Tchaco, Fely / Maturite
Album: Maturite   Collection:Missing
Artist:Tchaco, Fely   Added:Aug 2011
Label:Self-Release  

Album Review
librae jackson
Reviewed 2012-09-20
Fely Tchaco/Maturite/Self release

Fely Tchaco is an artist from the Ivory Coast, who now resides in the Bay Area. This project reveals that she is perfectly at home in both places, as the songs intermingle traditional African sounds with American pop music. The vocals are in French, English and Fely’s native tongue: Gouru. The overall sound is of modern folk music, with electro-beat textures. Her own description of it is: “Tribal Pop.”

Recommended: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9

1. Goba (Mountain Top) 4:22
Opens with Fely’s voice, accompanied by harmonic background singers, and chirping birds. The music comes in after the sound of an elephant. Happy sounding song, with pleasant harmonies, melodic structure and percussive movement. The subject (according to liner notes) is overcoming challenges.

2. Woui Le M’en Fe (I Am Telling You) 3:43
Slow and contemplative. Voice and piano only. The subject matter covers global warming, home displacement and the plight of refugees.

3. En Louh 4:56 (I Was Fooled)
Synthesized intro with Fely singing a dramatic riff. The music then starts with a bouncy, tropical groove that feels good. Conversely, the subject is pain inflicted by a loved one. At 3:04, the groove changes into more of a mid-tempo jam, with Fely singing freely, over a repeated phrase. The sound is very aquatic and open.

4. Blue Topaz 3:29
Opens with a drum track reminiscent of early 90’s British soul, but the musical and vocal arrangements have an 80’s British pop feel (a la Depeche Mode). Panoramic synthesizers ride the groove, as Fely sings (in English) lyrics about an underpaid laborer.

5. Blue Topaz (short mix) 0:56
A short instrumental reprise that could have been included at the end of track 4, rather than as a separate track.

6. Si J’Avais Des Ailes (If I Had Wings) 4:10
Mellow island riddim with lyrics beautifully sung in French. Another feel good song, with sort of a sad subject matter, as Fely sings about a woman longing after a dead loved one.

7. America Land of Hope 4:04
Uptempo,techno pop-ish with African percussion. Happy and hopeful, as the title suggests.

8. Enle Solefe 4:30
South African sounding rhythms and melodies. Fely and her background singers express joyful sentiments. The subject matter (reunion with loved ones) vividly comes through in the music’s celebratory tone.

9. Toilata 4:36
Spacious groove, with French lyrics about Fely’s late grandmother.

9. Afrique Bou Le Woo 4:11 (Cry of Mother Africa)
For the first 33 seconds, Fely sings an intro in French. Then, the airy music bed rides throughout, with a snare drum on every 3rd beat.

10. Let’s Go for Peace 5:10
Another celebratory song, with a slightly uptempo groove, and phenomenal trumpet. Fely describes it as a song for peace, forgiveness and maturity.

- Librae Jackson (brother brae)

Track Listing
1. Goba   6. Si J'avais Des Ailes
2. Wou Le M'en Fe   7. America Land Of Hope
3. En Louh   8. Enle Solefe
4. Blue Topaz   9. Toilata
5. Blue Topaz (Short Mix)   10. Afrique Bou Le Wou
  11. Let's Go For Peace