TIPTOPSTARS

Online reporting has developed so rapidly and impressively to a point where it seems the traditional media (radio, television, newspaper) all find themselves in the former’s waiting room. This means whatever happens on radio, television and newspaper gain more prominence through online benediction. As if that were not enough, bigger stories emanate more from the World Wide Web before hitting air space and hard copy columns. Conclusion – online medium is irresistibly powerful! Some observers have dared to say it is arguably indispensable.

Cameroon, just like other African countries is not left behind. It is fully part of this new media dispensation that has swept the world like no other thing ever did. In recent years, traditional media journalists have found additional space for their works online just like hard copy newspaper organizations and even broadcasting outfits have introduced online versions of their publications. Individual bloggers have sprung, not only writing personal experiences or commenting on society issues, but reporting news as well.

Today, Cameroon fields in countless online publications (blogs, websites…) and this new movement, there is no doubt, will keep expanding. Perhaps, because of the nature of the domain, entertainment sites/magazines seem to be more prominent online. Scores of them have become really authoritative and now pull adequate weight in the country’s media landscape.

Yet, the sector still seems to be marred by certain issues including unprofessionalism, uncontrollable content, doubtful content veracity, near lack of regulation and most important the lack of a synergy amongst the various publications. Examples abound. To bloggers, there is urgent need for some of these issues, if not all at a blow, to be addressed.

It is in a bid to chart a way forward that FabAfrique Magazine, one of Cameroon’s leading entertainment publications is pulling bloggers together in Douala. A hang-out to deliberate on these issues and more has been scheduled for June 14, 2014 at the White House Restaurant situated at the Bonapriso neighbourhood in Douala. “We want bloggers to discuss the possibility of working in synergies, after all we are all contributing to the growth of our country which means our goals are the same,” Adeline Sede Kamga, the publisher of FabAfrique Magazine told TIPTOPSTARS on the line to Douala.

According to the organizers, the Douala forum will also be an opportunity for bloggers to interact, share experience, ideas and information and source for partnerships that could promote business and growth. Keynote speakers will however be looking into the problems facing the sector.

TIPTOPSTARS will carry the Live feeds from this hang-out  Session on www.tiptopstars.com

The French would describe him as ‘artiste engage’ (committed artist). Nabstar is unarguably one! He definitely would not sing, if music were just to be for the sake of it. To the young Cameroonian-born Belgium-based singer, music means message. One of such messages Nabstar holds tight to his heart is hope. In the present context of social vices such as poverty, disease and political instability in certain parts of Africa, Nabstar believes nothing can be so instrumental like hope.

It is this optimistic that Nabil4Real, as the artist is also fondly called, is transferring to his audience in One Day, a single which has had a firm grip since it first went public on May 24 in Belgium and later June 5 in Cameroon. “We all have dreams for better days. However, we cannot afford to let such dreams thwarted by despair. We therefore have to be determined, reassuring and keep believing that one day, these dreams shall come true,” Nabil told Batimu FM (www.batimufm.com) in a recent interview.

As part of this drive for a hopeful tomorrow, Nabstar concurrently runs a social media network campaign, One Day in which citizens conjecture brighter days with a sign of a finger that is pointed in the sky. So far, the One Day campaign has counted more than a thousand posts on social network, a sign that many people are adhering to it.

Meanwhile, One Day as a track, is one of several other songs that are being knitted into a full album which will be released soon, the singer told us. It is an amazing infusion of Rock, Hip-Hop, Afro beat and House which portrays the ideology of unity and universal peace. This ideology is the key to the One Day Movement (to which Nabstar is attached), a foundation that has pledged to release music singles every six months with collaboration of various Cameroonian as well as African artists.

African Cocktail, the popular midway radio show on Afrikka Radio (www.afrikkaradio.com), hosted by Ernest Kanjo who doubles and TIPTOPSTARS editor has gone a break. Announcing the month-long break, the host of the show told listeners that the African Cocktail crew was going to use the vacation to review and reflect on possible innovations.

According to the host, live editions of the show will be back on the airwaves on Wednesday, July 2, 2014. Meanwhile, during the recess, recorded versions will be run on the day of the show – Wednesday at 10:30am Eastern Time..

African Cocktail was conceived to project African values in virtually all domains of life. Amongst the slots on the show are Overflying Africa, a feature that presents the various countries of the continent and African Kitchen, a cuisine segment that showcases African traditional delicacies and how they are made.

Since May 2013 when the show kicked, African Cocktail has had numerous guests, drawn from all walks of life, especially people in the entertainment industry. Amongst them have been Dr Peter Karim Sesay (Sociologist), Dr Waithera Karim-Sesay (expert in Women’s Affairs and Women Health Issues), Victor Viyuoh (producer/director of award-winning Ninah’s Dowry), Dr.Victor Olatoye (founder of the Nollywood and African Film Critics’ Awards, NAFCA), Akim Macauley (founder of the Cameroon Academy Awards, Sonnah), Naomi Achu (renowned Cameroonian rapper), Shiri Achu (renowned Cameroonian artist/painter) and Kanvee Adams (award-winning Liberian gospel artist).

Little did this writer know that what he thought was just a mere joke would turn out to be a fact. He had told a Cameroonian resident in Germany that he believed every compatriot in that country spent the entire year only planning for the next Challenge Camerounaise (CC). He had added that Cameroonians in Germany go to bed each day with Challenge Camerounaise (CC) in their minds. “You are perfectly right…in fact, what you’re saying is not a joke, it is reality,” the peer had confidently attested.

Challenge Camerounaise is the annual socio-cultural and economic forum the Cameroonians community organizes in Germany, pulling thousands of Africans together. This year, the event which kicks off today will be taking place in the city of Dortmund.

For three days, visitors to the CC village will be treated to attractive sporting and cultural events including Football, Basketball, Handball, Table Tennis, Beach Volleyball, Athletics and music concerts. Prominent amongst the sports event will be a FIFA football tournament for youths.

 Just like in a previous Edition, the famous Cameroonian band of three talented singers, X-Maleya will be thrilling guests to this year’s CC. They will be accompanied by Bikutis giant Lady Ponce and Adonise.

Meanwhile, a business and social forum will be top on the agenda of celebrations this year. Placed under the theme Together for the Transformation, the forum is expected to breed socio-economic and development ideas that could help in transforming Cameroon into a modern state. Experts are expected to enrich participants, most of whom will be students with knowledge that could be vital in their business and development goals.

Perhaps the Miss Challenge beauty contest and the Challenge Idol song competition are innovations that will make this year’s version peculiar.

Initiated some 22 years ago, Challenge Camerounais began as a football competition between Cameroonian teams in three German cities. It has grown significantly to a crowd-pulling socio-cultural and business fair with over six thousand guests taking part in the event every year. It brings together Cameroonian students and graduates in Germany in a bid to seek avenues of giving back to their country from the diaspora

The event will be held under the guardianship of Cameroon’s ambassador to Germany H.E. Jean-Marc Mpay and Dr. Angelica Schwall-Düren, European Federal Affairs Minister