Dena Mwana

Born in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as Denise Mwanakitata Muwayi, Dena Mwana developed her musical path early within a religious setting, first joining the Notre-Dame de Grâce choir at 13 and taking over its musical direction at 18. In 2004 she founded the Acapella Thematic Musical Group and in 2006 moved to the United States, settling in Virginia to pursue gospel-oriented work; from 2008 she divided her activities between the U.S. and the DRC. Her discography includes several notable projects, notably Hosanna (2011), Monene (2016) and Souffle (2020). Dena Mwana’s music is rooted in contemporary gospel enriched by worship, soul, spiritual pop and African influences, characterized by expressive vocals and a strong emphasis on vocal arrangements. After several collaborations, she released the singles Une armée and Lindanda (Na Na Na) in 2022, then Affranchis (Bana Nzamba) with Glorya Reliques in 2024, ahead of the EP 2 Daddy released the same year. She also performed this repertoire on a European tour that visited several cities in 2024.