Fely Tchaco releases “Yita”

“My hope is to bring the world together through music” - Fely Tchaco

Fely Tchaco released her new album, “Yita” March 8th, 2021. Yita, contains 11 songs, each of the songs reveal an aspect of her journey from Sinfra in central Cote d’Ivoire to San Francisco where she now resides. The album itself was a journey, scheduled to be released over a year ago but postponed due to Covid.  

The Alloucou rhythm greets listeners on the first track “Ato Lagoh”. Alloucou is a Bete word but rhythm is found in Gouro traditional music as well. Fely spoke to us in a zoom meeting saying: “I grew up surrounded by rich musical traditions and was influenced by the Cuban and French records my dad would play. Ever since I was a kid I had music in me”.

The compositions are primarily vocal/drum/choral arrangements some traditional, others incorporating electronics enhancing the sound. Fellow Ivorian ex pat Abou Diarrassouba stands out drumming and on perrcussion. Jon Kidd steps in on drums on “Cawe Yoko”and ‘Blamer les Autres. Jerry Martin’s production projects an oversized atmospheric space that may have overwhelmed a weaker vocalist. Here its a unifying force as compositions move from spoken word on “Djebi Due” to syncopated dance floor beat on “Cawe Yoko” (Tim Hager drops a blazing guitar solo in its midst). Fely’s lyrics, sung in Gouro, Beté, French and English, touch on the human emotions: celebration, hope, faith, and memories rather than politics. 

“Zaouli” is anchored by a rhythm of the same name, one used in ceremonial mask dances representing women, and is well known throughout Africa. “Do Afe” is anchored by a slow Gbegbe rhythm. On the other songs she uses popular rhythms, afrobeat, soukous, zouk, and a francophone ballad “Blamer Les Autres”.

Fely was raised by her grandmother who had a saying “those who went on the deep water never returned.” Her grandmother was referring to those who left via the trans-Atlantic slave trade and World Wars, but the meaning of those words hit home when in 2016, Fely was invited to perform in a Syrian refugee camp in Greece. Freddy Clarke invited her to join his band, Wobbly World. This experience affected Fely profoundly and was the genesis of “Yita” (Deep Water). “I met a very good friend, her name is Fatima Sattouf, she is incredibly talented and can play drums, so as a souvenir, I signed my Djembe drum to her. I was thinking about that when i wrote the song (Yita). It very moving, touching, an amazing experience, to actually see it and live it and see and connect with this little girl and she took my hand and brought me inside her mother’s tent.”

The title track and the album is dedicated to the African and Middle Eastern migrants who lost their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea. “When i first came to the US it wasn’t easy, that’s why I related to those migrants, I was one of the lucky ones.”.

The title track and the album is dedicated to African and Middle Eastern migrants who lost their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea. https://felytchaco.bandcamp.com/

“Yita” lyrics, Verse 1:

Lead Vocal: Tche a wo fla o, gloui a wo fla o, wo zin yiva wah (There is fire in their land, there is war in their land, they are spread in the waters) 

Dietchinami vohou voh wo man en Ti e da o (Who is there? They are troubled, Father come to the rescue) 

Min yanle te wo man mounou wo lalah sereman pla ye (Why is that their people waist so much money in vain) 

Woui dietchinami yi be wo minian bah en Ti e da o (Yeh who is there? The wasters are swallowing them Father come to the rescue) 

CHORUS Wo a yibodjena yita le a yibodjena wo le a yibodjena yita le 

(They are swimming in deep waters, they said they are swimming in deep waters, yes they are) Wo a yibodjena yita le a yibodjena wo le 

(They are swimming in deep waters, they are) 

Wo a yibodjena yita le a yibodjena wo le a yibodjena yita le 

(They are swimming in deep waters, they said they are swimming in deep waters, yes they are)