Tribute to Fely Tchaco

An internationally-acclaimed singer and recording artist

One of the most Influential Women in the Ivory Coast.
AMINA magazine sold in Europe, the Caribbean and Africa

Revised and updated

2015

A person should never be discouraged, but instead,

have an objective faith to reach the mountaintop.
-Fely-

Sumedha Manabarana

-02-

Leye Felicite Tchaco

BIOGRPY

Fely Tchaco (pronounced feli chaco), born as Leye Felicit Tchaco in the Central West of Cote
dIvoire, is an award-winning, internationally-acclaimed singer and recording artist. She is
also being hailed a songwriter, poetess, top-model, dancer and fine artist. Fely is somewhat
different from the typical. She was born in one country, resides in another country and rocks
her audiences all over the world.

Fely, as a child, did not get her dues from her near and dear ones. However, she has not
forgotten to treat her motherland and her inseparable audiences with her overflowing peace
and love. Her moving song Afrique Bou Le Wou (Cry of Mother Africa) which she has dedicated
to the people of African descent is one such fine example. Fely the artist always has got a busy
schedule. However, she never forgets to keep in touch with her friends, fans or well-wishers
whenever she has free time. She is a graceful singer that Cote d'Ivoire has gifted to Mother
Africa and to the rest of the world.

-03Tribute to Fely Tchaco

Fely sings in several languages such as French, English, Spanish, and Guoro (French) or Guro
(English),

her native language. The Guoro tribe is classified under Mende in the history book
of Clans in Africa. The Guoros are well known for their abilities in making masks, dancing
and singing. Fely is no exception. On stage, sometimes she turns tribally rhythmic. Her
Mapoka Dance is an eyebrow-raiser! One must see how she performs this hard-to-master
brilliant native performance. Sometimes she becomes warm and explosive on stage with her
syncopated music. Reggae on the River in 2005 where Fely gave a wonderful solo
performance is one such fine example. There, she performed with Alpha Blondy, another
reggae heartthrob from Cote dIvoire.

Fely sings in her own new style. She is an ardent lover of both pop music and classical music.
She amalgamates them like gold and mercury and originates a new, unique style of her own.
She infuses African music with modern and western instruments and the result, Afro-Pop, is
striking! She has gradually cultivated a unique, natively authentic and pure voice in the
process. Fely's spiritual and emotional songs even make her audiences cry at times.

Edith Piaf is universally regarded as

France's greatest popular singer:
19.12.1915 - 11.10.1963

Mireille Mathieu, born 22.07.1946, is highly

regarded as the French successor to Edith
Piaf. Her latest concert is in Ufa, Russia
on March 7, 2013.

-04Tribute to Fely Tchaco

Fely belongs to the ethnic group of 'Mende' and her dialect 'Gouro fro Sinfra. The 'Guoro'
people, the 'Gagou' and the 'Yaoure' are the first inhabitants of Cote dIvoire. Felys seat Cote
dIvoire can be regarded as a distribution centre of rich traditional African arts and crafts.
They have influenced the neighboring ethnic groups who came later. Cote dIvoire is a very
nice place to be. We have nice weather, its like Jamaica. Its just beautiful, says Fely. Her tribe
is well known for their Zaouli dance-mask. This performance includes a repertoire of
spectacular footwork done in lightning speed to the accompaniment of pulsating traditional
music while the dancer keeps the upper part of the body almost motionless.

Fely inherits a super-rich legacy of her traditional Cote d'Ivoirean music. Fely didnt know
about her mother until she was 15 years old. Her father named her after her grandmother
who actually raised her. Her name was Dougouli Lou leye Felicite which means the
daughter of Dougouli named Leye Felicite. This is how names are formed in their culture.
Leye, Fely says, is normally spelled Lehie. The name Felicite is French because their people
were colonized by the French people. So, her name Fely is a combination of her Felicite and
Leye and so is her Afro-Pop music.

Nana Mouskouri is universally regarded as

Greek's greatest popular singer
(13.10.1934) Living legend

Anglique Kidjo, born in Benin (a country in

West Africa) on 14.07.1960, is a Grammy Award
winning singer-songwriter and activist

-05Tribute to Fely Tchaco

Fely had a knack for singing even as a child. I was always sitting in front of a TV and that was
so weird to me. I was like wow! says Fely. She was in her 5th Grade at school when she used to
sing the soulful and melodious songs of Mireille Mathieu, Edith Piaf, Nana Mouskouri, and
Anglique Kidjo. Even when she was six years of age, she always wanted to sing. One day, she
dared enough to go and ask her father to send her to an arts school. She was totally rejected,
simply because she was not a boy. It was not the norm in the African society for a girl to take
to singing. Felys father knew very well about her painting abilities. So, he often encouraged
her to do painting. Meanwhile, Fely had another secret dream always haunting in her little
mind.

