Ya Kid K

Biography

Manuela Barbara Kamosi Moaso Djogi (born 27 January 1972), known as Ya Kid K, is a Congolese-born Belgian rapper, singer, and songwriter. She is best known as the lead vocalist for the Eurodance group Technotronic.

Early life

Djogi was born in Kinshasa in 1972, the daughter of a Congolese father and Belgian mother. Her sister is singer and TV personality Karoline "Leki" Kamosi.
Her family moved to Belgium when she was 11 years old. She spent her teenage years in the United States, first in Chicago where she was introduced to hip-hop and the emerging sounds of house music, and then to Dallas.

Music career

After moving back to Belgium from the US, Ya Kid K helped form a hip hop label called Fresh Beat Productions. She was part of the dance project Technotronic, which debuted with a major worldwide hit in 1989, "Pump Up the Jam". Although she did not appear in the video, she was finally credited as vocalist on the track on the US reissue of the group's debut album.
Although Ya Kid K wrote the lyrics and sang vocals on "Pump Up the Jam", Technotronic had the fashion model Felly Kilingi perform in the video, without Ya Kid K's consent. The second single "Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)" was Ya Kid K's debut music video with Technotronic. In 1992, Technotronic and Ya Kid K had a hit with "Move This×Move This1991 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Move This (original edit version)3:382Move This (original LP version)5:033Move This (Molella version)6:014Move This (7" edit remix)4:015Move This (club remix)6:17," another single from 1989's Pump Up the Jam: The Album.
She also lent her voice to Hi Tek 3, a dance project whose only single, "Spin That Wheel×Spin That Wheel1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Spin That Wheel (First Feel mix)6:012Spin That Wheel (Spin That Body mix)4:053Spin That Wheel (radio mix)3:454Spin That Wheel (Swing That Beat mix)6:17", appeared on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles motion picture soundtrack.
While Jo Bogaert hired new singers for Technotronic's third album, Body to Body, Ya Kid K returned after limited success of her own album, One World Nation. This album contained many different musical and, in particular, vocal styles.
In 1991, Ya Kid K appeared on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, performing "Awesome (You Are My Hero)×Awesome (You Are My Hero)1991 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAAwesome (You Are My Hero) (single mix)4:01BAwesome (instrumental)4:03", continuing her work with the music of the film franchise. The partnership continued in 1993, when two versions of Ya Kid K's "Rockin' Over the Beat" appeared on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
In 1995, Technotronic re-emerged in the U.S. with Ya Kid K as its front vocalist, again with limited success for the album, Recall×Recall1995 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Recall (radio mix)3:182Recall (On Stage mix)5:413Recall (Perplexer mix)5:394Recall (Crystal Jump mix)4:485Recall (Trancecore mix)5:24. On the track "Are You Ready" she teamed up with Daisy Dee, who had already done a cover version of "This Beat Is…" with MC B. In 1996, a Ya Kid K single titled "Rock My World" was released. She appeared in June 2000 on Technotronic's single "The Mariachi×The Mariachi2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1The Mariachi (radio mix)3:172The Mariachi (D&A in Rio mix)5:26". In 2002, she released Take a Trip on Semini Records.

Personal life

After the single "Rockin' Over the Beat", Ya Kid K married Welsh musician Eric "MC Eric" Martin, who performed on the Technotronic hit "This Beat Is Technotronic". The couple has a child.