Kizaba

Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and based in Montreal since 2011, Kizaba develops a project at the crossroads of Congolese music, electronic sounds and an Afrofuturist aesthetic. A songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Lionel Kizaba draws on rhythms inspired by Central African traditions and blends them with more urban, danceable structures, while singing in French, English, Lingala and Kikongo. Kizaba’s artistic universe took shape on Montreal stages and grew in visibility through concerts and festival appearances in Canada and internationally, notably within world-music circuits and mixed-genre venues. He released the album Kizavibe in 2022 and Future Village in 2025, a record made between Montreal and Kinshasa that extends his dialogue between family heritage, Congolese percussion and electronic textures. Over his career he has also collaborated with artists such as Pierre Kwenders, Vox Sambou, Wesli and Fredy Massamba. In 2024–2025 Kizaba was selected among the Révélation Radio‑Canada artists.