Fely's dad had a lot of guests almost every day. They came all the time. Little Fely didnt
mind, though. She would perform her acrobatics all over the place as usual. A funny thing
happened one day. Having come home after school, Fely went into her room, changed her
school dress and put on a wrap. She was up to something that day! She made a few
incomplete sorties to the place where her father had been with the guests just to see what
they were doing. Then she went out into the garden, dug out some clay, ran inside, mixed it
well with water, made a pack sort of stuff and applied it on her face to her hearts content.
Wow...I feel great! Wearing a live mud-mask, the budding Zaouli dancer darted straight
into the place where her father had been chuckling with the guests. The audience was already
there. She saw some of them grinning and chuckling. She even saw their discoloured teeth.
What humble smiles! Fely thought. This has now created an ideal setting for little Fely to
carry out her fancies of being a singer and dancer.

Fely shouted: Father, see...here...! Just look at me! Fely had been romping and frisking and
doing her regular repertoire of Zaouli and Mapoka stunts. She was secretly hoping that her
father would take much delight seeing her childhood debut. It did not take much time to
wither the little flower blossomed in her head. The common belief that adults have no time

-06Tribute to Fely Tchaco

to listen to children was re-endorsed. Her father too had no time to enjoy this bundle of
mischief or understand her wild child dreams. Oh my God! Whats this? We dont want to
watch this again, I have guests, just get out of here! Thundered Felys father, shattering her
only childhood dream in kaleidoscopic patters.

Fely was muttering something to herself. I wish if my mother was around...! The shattered
pieces of her dream started drifting apart slowly in an endless ocean of semitone music. The
little Guoro girl had no philosophy as such. She was feeling like a bottle of soda-pop gone
totally flat. She retreated back to her room and let the wrap drop loosely down onto the floor.
The mud-mask on her face had already shattered into a reticulated pattern together with her
dreams. That was the end of her fancy for the day. It was also the beginning of a new chapter
if her life.

Fely cannot remember to have got any chances to do whatever she wanted in her life. This
prolonged her pain. Nobody ever cared for her to the extent she wanted. People live in a
reverie - in a dreamy condition. They have almost no time to think about others needs of the
others. Eventually, these inflict untold suffering on beloved ones. The impact is long lasting and
sometimes indelible. The irony is that this was more so for Fely. However, due to her
unrelenting efforts, she was able to carve out a passage into the future where her full
potential exists, but still with enough resistance. Music begins in agony and it ends is
desperation, Felys sub-conscious mind was poking her to believe so.

Fely made her real debut in Htel dIvoire, one of the biggest five star hotels in Cote dIvoire,
1996. She released her first album Amour Perdu (Lost Love) in the same year in Abidjan and it
was an instant success. The second album Aude a l' Amour' (Ode to Love) released in 1998 Cote
d'Ivoire was a huge success. Her popularity rose to a tremendous crescendo soon afterwards.
Time was flying fast, though. Fely took a hard decision. She bade Adieu amigo to her Cote
dIvoirean friends with tear-filled eyes. In 2000, she went to the USA with her

-07Tribute to Fely Tchaco

daughter in order to start a new life. By this time, time had come for her to start foreign tours
which she did. Her American debut De Zere Gnan, (After War), in 2004 shot her even further
and her new album Awareness is receiving a warm response internationally.

Fely has a band of multi-cultural musicians, dancers, and singers. Fely is steadily heading
towards international stardom on the global music scene. I have an earnest request for the
USA. Please do not let her go again. She could contribute a whole lot to the world. Make her
sing songs for war films and they will bring peace, love and harmony to the whole world.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DISCOGRAPHY

"Amour Perdu (Lost Love)

1996, EMI Cote d'Ivoire

"Ode a l'Amour" (Ode to Love)

1998, EMI Cote d'Ivoire

"De Zere Gnan" (Homage to our Forefathers)

2004, USA

"Awareness"

2008, USA (and Online worldwide)

Maturite

2011, USA (and Online worldwide)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AWARDS
2012
The Best World Beat Song at the 11th Independent Music Awards for her song Goba, the
first track of her 2011 CD release entitled "Maturite"
www.independentmusicarwards.com

-08Tribute to Fely Tchaco

2007
The best music video for her video "Mon Espoir" in "Ivoire Clip Show", on Ivorian Vatical
TV Channel hosted by Kader Ndao
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------HONOURS
2010
International Songwriting Competition:
World Music Honorable Mention "Goba" by Fely Tchaco
http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/previouswinners#2010

2009
International Songwriting Competition: World Music Honourable Mention Toilata by Fely Tchaco
http://www.indiemusicreview.net/?p=83

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NOMINATIONS
2007
49th out of 100 Most Influential Women in the Ivory Coast. AMINA magazine sold in Europe, the
Caribbean and Africa.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The music industry is not an easy industry, especially for an African female independent artist.
The road can be long and bumpy, but once you make it, it becomes a fun game.
Fely
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Credits:
Fely Tchaco the singer, Los Angeles, USA
Fely Productions/ZEWP, San Francisco - Paris - Abidjan
http://www.felymusic.com/links/
All the other dedicated members of Felys band, her photographers, and Managerial Staff and
supporters