonie in Bogota, Barranquilla and Medellin, Colombia, she brings us her new opus “64”. It reveals a new dimension of her artistic personality, a synthesis of the positive and negative experiences of her life as a woman and a citizen of the world. Naxx’s message is once again one of human equality, living together, responsibility in the face of sustainable development, and personal autonomy.
BIOGRAPHIE
Née sous le soleil de la République Démocratique du Congo, Naxx Bitota découvre son don pour la musique à l’âge de 9 ans, et rêve déjà d’en faire carrière. Elle émigre à l’adolescence pour d’abord s’établir en Belgique, puis au Québec en 2008, toujours avec la ferme intention la richesse de son talent artistique. Elle forge ses armes à travers son parcours en se démarquant dans plusieurs chorales de styles variés: classique, gospel, folklorique, et traditionnel Africain.
Auteure, compositrice et interprète, Naxx Bitota définit son style musical en fusionnant l’Afropop et le Mutuashi, un style traditionnel unique de la République Démocratique du Congo.
À travers ses compositions, créées autour de différentes rythmiques africaines, se manifestent son enthousiasme et son engagement. Toujours munies de sa générosité créative, de son énergie contagieuse, de sa passion pour le chant, mais surtout sa sonorité singulière, elle se produit sur plusieurs scènes locales et internationales. Sa personnalité engagée, mais festive, et l’ensemble de ses inspirations convergent en un « Afropop Mutuashi » puissant et raffiné.
Après son premier album « Kuetu » acclamé sur plusieurs événements nationaux et internationaux, notamment le festival historique Sauti Za Busara à Zanzibar en Tanzanie, le Folk Alliance International à Kansas City aux États-Unis d’Amérique, le Festival des musiques du bout du monde en Gaspé au Canada, la Semaine internationale de la Francophonie dans les villes de Bogota, Barranquilla et Medellin en Colombie, elle nous offre un nouvel opus « 64 ». Elle nous livre une nouvelle dimension de sa personnalité artistique en y dévoilant une synthèse des expériences positives et négatives de son parcours de femme et de citoyenne du monde. Elle martèle à nouveau sur l’égalité humaine, le vivre ensemble, la responsabilité face au développement durable, et l’autonomie personnelle.
LIONEL KATSHINGU
Also known by his artist name of Les Lions Noirs, Lionel Katshingu is a songwriter, bassist, and composer based in the rich, multicultural environment of Montreal. His aim is to promote a musical philosophy rooted in cultural exchange and to establish its artistic contribution among music lovers both locally and internationally.
A Congolese musician born in Germany, Lionel moved to Montreal at the age of four and has lived there ever since. In addition to his study of classical and modern music forms, he holds a Master’s degree in Pure Mathematics from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) with a focus on combinatorics, the art of correspondence.
Lionel’s compositions are built on a solid rhythmic foundation with African influences, reflecting his roots in the Congo of Franco Luambo Makiadi. Lyrical melodies and Pythagorean harmonies enrich these rhythms while also highlighting his origins in the Germany of Johann Sebastian Bach. Passionate about music from an early age, Lionel devotes his free time to the anthropological study of various musical approaches.
french
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