Reactions, mostly endorsing a decision to suspend foreign music from the CRTV FM 105 Suelaba airwaves, at least for the first halve of the day, have been streaming in since the announcement was made earlier on Sunday. The Station Manager, Beyhia Leonard Bruce told citizens on social media it was time to start promoting ‘our own’, referring to Cameroonian music.
Overtly stating that we have failed in doing so, the journalist who is well known to have a penchant for his country’s entertainment sector regretted that while other countries have promoted theirs, Cameroonians have killed what belongs to them. “When we travel, we see how bad we kill our own,” he put. It therefore requires the braveness of someone, somewhere, to change the order, the radio manger stated.
In changing the order therefore, Beyhia has said he will be urging other local radio managers to embark on a similar move.
Scores of reactions have supported the decision which certainly is the content of a service note TIPTOPSTARS may eventually be served with. To citizens on social media, it is the right move in the right direction. “I’m totally in agreement with you on this. It makes business sense and promotes local artists…You have made a revolutionary opportunity for local artists and given them reason to work harder. You are a visionary leader…,” one of the reactions held.
According to the decision, the manager of Cameroon’s second commercial radio station (created after FM 94 in Yaounde) said, foreign music will be muted on the airwaves from 5am to 11:59am from now till May 20. “It could be aired from midnight to 4:59am,” Beyhia pointed out. As part of the decision, maiden albums by local artists will be aired for 50 percent promotion cost during this broadcast and will occupy day-play with older artists who will be aired for free.
Giving priority to local music on Cameroonian radio stations has been a very topical issue since the liberalization of the audio-visual sector in April 2000. The law to this effect had clauses that obliged radio and TV stations to provide a bigger portion of music airtime to local productions, but the ironically strong influence of foreigner genres has been a stumbling block to this. Consequently, fewer outfits have respected this and Cameroonians have rather been overdosed with foreign music to the extent that local music has taken an oblivious position in the country’s media.
The quagmire even became unbearable, causing some local artists to openly vent their anger against what they described as an ironical discrimination – favouring foreign music at the expense of their own. Isolated cases of local musicians who stopped their music from being played on some radio stations as a way of protesting were reported.
The latest decision by the Station Manager of FM 105 is seen as a strong reminder that something needs to be done to get Cameroonian productions back on the rails. TIPTOPSTARS will be talking to Cameroonian musicians. Their views on this will be published in our subsequent updates.
"Networking is marketing. Marketing yourself, marketing your uniqueness, marketing what you stand for"Comaford-Lynch
The second edition of the SIPEC networking events is about to kick off in a few days. Launched in January at the White House Restaurant in Bonapriso, in just a short space of time SIPEC is creating an impact in the Cameroon business milieu as the must go to forum for business support and advice.
The initiative seeks to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship in Cameroon through identifying entrepreneurs and small businesses and creating a platform whereby their services can be marketed in a fun and light hearted way.
A brainchild of Etonde Martin and hosted by her events management company Sheraiz Delightz – SIPEC an acronym for “Sherai’s Initiative for Promoting Entrepreneurs in Cameroon” was inspired by her stay and consequent revisit to the blossoming city of Nairobi in Kenya.
“I was blown away by how much Kenya had changed when I visited in 2013. The economic activity had given the country a face-lift. I also discovered my school friends had moved up too, some working and most running their own businesses.” Etonde states
“What really struck me was a particular friend who created a once a month forum assisting small businesses with the aid of sponsorship from larger companies. Through her initiative, she has been able to assist and make successful business people out of small artists.” She further adds.
SIPEC 2 will be held at the elegant Star Land Hotel in Bonapriso on April 29th backed by an array of businesses from different fields such as Rainbow Sports Investments, Teks Design, Graffi, SmartTrack, CRTV, FabAfriq Magazine, STV, Leading Industrial Supplier/Loire Industrie Sud (LIS), Ecobank, Thonbs, AVT Media, AJC Graphic, White House Restaurant, ModeMaison PR among others. The event will focus specifically on the topic of overcoming barriers for doing business in Africa and Cameroon in particular, led by a guest speaker.
“Through SIPEC, our partners will gain exposure, new clients, and new suppliers, finance, mentoring and coaching. We have customised solutions for our partners.” Etonde explains.
For more information on their events, please visit: www.sipec.co.uk
Within the past decade, there have been endless efforts to reverse a running, yet vexing impression that Africa is nothing positive but everything one would hate to love. If it is not war, it is starvation from accrued hunger. If it is disease, it is the lack of portable water. If it is not battered democracy, it is poor infrastructure. The list continues. These images, promoted by western TV have along the years stuck on the minds of people who have never had the chance to visit the Africa and in the process scores of them have reversed plans of ever doing so.
