Dena Mwana

Dena Mwana is a gospel singer and composer originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Dena Mwana
Background information
Birth nameDenise Mwanakitata Muwayi
Born (1986-12-27) 27 December 1986
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Genres
Instrument(s)Voice
Years active2011-present
LabelsHappy People Africa, Motown Gospel Africa, Universal Music Africa
Websitehttps://happypeople.africa/artiste/dena-mwana/

Nominated several times and awarded at the African Gospel Music & Media Awards in 2013 and 2019 in London,[1] she has shared the stage with several renowned artists and has already performed more than two hundred performances in more than 16 countries in the world. Today, she is considered a reference in French-speaking gospel music.

Mwana is signed to Motown Gospel Africa, an American gospel music recording label based in Africa under the Universal Music Group record company through its African subsidiary Universal Music Africa.[2]

Biography

Mwana was born on December 27, 1986, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; her name at birth was Denise Mwanakitata Muwayi.[3] She is the sixth child, from a family of eight children.[4] Mwana began singing in public as part of a church choir, "Notre dame de Grâce", in Kinshasa at the age of 13 and she was their music director by the age of 18.[4] In 1998, the choir rose to prominence over a patriotic hymn, which was copied by schools across the DRC, making her vocal style well-known across the country.[5]

Career

Early career

In 2003, the professor of Music at the National Institute of the Arts, Rigobert Mbila, suggested that Mwana set up her own singing group. By 2004, her first band, Acapella Thematic Musical Group, was born.[4]

In 2006, Mwana emigrated to the United States to pursue a career in gospel music, settling in Virginia.[4] From 2008, Mwana decided to split her time between the US and the DRC, joining the Philadelphia Mission Choir in Kinshasa as cantor.[4] Her Christian faith is central to her singing, compositions and performance.[6]

Discography

Dena Mwana has released three albums :

And several singles, which include:[7]

  • "L'Eternel est Bon" (2012)
  • "Se-Yo" (2014)
  • "Saint Esprit" (2018)
  • "Souffle” (2019)
  • "Maintenant Seigneur [feat. Dan Luiten]" (2020)
  • "Si La mer Se Dechaine (remix) [feat. Soweto Gospel Choir]" (2020)
  • "Fade Away, Limoblaze [feat. Dena Mwana]" (2021)
  • "Never Leave Me, CallOut Music [feat. Dena Mwana]" (2021)

In 2013, she became the first artist of the Happy People label, and in 2019 she was signed by Motown Gospel Africa a record label of the major Universal Music Group.[8] She sings in French, English and Lingala.[9]

Performances

Mwana's voice has led her to perform in more than sixteen countries around the world.[10] Some of those places include:

  • Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco (2019)[11]
  • Hotel La Falaise in Yaoundé, Cameroon (2019)[12]
  • Fragrance of Worship in Bujumbura, Burundi (2018)[13]
  • Grand Théâtre in Dakar, Senegal (2017)[14]
  • Palais des Congrès d'Issy-Les-Moulinneaux in Paris (2019)
  • Concert Dena Mwana[15] Sofitel Hotel Ivoire & Stade Heden Gold Hotel in Abidjan (2020)
  • Concert Motown Gospel Dena Mwana[16] Sofitel Hotel Ivoire & Stade Heden Gold Hotel in Abidjan (2021)
  • Concert Christmas Dena Mwana au Canal Olympia de Douala Cameroun (2021)
  • Gospel Music in Gabon at Pentecost (2022)[17]

Awards

Mwana has been a winner and nominee at the African Gospel Music Awards.

  • 2013 - AGMA winner - Central African Artiste of Excellence [18]
  • 2016 - Etando Award: Art & Culture (2016)[19]
  • 2019 - AGMA Winner - Central African Artiste of Excellence[20][21]

Family

Dena Mwana is married to her manager and founder of HappyPeople record label, Mr Michel Mutahali and they have three children: two boys and a girl.[10]

References
  1. "Africa Gospel and Media Awards 2019: All the winners". Music In Africa. 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  2. "Universal and music streaming service Boomplay expand license to cover 47 countries across Africa". Music Business Worldwide. 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  3. "DENA MWANA Biography". Afrika Lyrics. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  4. "Dena Mwana". www.radio-rfe.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  5. "About Dena Mwana - NumberOneMusic". www.numberonemusic.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  6. "Dena Muana".
  7. "Dena Mwana albums and discography". Last.fm. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  8. "mediacongo.net - Actualités - Motown Gospel signe un contrat de production avec trois artistes congolais". www.mediacongo.net. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  9. "Musique sacrée: Dena Mwana annonce la sortie de son nouvel opus | adiac-congo.com : toute l'actualité du Bassin du Congo". www.adiac-congo.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  10. "Dena Mwana". HappyPeople (in French). 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  11. Rédaction (2019-04-30). "Musique chrétienne: La chantre Dena Mwana en concert au Maroc". Pagesafrik.info (in French). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  12. "Musique : L'artiste Dena Mwana est au Cameroun - actualité du Cameroun - Agence Cameroun Presse". agencecamerounpresse.com (in French). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  13. "Fragrance of Worship". www.newtimes.co.rw. Archived from the original on 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  14. Diop, Khady (2020-02-07). "12h de louanges : concert gratuit au Grand Théâtre". Au Sénégal, le cœur du Sénégal (in French). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  15. "Revivez en images le concert de Dena Mwana au Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire | Life Magazine" (in French). Retrieved 2022-08-14.
  16. BIBI, Eddy (2021-12-14). "Concert live à Abidjan : Dena Mwana annonce des soirées de grâce, d'adoration et de louange". Linfodrome.ci (in French). Retrieved 2022-08-14.
  17. Essone, Lyonnel Mbeng (2022-06-04). "Gabon: Dena Mwana en concert d'évangélisation pour la Pentecôte au Jardin botanique !". Gabon Media Time (in French). Retrieved 2022-08-14.
  18. "African Gospel Music Awards 2013". Archived from the original on 2013-08-11.
  19. "Distinction: Déna Mwana reçoit le trophée Etando | adiac-congo.com : toute l'actualité du Bassin du Congo". www.adiac-congo.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  20. "Africa Gospel and Media Awards 2019: All the winners". Music In Africa. 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  21. "Diana Hamilton, KODA, others win at 2019 Africa Gospel Music & Media Awards". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
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