Kisita Elisabeth Massamba (born December 11, 1989), known by her stage name Keyliza, DJ Queen of Beats or Q.O.B., is a German singer, dancer, DJ, composer,

beatmaker A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

and record producer based in Vancouver, Canada. She is best known for being a member of German R&B-pop group Sistanova.

Earlier life

Massamba was born on December 11, 1990, in

Hanau Hanau () is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main and is part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Its Hanau Hauptbahnhof, station is a ...

, Germany. Both of her parents are from

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

and the

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. Her mother was born in São Salvador, northern Angola (present day

M'banza-Kongo Mbanza-Kongo (, , or , known as São Salvador in Portuguese from 1570 to 1975), is the capital of Angola's northwestern Zaire Province with a population of 148,000 (2014). Mbanza Kongo (properly Mbanza Koongo or Kôngo in most acceptable orthog ...

) and she is a part of the

Kingdom of Kongo The Kingdom of Kongo ( kg, Kongo dya Ntotila or ''Wene wa Kongo;'' pt, Reino do Congo) was a kingdom located in central Africa in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the ...

. At the age of four she moved with her family to

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

. In 2001 she started getting piano, singing,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

dancing & theater lessons at school & gospel choir and also started

beatboxing Beatboxing (also beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (typically a TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice.

in the school recess and malls where she discovered her passion to create music

instrumentals A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live music ...

''Hip Hop Beats''. She get her first attention to hip hop music and

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

when she listens to

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the Li ...

, Bone Thugs N Harmony and Orishas. Since the age of 14 she creates and compose songs, instrumentals,

soundtracks A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of ...

and theme music and which explains her other Pseudonym DJ Queen of Beats.

Musical career

2004–07: Warner Music and touring

Kisita knows one band-mate since childhood and they were close friends. In a school club they sang, took jazz dance lessons and composed their own music. In 2004, they met the third member and created the group ''Black Supremes''. The band went on to regional competitions and recorded demos. In 2005 they met the production team Noizemakers, which took the Black Supremes under the new name Sistanova under contract. In 2006, the band was signed to

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...

. On September 21, 2007, they released their first single "Was ist los?" a dance- R&B song produced by Thomas Troelsen which entered the

German Singles Chart The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...

at No. 76 and German Urban Charts at No. 24. The video premiere was on VIVA Germany and

MTV Germany MTV Germany is a German language free-to-air television channel operated by Paramount Global. The channel launched on 7 March 1997 as MTV Central, as part of a regionalisation strategy by Paramount Global, then MTV Networks Europe. Availabi ...

. In November 2007 they were the opening act for Barbadian recording artist

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

for her European Good Girl Gone Bad Tour in (

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

/Zenith,

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

/Palladium,

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

Jahrhunderthalle The Jahrhunderthalle (Centennial Hall) is a congress centre located in Frankfurt, Germany. The centre comprises an events hall, exhibition hall and conference centre, respectively known as Kuppelsaal, Kasino and Konferenzareal. The venue, whic ...

, Berlin/Columbiahalle) Germany. At the same time, they were on tour with the group Rapsoul throughout Germany and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. Kisita and her bandmates join the NRJ Music Tour in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

with Craig David, Monrose,

Culcha Candela Culcha Candela is a dancehall, hip hop, house and reggae group from Berlin, Germany. Sources say they formed at different times but in the range of 2001–2003. Their lyrics range from political issues, such as "Una Cosa" or "Schöne, neue Welt" ...

The Boss Hoss The BossHoss is a German band from Berlin, founded in 2004. They originally started with country and western style cover versions of famous pop, rock and hip hop songs, for example "Hot in Herre" by Nelly, "Toxic (song), Toxic" by Britney Spears ...

and they performed in front of over 8.500 People.

2008–10: Warner Music, album release

In 2008 they wrote and composed the ballad "Mama" for the Mother's Day, to which a video was shot and they were invited on

RTL Television RTL (from '), formerly RTL plus and RTL Television, is a German-language free-to-air television channel owned by the RTL Group, headquartered in Cologne. Founded as an offshoot of the German-language radio programme '' ,'' RTL is consider ...

with their Moms to perform an

A cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

of the song. They also composed and sang the soundtrack song "Ziele" for the children's book ''The HelleWecks'' with Thomas Anders from the popular pop-duo Modern Talking. In Spring 2008 Kisita and her bandmates composed songs for their debut album and worked with several producers like Noizmakers Entertainment (Rick Damm & Ralph Diehl), Chris Applegate (

Jennifer Rush Jennifer Rush (born Heidi Stern; September 28, 1960) is an American pop and rock singer. She achieved success during the mid-1980s with several singles and studio albums including the million-selling single " The Power of Love", which she co-w ...

