That the Cameroonian music landscape is currently experiencing a reawakening is no longer news. From an easy look of things, there is a glaring revival which now seems to be the best thing happening in the country’s art and culture domain. The coming into the limelight of scores of talented young people who display a satisfactory mastery in the art of singing, is fast becoming phenomenal and it is hope that the current twist of things may turn tables to an extent that Cameroon will hit the world music map once again.
But prior to this new dispensation, it is common knowledge that Cameroon’s music sector almost went into slumber. In fact, it had at one point in time fallen into a deep and very disheartening fit. This most-dreaded episode in the country’s one-time leading art domain came with its own ugly consequences one of which was the disturbing disappearance of some music icons who had held the baton and commanded the sector in an enviable manner.
As those impact-full voices faded away into the doldrums, they took away the inspiration on which the younger generation could thrive in order to keep the sector alive. A new generation came up, not being able to trace the smooth route that had led Cameroon to a glorious past that was at one time and perhaps still being regurgitated with a lot of nostalgia.
The big names had literally evaporated – great compositions that put Cameroon on the music apex melted out – makossa, the country’s one-time identity genre suffered a big blow and hopes almost dashed away intrinsically. That was that ill-fated consequence of an art and culture sector that had witnessed avoidable setbacks.
At one point, it was thought that the younger music folks, for lack of guidance from their legends, won’t be able to trace their way. How could they produce results as rich and enviable as the ones their predecessors had had? How were they going to engage smooth rides that would ferry them to resounding successes when the forefathers who could facilitate the job for them had unfortunately gone moribund? Was this new generation going to start things all over? If that was going to be the case, what were we going to do about the relics? How were the fallen pieces going to be gathered – how were they going to be picked up? Who was going to pick them? The questions became disturbingly endless.
However, since there is always a silver lining in every dark cloud, a few Cameroonian music legends stayed afloat and could not afford to see the sector quickly go down the drain. To them, the art was so valuable to them and their country to extents that letting it go was going to be tantamount to silencing a very pivotal aspect in the lives of a music loving people as Cameroonians.
One of such national heroes is makossa maestro Prince Ndedi Eyango who during the rainy days of the country’s music, proposed that we needed to turn to a new page. His “On tourne le page” philosophy in one of his tracks is a direct link with the singer’s brilliant consistency and his later option to become a veritable godfather to this new generation that sprang with hope, in spite of trading on difficult grounds.
As a passionate contribution to keep the country’s music waxing on, Prince Eyango resisted the stormy days hurricane, stood firm on the play button and kept the songs flowing. Even when he relocated to the United States, Eyango’s music inspirations stayed intact. From the States, he unleashed more captivating pieces that consolidated his ever leading position in the industry. But the makossa icon, from a look of things is a glaring example of selflessness. He is one rare professional who would not find any gain in savoring hard-earned glory all by himself. In him, you clearly see a spirit of sharing and paving the way for the young to grow.
From all indications, Prince Eyango quickly understood that for Cameroon to consolidate its long-time comfortable front seat in the continent’s music train, the succeeding generation had to be prepared and empowered with the necessary tools that would enable them function properly. That’s why all the younger musicians he has invested his professional know-how in, have demonstrated an exceptionally brilliant performance in the sector. And if these beneficiaries have equally been described as some of the sector’s geniuses, it is largely thanks to the torchlight provided by this legend. The Longue Longues, the Tanus Foes, the Jacky Kingues, the Junior Eyangos, you name them have also been household names in their own respects, having been molded by the makosssa baobab.
Eyango through PREYA Music might have worked with artists who are much older than the C-Boyz for the same vision of giving Cameroon more talented singers. By deciding to take the responsibility of molding child singers, Eyango is simply indicating that it’s about time we start identifying talent from infancy and shaping it in order to produce far-reaching or call them excellent results. Two things are certain here – one: with a genius such as Eyango in the music lives of the C-Boyz, these child singers will undoubted be one of the best things that will happen to Cameroonian music in the nearest future and two: their episode with him would be source of new inspiration to other aspiring child singers.
Consequently, child singing which has hitherto been very uncommon in Cameroon’s music dictionary would gradually start meandering its way into the industry. Is Eyango’s example worth emulating? Yes! Why? The answer is simple – legacy is also when one sits back and admires the work they did being manifested in others.
