THE
HISTORY OF A GARAGE More than ten years ago, some young schoolboys of Yopougon (Abidjan) coming from the district "Wassakara" and impassioned by percussions and song of group, admire their elder animating matches between classes of the school SEPI (now secondary school SEPI) of this commune. Bit by bit, they nourish the intention to create a group. To do it, at least a tom-tom is needed. Sadia Denis, the leader, today civil servant of the national police force, proposes to club together 25 FCFA per school day. A few weeks later, they succeed in acquiring this instrument. And Sadia gives the name of the band: "Mini Choc". Mini because they are young and Choc for their power. We are in 1989. They are 25 members including 3 girls. Considering the very high number of people in the group, they decide to make a selection of 13 people. One finds there pupils, mechanics and jobless people.
"Mini Choc" animates socio-cultural and sporting demonstrations in the capital. That is: OISSU matches, funeral, birthdays and other ceremonies of rejoicings. Shortly afterwards the pupils are excluded to allow them, as people say, to devote to their studies. That’s how Kouamé Kouassi Koffi Paulin called "Popolaye ", one of the vocal leader and Kouakou Kouassi Florent called "Célio " pupils, will continue their studies in the interior of the country. Soum Bill, Bloco and De Bingue are recruited. With the arrival of the Zouglou (musical rhythm of Ivory Coast) in 1992, some members of "Mini Choc" seek to release a disc. Bloco who left for other skies, Feco, La joie, Soum Bill and Richmond. They decide to called themselves "LES GARAGISTES (the Mechanics)" because two of them (Feco and Zakis) were real mechanics. They release "Enfant Chéri "; unfortunately this work of 6 titles has little success.
After that, Soum Bill and De Bingue join Bloco to create another group " LES SALOPARDS (the Bastards) ", meanwhile, Feco and Salif do not drop the arms. They have recourse to Popolaye again. From this come-back, is born a second album baptized: "Bébé abandonné ", after four years of silence. This work also knew a small success but made known the name of the group. With all these experiments, "LES GARAGISTES" re-examine and correct their gaps. They even dissociate from the other groups by creating a style specific to them. Also, Feco, La joie, Popolaye and Célio invest in the high life, a Ghanaian musical genre and this during two good years. In 1998, they release "Livre Blanc ". It’s a total success. This third album is sold off at more than 92.000 specimens. And to mark the year 2000 in music, they put on the market "Titrologues".
"Tapis Rouge", the last album in date of the GARAGISTES, comprises 12 titles sung in Bété, Dioula, Gouro (ethnic groups of Ivory Coast), in French and in Lingala.
"Tapis Rouge" because these young people estimate that the so much criticized zouglou deserves that we unroll it a red carpet, because it not only represents truly the music of Ivory Coast but also gave it letters of nobility.
It’s important to tell that the GARAGISTES sing facts of society through this work.
Conceived and realized with a great technicality "Tapis Rouge" was recorded in the Studio 7 in Abidjan under the direction of Olivier Blé who ensured the arrangements. It can be interesting to know that the embryonic work (arrangements) was made by the GARAGISTES themselves, that to give a soft zouglou which adapt to all the environments.
THE "GARAGISTS" DIGEST
Koné
Kadoumon SoualioPseudonym : Zakis la joie
Date and place of birth: 25/06/1970 at Adjamé
Role in the band : leader of the band
Family situation : Unmarried, no children
Adores : Work, frankness, honesty.
Hates : Lies, hypocrisy, jealousy.
Kouamé
Kouassi Koffi Paulin
Pseudonym : Popolaye
Date and
place of birth : 16/01/1974 at the Plateau
Role in
the band : Lead vocal
Family
situation : Unmarried,
one daughter
Adores : Work,
courage, honesty.
Hates
: Lies,
hypocrisy,
easiness, laziness.
Kouassi
Kouadio Kouamé Félix
Pseudonym : Feco
Date and
place of birth : 16/04/1971 at the Plateau
Role in
the band : Second lead vocal
Family
situation : Unmarried,
one
daughter
Adores : sincerity, frankness,
Work,
honesty
Hates
: Lies,
hypocrisy
Kouakou
Kouassi Florent
Pseudonyme : Célio
Date and place of birth
: 24/11/1975 at Marcory
Role in
the band
: Choriste
Family
situation
: Unmarried,
no children
Adores : positiveness
Hates : negativeness