"It is important that we pay attention to the young kids in our community. We need to let them know who they are and where they come from. If they can grab onto it, then they can be the teachers for future generations... We must listen to what our children say to have better communication with them. If we respect one another, then we are able to learn from one another. That is what African teaching is all about."

Originating from the Congo (Brazzaville), Titos Sompa is a charismatic and extraordinarily gifted performing artist, teacher and healer. Since arriving in America from Paris where he taught music and dance and toured Europe with his band, Les Echos Noir , he has inspired artists, students and audiences with his African cultural orientation that holistically integrates music, dance, singing, folklore and spirituality. Titos was the first to introduce the earthy and fluid Congolese style of simultaneous dancing and singing to American audiences.

For the past ten years, Titos has been collaborating with recording artist Christopher Hedge. Their recent project "MBONGI" is a unique combination of their diverse cultures and a true flowering of their years of musical dialog.

A renowned dancer, choreographer, and musician, noted especially as a master Congolese drummer, percussionist, and kalimba player, Titos utilizes his multiple talents to make known and keep alive Congolese musical and cultural traditions that offer healing, spiritual grounding, and affirming community to the Western world. Titos founded the first Congolese dance company (Tanawa Dance Company ) in America, joined the New York dance and theater scene, and performed with James Earl Jones and Ann Miller, along with such jazz greats as Elvin Jones, Eddie Jefferson, Sun Ra, Ron Carter, Leon Thomas, Pharoah Sanders, Dave Murray, and Arthur Blythe among others. Titos currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where he is a magnet for the Congolese artistic community.

Seeing African culture as a sustaining force, Titos has taken on the responsibility of preserving and passing on Congolese culture. His task involves dispelling all the ignorance, mythology and distortions about Africa, while he makes known the wisdom, variety, beauty, inspiration and power of African cultures. Through spirituality, he enables people to tap into the power within and the guidance of our ancestors. He devotes special attention to young people with programs for schools that teach self esteem, promote values and behaviors that build community awareness, and help them imagine a future. Titos is a powerful messenger with powerful gifts which he shares with a world much in need.