On their part, as Resource Person number one on Apex 1 Radio in charge of Art and Cultural Affairs, Ken Shally Monette, puts it, the C-Boyz have to make their new mentor a proud legend by upholding professional music righteousness. This rectitude has to be imbibed from day one and from every indication the music duo is ready for the task. Who would not like to see a happy Prince Eyango, celebrating with all joy, the success story of successful musical grandchildren? A hero can only make other heroes!
When this writer spoke with producer of Na-ja, an upcoming Cameroonian TV series in the making in Germany, Wesley Nanse latter sounded very determined to make it a landmark project in the history of the country’s film sector. True to his words, Na-ja is waxing on strong and its mobilization is a clear indication of this mean-business message.
As a build-up to the active pre-production phase of the much-awaited series, a production party is being in the German city of Frankfurt. Billed for Saturday, September 5, 2015, the event dubbed “After Casting Show” will be an intended moment to appreciate skills, some of which will be represented in the series. Such skills will include stand-up comedy, sketch, playback, dancefloor, etc. A film screening is also scheduled to give more meaning to this pre-production socialization film event. The goal of the event is to identify and select more actors for the series.
Actors who are already cast in this series have been promising their presence at the event whose venue is Instituto Cervantes, Staufenstrase 1, 60323 Frankfurt.
The series with the partnership of Challenge Camerounaise (a socio-economic and cultural platform that brings together Cameroonians in Germany), Festival Tubingen, Festival Ludwigshafen, and Umzugmitstudenten de 14, is awaited with much anxiety.
Producers of the TV series will be on Apex 1 Radio’s (www.apex1radio.com) African Fiesta on Wednesday September 2, 2015 to throw more light on the September 5 event and the stage at which the production is. Details in subsequent updates!
The next 12 months may be some of the most challenges in the life of the 24-year-old beauty queen, but Jessica Lydie Ngoua will equally be breathing sweet air that comes with the status of Miss Cameroon. That pleasant smile that has now found a permanent place on her face was the aftermath of the over four-hour Miss Cameroon contest final that pulled the attention of Cameroon’s political capital Yaounde this Saturday, July 11, 2015. The beauty of the event went beyond the colourful presentation of pageants and other forms of cultural displays at the Yaounde Conference Centre. It was also the presence of the gorgeously dressed First Lady, Chantal Biya who presided at the contest, accompanied by members of the country’s top political class and diplomatic missions. Flown in from the United Kingdom, Ngoua Jessica Lydie, former Miss Littoral emerged winner after a stiffly contested beauty race. The event was covered live by Apex 1 Radio’s Valery Dulafe. We shall come back to the details in subsequent updates. Here is the full broadcast of the event
Change will definitely come to those who think positively or are working towards it. The continent of Africa and the world at large might just be benefitting from the expertise of a young Cameroonian , Solomon Atah whose six years research on psychology, mind power , social patterns has earned him #Helphope 7 Quantum Humanomics a book that will generate new thought. The book is written as a persuasive approach to change in Africa and the world at large. The 170 -page book ideally advocates a society in Africa where those who identify themselves as up lifters of the community as a whole could come together in a collective effort geared towards achieving that goal.
#HelpHope is a sure quinine for change to those who will peruse its key topics which are the outcome of thorough research including; The power of Personal story, #HelpHope, Quantum Collective, passing it on, the act of giving, Echoing Each other, Heroes amongst us , Harnessing to Harvest .
Available on the shelves of bookstores across the world, the launch of #HelpHope has been slated for Thursday 23rd April, 2015 at the Maboneng Precinct 261 Main Kruger, South Africa from 5:00pm till 9:00pm.
The Author of the book Solomon Atah is an industrious Cameroonian-born civil society promoter and media development expert resident in South Africa, who holds a strong conviction that the act of giving or sharing is something worth propagating. This new thought practitioner with #HelpHope as his debut book is also a seasoned film maker and critic with over ten years’ experience that has catalyzed his passion for the African Continent. Mr. Atah is also founder of #ConnectSeminars and Cameroon Land of Promise Project and it would definitely not be an overstatement to say Solo is a man of valor whose book will water the appetite of book lovers.
Music concerts or other related events are described as a failure if spectator turnout is drastically low. They can also be said to have failed if the general organization is poor – insufficient lighting, awful sound quality/system, below-standard performance, etc. However, none of these was the cause of the failure of the much-talked about and highly media-publicized B1 album launch that was supposed to have taken place in Maryland, USA, over the weekend.
