With Congolese and Argentinian roots, Juanita Euka, became a regular guest at London’s Latin and Afrobeat parties. Her first single, “Alma Seca”, which is part of the Killing Eve series soundtrack, has just been released via Strut Records.
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she spent her adolescence in Buenos Aires, where she attended an Armenian school. This gave her a strong sense of cultural diversity : “My Congolese roots have been a constant in my life despite having never lived there (…) I left as a baby and only went back properly in around 2010 but we always had the food at home and the cultural connection through my parents and family.” Moreover her musical culture was embellished through her father who travel a lot and made her listen to a wide variety of songs: “We used to listen to Brazilian records together, Dominican star Juan Luis Guerra, Congolese stars like my uncle and Papa Wemba. My Dad was also into pop, though, so another day it might be Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Roxette (he LOVED Roxette!), even Argentinian rock and Guns ‘n’ Roses.”
In 2016, Juanita was asked to join London Afrobeat Collective after the band had seen her performing at The Forge in Camden at a Cuban jam. Since then, she has become a mainstay with the band, touring across Europe and recording with them on their 2019 album, HUMANS before recording her first solo track ‘Alma Seca’.
“Alma Seca” gained popularity in season three of the very popular series, Killing Eve. It has just been released as a single and as a music video, marking the signing of an upcoming album on Strut Records where she can bring together all of the pieces of her musical outlook, drawing on elements of African and Latin styles, hip hop, soul and jazz to create her own unique musical palette.
