ZIETI Studio & Rehearsal Space (Ivory Coast)

[Please visit Zieti's website for more about this 25-year, trans-continental experiment in musical kinship.]

Zieti is fundraising to expand our studio projects in Côte d'Ivoire and equip a rehearsal space in Abidjan, building sustainable infrastructure and community for live music.

So much has happened since the band reconnected post-COVID but we're delighted to say that Zieti is back and stronger than ever! In the past 18 months we have completed three shipments of equipment, moved Narcisse to a new apartment in Abidjan, opened Studio Yeoue (where Narcisse is already producing tracks!), and established an internet connection with Laurent in the rural west of Côte d'Ivoire. Now we gather weekly on Zoom to keep fresh on the software, compose, tell stories, make videos, laugh and strategize for the future.

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We're raising funds to expand these efforts with Studio Djépao, a multitrack recording studio in the western region of Côte d'Ivoire at Laurent's family compound in the mountains. We recently established a decent wi-fi connection and are planning to ship a compact studio system before beginning software lessons via Zoom in 2024. Studio Djépao will be the only recording facility of its kind in the region, and Laurent says along with Zieti's music he will devote his full energy to exploring the Guéré culture all around him. The possibilities in this rural oasis of sound are truly exciting...

ESTIMATED EQUIPMENT BUDGET: $3,500

[view the equipment list below]

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In addition, we are planning to open a Rehearsal & Demo Recording Space to support Zieti and other musicians in Abidjan who want to perform live music. This project cuts defiantly against the grain of Abidjan's market-driven, studio-pop scene and harkens back to the spirit of collaboration that defined Ivoirian popular music in its 70s and 80s heyday. Narcisse is currently scouting locations and with Cherif we stand ready to package and ship the necessary gear. So we just need instruments, amps, mics, cables, stands, monitors/speakers, headphones, a decent PC laptop and a mixing console that can capture multitrack recordings of a live band. Once all the gear arrives, this rehearsal space is guaranteed to become a hub for roots musicians in Abidjan, first and foremost reviving Zieti as a live band in Côte d'Ivoire. High demand for a space like this also makes it a sustainable business supporting Zieti’s families for the foreseeable future.

ESTIMATED EQUIPMENT BUDGET: $6,500

[view the equipment list below]

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These projects are made possible by Zieti's friend Cherif, who provides the secure shipping and customs help without which none of this would be viable. Cherif also helped move Narcisse and his family to Yopougon this year and is a huge part of the Zieti family, a clan founded as much on friendship and integrity as it is music. We have all known each other for a quarter of a century, and despite the distance separating us and the many struggles and hardships for Laurent and Narcisse over the years, there has never been an issue between us.

The whole Zieti family thanks you mille fois for checking us out and for considering a donation. Every penny will go toward ensuring these projects succeed and are sustainable. The music that pours forth we can only imagine...

Merci-o!

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Below is a rough equipment list for each project. If you have any used gear from this list that you'd like to donate we would of course be delighted to have it! Please contact Michael directly through GoFundMe messaging or Zieti's website to follow-up:

Equipment for Studio Djépao:

PC Laptop (min. studio specs)

USB hub (powered)

1TB backup drive

Power converter/surge protectors

8-Channel+ Mixer/USB interface

Studio monitor/speaker pair

Headphone distribution amp

Headphones

MIDI keyboard/controller

Electric guitar & amp

Bass guitar & amp/DI

Vocal mics

Instrument mics

Mic stands & cables

Instrument cables

Speaker cables

Equipment for a Rehearsal & Demo Space:

24-channel mixer/USB interface [e.g., Mackie Onyx24]

PC (used) w/1TB backup drive

Studio monitor pair

Headphone Distribution Amp

Headphones

Stage snake [24x4/50']

Stage monitors

PA Speakers

Backup Batteries/Surge Protectors

Bass Amp

Guitar Amps

Keyboard Amp

Bass guitar

Electric guitars

Keyboards

Vocal mics

Instrument mics

Drum mic kit

Mic stands & cables

Instrument cables

Speaker cables

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Let's do this!!