Zaye Tete

Zaye is a singer, songwriter, and dancer from Liberia. At a young age she was selected to go to the capital city, Monrovia and join the National Cultural Troupe, the country’s best performing arts ensemble, where she became a principal singer with the troupe, and performed all around Liberia. When war reached the capital in 1990, she and the other artists ran to safety across the border to the Ivory Coast where she founded a performing arts ensemble for Liberian refugee youth. She felt a responsibility to teach them traditional values of peace and respect in the midst of war and exile. Her goal there, and now, here in the U.S., is to give others the chance to know where they come from, to know and own their heritage, and to be able to use their voices to speak out about what is right and wrong. Zaye has a successful solo career, composing and performing songs based on community issues and has formed a group with other Liberian singers focused on addressing domestic violence in the Liberian immigrant community.

Zaye is a mother, a traditional folk singer from Liberia, a songwriter, and a performer. Performing for the Liberian community since she was a child, she feels a responsibility to help youth find good paths in the lives that they are building here. To do this, she will create a Liberian performing ensemble for young people to keep Liberian music vital for the next generation and to teach them the values of peace and respect. Her goal is to give children the chance to know where they come from, to know and own their heritage, and to be able to use their voices through song to speak out about what is right and wrong. She will teach songs that she has written that call out wrongs such as the problems of tribalism and old hurts, and the abuse and mistreatment of elders and children. Furthermore, Zaye sees her project as an opportunity to unite Liberian musicians and performers here in the region to have their voices heard and to make opportunities for the next generation.