Rather, the event failed in that it did not happen as planned, even when the stage had already been set for it. According to organizers, Laurel, MD Police stormed the venue and firmly instructed that the event which had just begun be stopped. Reasons – guests to the event were grossly more than the capacity of the hall and the said venue, according to police reports, was licensed to run only Church, not secular activities.
“I had no idea that the venue could only host Church activities and so did not feel at any moment that we were violating the license policy,” B1 told TIPTOPSTARS when we reached the artist for explanation. “Rather, prior to mine, several other events of such nature had taken place there and I was part of some of them – it is unimaginable that the violation of policy should only come out when I was doing this particular event,” the singer doubted further. B1 told went ahead that his previous single, Ndolo Dance was launched in that same hall with no qualms.
Disappointed, some observers have suspected fowl play and think the album launch, described as one of Cameroon’s biggest event in the diaspora, at least as far as the first quarter of 2015 is concerned, was sabotaged. The Maryland-based Afro-styled singer however refused to lay blame on anyone. “It happens, so we take it as such and life continues. Even if there wasn’t a license issue, they were still going to stop the event from taking place because of the huge crowd which the hall could not accommodate,” B1 said. “So, we just have to forget about the past, learn from our lessons and avoid mistakes next time.”
The author of Ndolo Dance however expressed gratitude to all guests and guest artists who showed up on Saturday at the aborted event. “There came in their numbers from far and near and this shows how much space I occupy in their hearts. I’m really thankful and doff my hearts to my fans as well as colleagues,” said the singer.
As a mark of gratitude, the author of Africa Mama (the album that was on agenda for official release) opened up for a catch-up concert the following day, Sunday April 12, 2015, during which guests stars, including the Minnesota-based child band, C-Boyz, performed. The Sunday make-up event was free of charge.
Aborted music concerts are not a strange phenomenon in the entertainment world. A couple of years back in Yaounde, Cameroon, a highly publicized concert with a famous French rapper ended abruptly when 10 to 15 minutes into the spectacle, lights went off. The thousands of spectators who had showed up were stranded but the situation never changed. The organizers had incurred huge losses.
According to B1, the Africa Mama album launch proper will place in July this year. “Details will be announced subsequently,” he told us.
B1 has been in music for some time now, but he hit the fame road last year with the release of Ndolo Dance and since then, the artist has been a replica of hard work and determination. He is now known to have broken the myth of ‘much show, less business’ which Cameroonian entertainers are being tagged with. Observers say his mastery of the business component of entertainment is a good example to emulate.
The News
That the Cameroonian music landscape is currently experiencing a reawakening is no longer news. From an easy look of things, there is a glaring revival which now seems to be the best thing happening in the country’s art and culture domain. The coming into the limelight of scores of talented young people who display a satisfactory mastery in the art of singing, is fast becoming phenomenal and it is hope that the current twist of things may turn tables to an extent that Cameroon will hit the world music map once again.
The next 12 months may be some of the most challenges in the life of the 24-year-old beauty queen, but Jessica Lydie Ngoua will equally be breathing sweet air that comes with the status of Miss Cameroon. That pleasant smile that has now found a permanent place on her face was the aftermath of the over four-hour Miss Cameroon contest final that pulled the attention of Cameroon’s political capital Yaounde this Saturday, July 11, 2015. The beauty of the event went beyond the colourful presentation of pageants and other forms of cultural displays at the Yaounde Conference Centre. It was also the presence of the gorgeously dressed First Lady, Chantal Biya who presided at the contest, accompanied by members of the country’s top political class and diplomatic missions. Flown in from the United Kingdom, Ngoua Jessica Lydie, former Miss Littoral emerged winner after a stiffly contested beauty race. The event was covered live by Apex 1 Radio’s Valery Dulafe. We shall come back to the details in 
Change will definitely come to those who think positively or are working towards it. The continent of Africa and the world at large might just be benefitting from the expertise of a young Cameroonian , Solomon Atah whose six years research on psychology, mind power , social patterns has earned him #Helphope 7 Quantum Humanomics a book that will generate new thought. The book is written as a persuasive approach to change in Africa and the world at large. The 170 -page book ideally advocates a society in Africa where those who identify themselves as up lifters of the community as a whole could come together in a collective effort geared towards achieving that goal. 
Music concerts or other related events are described as a failure if spectator turnout is drastically low. They can also be said to have failed if the general organization is poor – insufficient lighting, awful sound quality/system, below-standard performance, etc. However, none of these was the cause of the failure of the much-talked about and highly media-publicized B1 album launch that was supposed to have taken place in Maryland, USA, over the weekend.
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