Felicia began singing and playing various instruments at a young age--combining the classical music she studied with the popular music  to which she listened. Whether it was making home recordings with family and friends, doing musicals at the local community theater, or being a member of various ensembles, she can't remember when music wasn't a vital force in her life.

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​It was during her studies at the University of Southern California that she was exposed to the beauty and complexity of folkloric and contemporary Afro-Latin music. Having come from a strong vocal background, it wasn't long before she became the one of the lead vocals for USC's Afro-Caribbean Ensemble (ACE) under the direction of Angel Figueroa.

 

In just a short period of time she had entrenched herself in the world of clave, Guiro, Bembe, Rumba, Rueda, Samba, and all things associated! As such, she has been blessed with the opportunity to learn from and work with artists/groups such as Angel Figueroa (PAWS FLACO), El Maestro Lazaro Galarraga, Vibrason, El Tambor, Pedro "Muñeco" Aguilar, Shawn Rivera (Az Yet), Mestre Amen Santo (Capoeira Batuque, Ballet Folklorico do Brasil, Batuqueiros), Craig Ramos, Kati Hernandez, and Abeni.​

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Felicia has been a member of L'Esprit d'Afrique since 2007 and vocal director since 2009. She continues to study and explore various styles of music and strives to incorporate her many influences into the vocal aspects of the group.

Felicia Richards, Vocal Director