Fellyko Tshikala
Fellyko Tshikala was born in Mbuji Mayi, deep in the Congolese interior. His obvious musical talent soon opened a path to the capital, Kinshasa, during the 1980s heyday of the music the world knows as rumba, soukous, kwassa-kwassa and other names-in a nutshell, the most powerful and influential dance pop music created in modern Africa. Fellyko absorbed everything, playing guitar, bass, drums, also singing and composing. He made his way in the scene in one of Congolese music's most demanding roles, the bass that drives the music with military precision and the soul of indigenous hand drum music, often identified as the traditional source of the Congolese bass style. Among the groups Fellyko worked with were Victoria Eleison, Papa Wemba's Viva la Musica, and guitar ace Diblo Dibala's group Matchatcha. In Brussels in the late 80s, Fellyko played guitar on a landmark recording by the great Franco, "Attention na SIDA (Watch out for AIDS)." It was with Diblo that Fellyko first toured the United States in the early 90s. In Boston, he ran into an acquaintance from his youth in Mbuji Mayi. Edou Tshondo, a one-time, light-weight boxer back in Congo, was then leader of a Boston based Congo music band called Kolo Mboka. Using impressive powers of persuasion, Edou convinced Fellyko to relocate in Boston at the end of the tour, and he has remained there ever since. A few years later, Fellyko became the chief composer and lead guitarist in Sankai, a superb band, again combining Congolese and American musicians in Boston. But after recording two CDs and performing extensively, Fellyko decided to devote himself to recording and solo work. His recent creations in his home studio draw on all his abilities, and all his loves-from the roots rumba of Franco, to the roots rock of Jimi Hendrix. His 2005 release Fellyko reveals all of this in bold, original, largely instrumental compositions. Despite his devotion to the studio, Fellyko hasn't lost his performance edge. In the summer of 2005, the great Thomas Mapfumo of Zimbabwe arrived in Boston to play a show, but his drummer, supposed to be arriving by train from New York, missed the gig. After a round of urgent calls, Fellyko arrived in the club after the first song had begun with the bass player on drums. Having never played Zimbabwean music and never met Mapfumo or his band, Fellyko bravely took a seat at the drums and played a brilliant set, much to the amazement of all. The legendary prowess and sensitivity of Congolese musicians is one thing. Fellyko is something else again. - Contributed by Banning Eyre