Ulanda

Born in Limbe, Cameroon, and shaped by two continents, Ulanda, known as Mama Makossa, writes, independently produces and owns her work, taking an active hand in its creative direction and vocal arrangements. Her voice first found form in the choir halls of Saker Baptist College, and later in the sounds of Bebe Manga, Richard Bona, and Lokua Kanza, the lineage she now carries forward. Her sound is Afro-fusion with Makossa at its foundation, moving freely through soul and other genres while remaining unmistakably rooted in Cameroon. Soul lives in the voice: expressive, intimate and sometimes soaring, with the cries and emotional phrasing of Makossa woven into her delivery. Live bass and guitar ground the music, while strings increasingly form part of its emotional signature. The result is contemporary African soul with a vintage elegance: intimate and sultry in one moment, expansive in the next. Her music doesn’t shy from what matters. Songs like “Mon Mari” confront gender-based violence, “Validé” pushes back against the pressure to shrink, and across her catalog, Ulanda uses her platform to reflect the world back at itself, honestly. Independent by choice, she has built her catalog entirely on her own terms. Every release moves the same mission forward: giving Makossa the global stage it has always deserved, while allowing it to evolve, experiment and speak to a new generation without losing its soul. This is Mama Makossa.