COLORSxSTUDIOS

Baloji is the embodiment of a multi-disciplinary artist: as well as working as an art director, costume designer, visual artist, and filmmaker, the Congo-born, Belgium-based polymath creates genre-bending music fusing the sounds of his homeland with funk and hip-hop. Starting off as a member of the French hip-hop band Starflam, Baloji embarked on his solo musical in 2007, when he released his autobiographical debut studio album ‘Hotel Impala’. The following year, he dropped his sophomore album ‘Kinshasa Succursale’, an acclaimed EP, and a further album titled ‘137 Avenue Kaniama’ (2018). Most recently, Baloji released his first feature film ‘AUGURE OMEN’, which is accompanied by a four-part soundtrack of songs written from the perspectives of the storyline’s main characters. It’s also given life to a traveling exhibition that features costume designs and photography from the project. Part of Cannes’ official 2023 selection, ‘AUGURE OMEN’ has gone on to win the New Voice Prize, and be selected as Belgium’s official Oscars submission.

For his COLORS debut, Baloji joins forces with Cape Verdean artist Mayra Andrade – who first appeared on COLORS back in 2019 – to deliver a spectacular performance of ‘MATRONE’, a new song featured on the soundtrack of ‘AUGURE OMEN’. Spirited rhythms propel the track forward, creating an eerie, urgent atmosphere in the process. As they deliver lyrics in a mixture of French and Cape Verdean Creole, Baloji and Andrade address the need to challenge archaic gender norms. Watch the full performance above, and keep an eye out for more from Baloji in the future.