BIOGRAPHY

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"Nena Kissa?” – in Creole, this phrase means “Who is it? Who is here?”
The answer fits in two letters and an apostrophe: “M’R.”
But Néna is also a first name. It has become hers.

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Néna Kissa M’R blends French chanson with world music.
 

Trained on piano by Madame Andrée Basset (soloist of the Saint-Étienne Conservatory), she evolved with her toward ragtime and jazz. She loves rock, funk, US groove, French variety, as much as poetry – that of Paul Fort or Alain Peters. In 2005, she discovered Reunion Island and world music through the French label Kabl’Art. This unique Creole soul – infused with humanity, cultural openness, blues, and maloya – became the fertile ground from which she nurtures her personal and artistic path. For her, music is One – a One made of All. This is the flamboyant energy she transmits today.

 

Latest News: Release of the new single LA CHALOUPE

On September 18, 2025, Néna Kissa M’R will release her brand-new single LA CHALOUPE, recorded with outstanding musicians:

• Thierry Fanfant (bass)

• Arnaud Dolmen (2025 Victoire de la Musique Jazz award-winner)

• Betinho Feijo (Bonga)

 

Career Highlights

So far, she has produced two EPs and three singles: Endémique (2011), Felicidad (2012), D’autre monde live (2017), La Boca (2019), and La Boca Remix (2022). Since the release of Endémique, her music has been broadcast on international FM radio stations.

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In 2012, she received the SACEM Award from Jeanne Talon, director of the Olympia in Paris. This milestone allowed her to meet her audience, first locally and then nationally, in prestigious venues and festivals such as Le Batofar (Paris), Le Fil (Saint-Étienne), and the Festival de la Chanson Française in Montluçon. The Kabl’Art label, directed by Frédéric Boyer (supported by the Ministry of Culture), accompanied her development until 2020, producing two EPs, two singles, and the show Côté-là… Cours !!.

 

From 2013 to 2016, her show Côté-là… Cours !! was presented in various venues, including Théâtre de Ménilmontant, the Solidarity Festival of the Arènes de Montmartre, and Théâtre le nOmbril du Monde.

 

In 2017, she released the EP D’autre monde live, a testimony of new maturity and darker tones, where maloya intertwines with piano, jazz, groove, and Latin rhythms.

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In 2018, Néna Kissa M’R signed a digital distribution agreement with her publisher, Charles Ibgui of ASCOT MUSIC (via BELIEVE), a renowned French producer behind artists such as Alabina, Ishtar, Kaoma, Kid Créole, Tarkan, and Jeane Manson. Through ASCOT MUSIC, Charles Ibgui handled the publishing of her discography. That same year, she was featured as a revelation by French radio station France Bleu Saint-Étienne Loire.

 

In 2019, she announced the preparation of her first album and released a remix of Vertige with MysterMix (Label Garniera).

Between 2020 and 2021, she moved to Paris and built a new creative team with Georges Blumenfeld (Studio Marcadet) and Shakä Râ Mutela. Together, they gathered renowned musicians including Marc Chantereau, Thierry Fanfant, Yoko Taniguchi, Alberto Feijo, Yann Benoist, Olivier Louvel, and Arnaud Dolmen. Their work resulted in the remix of La Boca.

 

On April 29, 2022, La Boca Remix was released on digital platforms, with cover art once again created by the artist herself.

In 2023, Néna took over the distribution of her own catalog, now available for streaming and download (Spotify, Deezer, iTunes, Netease Cloud Music China).

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In 2024, she launched a crowdfunding campaign to produce the music video for her single Tu vois je danse toujours avec toi. Supported by L’Aura de l’Herm (Laëtitia Delaigue), Lords and Fools (Yoahm Benguigui Baroukh), and the Paris-based studios Lecoq and Bear in the Fridge, the project came to life on December 17.

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In 2025, after being seriously injured in an accident and spending several months in recovery, Néna Kissa M’R is now back on her feet and preparing her return to the stage.

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In 2026, she launches the production of her track AFRIQUE, a project she envisions as fully collaborative. Until mid-February 2026, supporters are invited to contribute to the funding of the sound production of this singular piece, conceived as a rich vocal and instrumental polyphony. See here.

 

At the same time, after a long sea crossing—a period of profound personal transformation—and following six years away from the stage, Néna Kissa M’R returns to live performance with her first concert, marking a decisive turning point in her artistic career.

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Over the past six years, these milestones would never have been possible without the unwavering support of her publisher, who worked quietly behind the scenes to make them happen, mobilizing his network.

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Be part of this defining moment on February 6, 2026, at L’ECLA in Saint-Cloud.

Stay connected and follow Néna on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes news.

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Media Broadcast

The music of Néna Kissa M’R is broadcast on FM radio in Canada, Mexico, Lithuania, Australia, Belgium, France (France Bleu, Radio G!), and Reunion Island (Radio Coloris).

*1 :  Mexican  FM radios
Fusión IMER 102.5 FM Tijuana
(Radio frequency  FM 102.5 mHz - Transmission schedule: 24H / 24H - Apparent power : 32,000 watts - Coverage : Tijuana to Tecate and Rosarito in Bassa Californie, Mexico and northern counties, San Diego, Los Ángeles, California,  and USA - Potential audience : 2,154,357 listeners - Public : Fusión directs its programming to adults between 18 and 35 years old)
 
Exa FM Villahermossa wich belongs to Exa FM
(XHEXA-FM is a radio station located in México, Distric Federal. The FM frequency is 104.9 MHz with apparent power broadcast 180,000 watts)
 
Código DF
(Código DF promotes and disseminates the artistic, cultural and recreational proposals derived from the programming of the Secretariat of Culture of Mexico and organizations that collaborate with it, such as the Alliance Française and public and private institutions devoted to culture).