INTERVIEW : TYPICAL FéFé
Interview by : Charlyman
on Friday, July 01st 2005 - 13 573 views
The "Double Trouble" concept of pioneers Typical Féfé and Tiwony is back in the shops with ''Révolution'', their second album together (released on 29 April, ed.). A more polished and richer opus than the first, with a lot of work done in Jamaica. The two men are talkative and approachable: a relaxed atmosphere for a free-ranging interview.
Reggaefrance / Can you tell us where you grew up, and briefly go back over your beginnings in music?
Typical Féfé / Tiwony: I'm a citizen of the Earth who was born in France, to a deported African Guadeloupean mother and a Cameroonian father. I grew up in Guadeloupe for a good 15 years... Ever since I was small I've been influenced by everything cultural, spiritual, everything that is different from the established system and everything that is just...
At the start, I believe your father didn't really agree with you going into music?
Tiwony: Exactly! At first my dad didn't agree at all... I came to music through the street, through the ground, the floor, as Féfé would say! In Guadeloupe, it was the arrival of things like Shabba, the first Chich compilations, Rappattitude, the first local artists who were emerging, Tonton David and his “Peuple du monde”... I was moving in that vibe because I really recognised myself in messages like those of Féfé, Nuttea, Janik... After going through “the school of the screwdriver” (laughs) - which shows that bad always brings good if you know how to become aware of things at the right moment - I went towards music and everything to do with sound systems with Influence Sound from 1994. Then the brothers from mainland France began to come over, to the sounds we were running. We would meet people who had already put out things like AZR, Féfé, Janik, Jah Mike, Dalton, Standtall... That really strengthened the movement over there and generated connections which meant I quickly moved up to Paris. I went to my father's place, and he wasn't too keen at the time! But I made my own little way until I brought him the CDs, until he realised there was real work there, and I showed him that it was truly what I wanted to do. Today, with my father, we manage to merge and make music together.
Féfé: I am an offspring of the Pembili family from Togo, who arrived by boat on the island of the French West Indies that we call Martinique. I was born and raised in France, in 1968. The year of that “revolution”! So I'm a pure product of that year: a man who marginalises himself in everything! I also received the upbringing of my father, who was like a butterfly in this life. He moved between several trades... I inherited a bit of that travelling, nomadic side. I have no fixed place where I stay. That combo made me what I am today, a militant artist who knows that his landing point will be Africa. I also know that I came here on a mission, a friendly mission that comes to speak of goodness, and that I deliver it through music, the best cement between peoples... I would like to talk about what's going on at the moment because the album “Révolution” is precisely the essence of all those years of work I've done.
After the good reception of ''Double Trouble'', your first album, what was the direction of ''Révolution''?
Tiwony: We wanted it to be a continuation and a confirmation of the first work. That one was done a bit in a “rush”. We are very pleased with that album but we know we could have added a few touches, which we didn't because of limited means. This new album has been much more polished. There is more musical maturity. Our first project together also tied and strengthened bonds that were already strong. By getting to know each other, living together, being together every day, we entered what is called “Oneness”: Unity in every sense of the term. So this album was richer in vibes! And then, we also travelled. Those were goals we had set ourselves from the start, because we have always been open to every style of music. We listen to Roots as well as Dancehall, and all the other musical styles that appeal to us: soul, salsa, zouk, everything around us. We took the time to make an alchemy of all these musics that move us, in order to express our message, a message we have meditated on, the reflection of the people. You have to take the time to think, to consider things, because we say out loud what many think quietly, but we have to say it in a concise, thoughtful and orderly way.
You can feel that ''Révolution'' is an album that looks like you. In the choice of riddims, of atmospheres...
Féfé: That's true. As Wony said, we kept the same team. We knew our strengths! We worked on those strengths to eliminate all our weaknesses. Without forgetting, for all that, that we were making music for the people... I insist on that. We thought an enormous amount about our audience. We made original choices, like Bole Bolo or Tu danses which are off-market tracks, so to speak. But we always had this concern, even in our originality, of still sticking to a trend and always giving people reference points in our music so that they don't feel completely lost. The track Tu danses has a very “Sean Paulesque” vibe, with a catchy gimmick chorus that comes back easily, a sound similar to “Tamale”... We didn't try to be complete purists. We opened up! We made a sort of alchemy between these musical trends of today's world and our own particularity, our own colour, so that it gives a “combo” of music that is rich. In “Révolution”, you find Reggae, Dancehall, Zouk, Makusa, “all music”! It's Africa, you know! (laughs). And since we'll be on stage, we wanted people to feel that stage energy on the album. When you listen to it, you should want to move, want to cut the cane! (laughs).
