Titica

Titica is an Angolan kuduro musician and dancer. She was named "the new face" of kuduro by the BBC.

Career Titica was born in Luanda. Her stage name is Portuguese for "worthless" or "useless"; she chose the name to reclaim the hateful words that have been directed at her as a trans woman.

Despite her training in ballet, Titica found fame through the display of her sexual prowess in dance. Many consider Titica’s embrace of femininity and bass culture as an act of resistance toward Angola’s restrictive legislation against homosexuality and queerness. Her first recording of a single was unplanned. While helping Noite & Dia develop a chorus for a track, Titica's voice was recorded for the track, beginning her music-recording career.

In October 2011, Titica released her first album, Chão..., launching her to international success. The album's single "Olha o Boneco," featuring the African-Portuguese singer , charted at number one for 3 weeks on the Portuguese music program TOP + and for 7 weeks on the Brazilian show Rolando Música.

Influences Titica is very public about her Congolese background and the influence that this has on her music. In her 2018 Red Bull Music Academy lecture, she explained that she listens to "lots of music from Congo." She discussed how her music combines kuduro with the Congolese genres of kallé and n’dombolo and specifically cited Pépé Kallé and Koffi Olomide as inspirations. Through this role and her international popularity, Titica has increased awareness of HIV risks and treatment, sexual health, and issues affecting the international LGBT community. In a statement released during her time at UNAIDS, Titica stated: "I have been beaten and stoned for who I am. I have suffered so much humiliation, but I am ready to lead by example and help overcome stigma and discrimination in my country and beyond."

Discography

Chão... (2011) De Última à Primeira (2014) Pra Quê Julgar? (2018)