Zap Mama — Where to Listen on the Radio

Zap Mama is a Belgian singer-songwriter, performer, composer, lyricist, activist, video artist and ethno-vocal therapist born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in Belgium. Zap Mama sings polyphonic and afro pop music, a harmonic music with a mixture of infused African vocal techniques, urban, hip hop with emphasis on voice. In order to explore and discover the vast world of oral tradition music, she travels throughout Africa, learning, exchanging and sharing information about healing songs, lullabies, mourning, and practising polyphony with griots (bards), Tartit tuareg women, Dogons, Peulhs, Pygmies, Mangbetus, Zulus and others.

Zap Mama's worldwide success began with a quintet of polyphonic female singers, whose unique vocal polyphony style has inspired influences in American hip hop, nu-soul, jazz and elements of pop. Her song "Iko-iko" was featured in the film Mission: Impossible II.

"The voice is an instrument in itself," says Daulne, "it's the original instrument. It's the original instrument. The main instrument. It's the instrument that gives the most soul, the human voice. We sing songs in French and English with African and world roots."