So going through Jamaica was a must?
Féfé: Indeed! Wony is the initiator of this movement because he had already been to Roy Francis's via Maffé. He had been welcomed like a son of the soil. So he invited me to come back with him. The master of the house had told him that he would put us up and that we would sort out the funding. He really convinced me that we could do good work there. When we arrived, we were well received by Master B at Mixing Lab. We worked for 12 days, non-stop. We were staying right above the studio. We would sit on the little balcony and watch the parade of artists in the yard. It was incredible! I'll let you imagine... We ran into Capleton, Innocent Crew, all the oldies: John Holt, Gregory Isaac and even Simpleton, rest in peace. There were always people passing through. The first one we saw was Ricky General and he reacted straight away! I said to Féfé: “Look, he's nodding his head to the sound!” It's still a thrill to see the guys listening. We also saw New Kidz, Captain Barkay, Wickerman, Thriller U, Danny English, Tony Curtis, Reagan, Anthony Redrose, Chicken....
How did you make your choices of featurings?
Tiwony: Originally, we had set out to do just one featuring. We really wanted to link up with brothers on our level. We wanted something human, a real vibe, not a commercial concept. We had to feel that the desire was mutual. That's how we work and, incidentally, that's how artists like Determine work. He was introduced to us by Roy Francis. He caught our vibe, heard what we were doing, and on that basis he said “deal”. For Future Troubles, the same! When I first came, I'd put stickers everywhere. I showed him: “Wow! Double Trouble!” (laughs). He listened, hummed along, and told me: “Man, we have to do something”. When we recorded, it was the first time he'd sat down to write lyrics. That gave the lyrics for No Misleader. And also some special counteract dubplates! Subionic, you know? (laughs). They were good vibes! Sketalina is a breda of Féfé's. It's a track that was meant to be voiced by four, with Masta, but it was really too hardcore on the slackness. We're quite strict on that level: we don't want to say just anything. We have children! We really want to stay “clean”, even if we can get into some “fun” silliness. We keep certain limits, a certain uprightness.
Alozade came with the Chrome Riddim and gave it to us graciously, it was really the vibe! And then on the album there are musicians like Danny Axeman, Sly Dunbar, Paul B of Fat Eyes and Chester Walker of the Very Huge label who did mixes. There's Skully Sims, of the Jamaican All Stars, the first Jamaican artist to put his voice on a 45. He gave us a little history lesson on reggae. He's an essential percussionist; he played percussion for Peter Tosh, among others. Johnny “Dizzy” Moore, of the Jamaican All Stars, did the trumpets for us and Earl Chinna Smith's daughters, Maria and Soulane, are on the backing vocals on a good part of the reggae tracks. These are connections of Roy Francis, a bit like his friends. There will be a DVD soon, in a special edition: “Pull Up TV”, which will trace our journey in Jamaica.
And what about local artists?
Tiwony: Oxmo is a brother we've known for quite a few years. He's very close to the team. He showed us lots of things about the little workings of the business in France because he already had a foot in the Majors. Manu Key is a bit the same family: Oxmo, AP, Manu Key. Orly, Choisy, Vitry! These are brothers who give a fairly strong image of the movement because they have charisma, they bring things along behind them. AP, Manu Key, are brothers we've already collaborated with and who have always shown a desire to do things with Féfé. They're well plugged into Sound System: these are guys who go and buy their 45s at Bluemoon! They invited us for “Zone Caraïbe” - a project that's coming out at the moment - and that gave the song Timal. We found it was a track that fitted the album's concept well. There's Straika, and my father too, Vicky Edimo, for a track we cared a lot about. We had floated the idea of doing a track together for a while. We went and worked in his Zion, at his place, in the countryside. It really came together in good harmony, and very quickly too. There's also Original B, selecta of Blackwarrel and bassist who made the riddim of l'Eden C'est Là. Lasquez did two tracks for us: Nou Pani Tan A Ped and Maltraitance. For me, he's a bit of a “local Corleone”. He can place some very Dancehall stuff and surprise you with pure Roots. Big up also to Francky, “Mister Genius”! Otherwise, I composed the track Yen Ki Sex and we composed a track together with Patrice, Féfé and Sly: Revolution. On each track, everyone put in their vibes. The thing has to live, you have to feel that we worked to give it an original colour. Like the Chrome, there are people who don't even recognise it on Pop It Off! Francky did some really original arrangements.