), Andreas Herbig (

), Thomas Troelsen (

Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...

), Marcus Brosch (

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

, Nick Carter,

Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; (born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican indie label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By the ...

) and

Michelle Leonard Michelle Leonard (born 5 June 1973) is a German / British singer and songwriter, now based in Berlin. Leonard has written and co-written multiple songs, both singles and for albums, that have achieved gold and platinum status. Leonard is known i ...

. During the recordings of the debut album they performed with four-time Breakdance World Champions

Flying Steps The Flying Steps is a B-boy crew formed in 1993 by Kadir Memis ("Amigo") and Vartan Bassil in Berlin. The crew has nine members. They specialise in B-boying (breakdance), popping and locking and were world champions in these dance styles severa ...

at the ''Tuning World Messe Bodensee'' and present their second single "Sexy Girl". they also got a contract for the German

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

Magazine to promote their second single "Sexy Girl". But family members didn't agree with that and the contract with Playboy was cancelled. On December 8, 2008, they released their debut album "Unglaublich". In 2010 they were in the German Cinema Movie ''Homies (HipHop Express)'' with actor & singer

Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht (born 27 December 1991) is a German actor and musician. Early life Ochsenknecht was born in Munich to actor Uwe Ochsenknecht and actress Natascha Ochsenknecht. He has an older brother, Wilson Gonzalez Ochsenknecht and a ...

which was released in August 2011. According to their MySpace page, all band members will go on a solo career.

2018–present

In 2011 Kisita also known as DJ Queen of Beats was composing and producing

jingles A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually t ...

, songs and beats for artists, radio shows & TV. She also created in 2015 her company called 'Global MIC. Entertainment' for TV, films,

commercials A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...

music composition Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called c ...

musical films Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

, dance and

Live music A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety an ...

. In 2016 she launched the media platform Nostalgic Express.

2020–present

She's currently working on new music as a solo artist under Q.O.B. an abbreviation for Queen of Beats.

Artistry

Influences

Since a child she grew up with

Afropop African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop or Afro pop), like African traditional music, is vast and varied. Most contemporary genres of African popular music build on cross-pollination with western popular music. Many genres of po ...

Cuban son Son cubano is a genre of music and dance that originated in the highlands of eastern Cuba during the late 19th century. It is a syncretic genre that blends elements of Spanish and African origin. Among its fundamental Hispanic components are th ...

Reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, Afro-Cuban jazz, Rock and Pop music. Her father invited in the 1990s Congolese rumba musicians like Bozi Boziana, Zaiko Langa Langa and

Pepe Kalle Pepe is a pet form of the Spanish name José (Josep). It is also a surname. * People Mononyms *Pepe (footballer, born 1935), real name José Macia, Brazilian footballer *Pepe (footballer, born 1983), real name Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira, ...

to play concerts in

. She learned her first dance choreography at the age of 6 with the song

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

by Michael Jackson. In her teens she was inspired by

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...

and

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an As ...

and performed at school festivals & school clubs their songs.http://www.musikmachen.de/Stories/Sistanova . "Sistanova – Musikmachen.de" Her dance style includes Hip Hop, Salsa, Street Jazz and

Popping Popping is a street dance adapted out of the earlier Boogaloo (funk dance) cultural movement in Oakland, California. As Boogaloo spread, it would be referred to as Robottin in Richmond, California, Strutting movements in San Francisco and San ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

Celia Cruz Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during t ...

, Nina Simone,

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

and

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

are her inspirations. She is also inspired by

Martial Arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

Vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

, Theater and Bollywood Musicals.

Discography

;As part of Sistanova

Singles

Studio albums

* Unglaublich (2008) ;EPs * Was Ist Los – EP (2007)

Tours

;Opening act

– Good Girl Gone Bad Tour * November 13, 2007 – in Munich – Zenith * November 20, 2007 – in Cologne – Palladium * November 23, 2007 – in Frankfurt –

* November 26, 2007 – in Berlin – Columbiahalle ;Opening act * Rapsoul – Achterbahn Tour *NRJ Music Tour

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:KeyLiza 1989 births Living people 21st-century German women singers English-language singers from Germany Salsa musicians Reggae fusion artists German people of Angolan descent German people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent German women pop singers Musicians from Frankfurt

Musicians A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

Dancehall musicians Hip hop record producers German women DJs Women in hip hop music Women record producers German DJs