Why did you choose this album title?
Tiwony: Because of the current situation. It's taking a stand: here, we don't do half measures. Whether spiritually or musically, we did what we wanted to do and we did not make the music we were told to make. We also wanted a message in which the people feel they are involved too, that they are a link in this chain. We are just a mirror for them. They have to feel that they too are taking part in this revolution. That it's not just a message to dance to, that it's a message to take action, to think... In the same way that we listen to Bob Marley or Tiken Jah Fakoly... We need a revolution in manners, to take up the word God sent us, as simply as possible. Even if we know that Man is a sinner, that nobody is perfect, we must already hold to simple and fundamental values: sharing, charity, unity in action... We really must support these causes. It's also important to have a revolution in the example of men like Martin Luther King: peaceful revolutions that can come through music, through sport... We have to show that you can establish yourself without necessarily being a follower and without necessarily being marginal. You can be a system within the system, while respecting the laws they have made...
And what about projects? I imagine you'll keep working together?
Féfé: Indeed! Our solo projects aren't for the immediate future! Apart from mixtapes that will retrace our respective journeys. All the tracks we made before and that the massives often ask us to hear again.
Tiwony: And a few unreleased ones too...
Féfé: Those will be the little bonus tracks. It's for those who want to find the old tracks of Wony, like Jah est à l'honneur or mine like Il sauve or Mumia... For people who are really thirsty to find those old productions.
And with Blackwarrell?
Féfé: Of course, always! Now we’ve decided to work only through our own networks. We understood that the key was to build an internal circuit, if you like. To create a chain of contacts that makes a real circuit from production, through the artistic side, right to manufacturing and press. We can’t count on the Majors and certain production houses because they have no stake in this music, or in its future. For them it’s just a source of money, and as soon as the source dries up – in their view, because reggae will never dry up – they’ll push us aside. We know very well that we have to stay as independent as possible. Some things can be interesting, but we prefer to work on and develop our own network so that afterwards, those doors that may have opened won’t be shut again… That’s the problem when you work with a Major: you become an isolated artist. The moment you walk through the door of a big production house, it closes behind you! All your posse, all your crew, everyone who brought you there, your whole base, you have to leave them behind. We want to stay and work with the people who make the album ''Révolution'' so rich. It’s because we believed in people who stood firm on their positions despite the hard times. And that created a core of people who trust each other, who know each other better musically and who can steer each other better.
What do you think of the development of the local movement? What could its future be?
Tiwony: Féfé and I were noticing it: not many solo albums are coming out on the local scene. But the ones that do are quality: Jamadom, Straïka, Admiral T, Big Familly, Sir Samuel… These are well-fleshed-out albums. Before, there were only one or two: Raggasonic, Daddy Mory, the Neg Marrons... Now you realise there is a whole range of well-crafted, heavyweight albums! And there’s still quite a lot to come… What’s all the more reassuring, I’d say, is that most of the quality things coming out are not the product of the Majors. Give or take two or three artists… It sets an example for the brethren to take their time, polish their work and study too. Reggae and dancehall are a school, and it goes through the sound systems. Artists who have followed the sound system scene for a long time are starting to blossom. Guys like Jamadom, Straika, Admiral T! Even in terms of mixtapes: they’re getting better and better, when you listen to ''Black Unite'', ''Dirty Wash'', or ''Terrorist'' by Sam X and Saïk of Mortenol District, young lads who are super “operational” with their studio. There are also heavy compilations and others on the way with DJs from this local scene, like ''San Kombin'', ''Hold Up'', ''Killa Session'', and the ones by Mek it Happen, who really work on authenticity. It’s important not to take one part of the movement and then vulgarise it any old how. It’s as if you were disrespecting the whole movement. As Shabba said: “You better respect the older entertainer!” Even “slack” guys like Shabba Ranks have always made a point of showing respect for the foundation, for the culture.
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