Yet, Africa is synonymous to beauty, communal spirit, captivating natural scenery, variety of fauna and flora, 5 Star hotels, fresh wind at soft sandy beaches, gorgeous traditional outfit, irresistible cuisine, soul-searching music, academic prowess, intellectual capacity. The list is endless. It is other part of the continent western media, observers say, have deliberately ignored.
Continuously making the world know Africa is these things and more is what several entities have embarked on, including African Money, an ongoing- afro-party concept that has covered much ground as far as this course is concerned. Through parties, African Money celebrates the continents varied achievements in a bid to encourage sons and daughters of Africa to work even harder and make it a place to be. When they come together, Africans of the hosting city share experiences and plans for further development of the continent in a relaxed setting.
This year, they will converge on the German city of Frankfurt for the same purpose - AFRICAN MONEY – EDITION GERMANY. Organizers have told TIPTOPSTARS that the 2014 edition will be powered by EBONY-EVENT (a rising Germany-based event agency founded by young Cameroonians) and AMPlus Events (founder of the concept African Money). Entry at the Friday May 2 event will cost visitors just a 15 Euro fee.
For its four years of existence, African Money has moved to different cities including Montreal (Canada), Bordeaux, Lille and Lyon (France) Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Brazzaville (Congo), Douala and Yaounde (Cameroon), Dakar (Senegal) and Libreville (Gabon).
INFOLINE & RESERVATION : +49 (0) 17624737840
VENUE : SkyClub Frankfurt
ADRESS : Düsseldorfer Straße 1-7, 60329 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Witty music observers have always refrained from being so generous to debut singers whose maiden release catapults them to amazing fame. They argue, backed with experience that many of such musicians have failed to prove their might from their second and subsequent albums or singles. Assessments based on ‘number ones’ may not only be premature, but could be sufficiently deceitful. “Show us ‘number two’ and shall tell you what singer you are,” they would claim.
In as much as this standpoint may habour some meaning, there are also scores of such famous debut artists whose ‘number twos’ and subsequently albums or singles have amazingly turned out to be best-sellers, at times better packaged, loved and applauded than the previous ones. Such singers have succeeded in capturing a permanently growing audience.
Rap hero, Stanley Enow fits squarely into this description. No sooner had his entry track, Hein Pere which created an indelible mark observers continue to say held Cameroon and African in a fit never experienced before, than another hit checked in. From every indication, TumbuBoss (Deluxe) is fast bearing the same weight. “I now confirm Stanley’s talent in rap, he has convinced me,” Margie, an Ohio Hein Pere fan told TIPTOPSTARS after watching the TumbuBoss (Deluxe) video more than once. Margie told us she did not watch the video once because she wanted to avoid hasty conclusions. To her, the young rap artist must no longer be taken with a pinch of salt. “He deserves all the applause he has had so far, Stanley is good,” the fan insisted.
It would definitely be no surprise to learn that many other observers or music lovers hold the same opinion. TumbuBoss (Deluxe) is self-revealing. Its 3.46-minute-long video is one of such pieces that meet international standards and is readily accepted and screened on renowned entertainment channels including TRACE and MTV BASE.
As an innovation, the Samsung Cameroon ambassador is rather clad in the Heart Angel Clothing, promoted by UK-based Cameroonian Steve Franklin, other than his usual Motherland brand outfit. That’s him – Stanley Enow – the versatile artist!
Shot by Shamack Allharamadji, the video with catchy visuals reveals a gritty, yet fast-paced lifestyle dominated by porsches, airplanes, bling bling jewelleries, etc.
Perhaps, the image of “Tumbu boss calabar…” a typical indigenous interactive game among English-speaking Cameroonian kids in the days of yore, which swiftly rekindles sweet childhood memories, is the single’s joker. In short, Stanley has won scores of hearts in this one.
Hailing from South West region of Cameroon, Stanley Enow shot his way into fame via his maiden single, Hein Pere. This fame broke boundaries and in recent weeks, the Douala-based rap maestro has been thrilling other audiences around the globe. He is expected in the United States in the coming months and TIPTOPSTARS is told anxiety is growing hugely.
TumbuBoss (Deluxe) is the second official single to be released from his yet-to-be released debut album Soldier Like My Papa.
Afrikka Radio Congratulatory messages have continued to stream into the Afrikka Radio newsroom since the station emerged victorious in the best online radio category of the Universal Achievement Awards, UAA, that held in Columbus Ohio recently.
“You are indeed the best and I’d stay clued to the station.” “Congrats Afrikka Radio, keep the flame burning.” “You deserve this prize Afrikka Radio, you have been so present in the community.” “Your shows speak volumes and I love listening to the station. Enjoy your reward.” “For representing Africa reasonable, Afrikka Radio stands tall and deserve this prize.”
These and more are the kind of positive comments the Columbus-based radio station is being furnished with for the past couple of weeks. To its fervent listeners, friends and well-wishers, Afrikka Radio has displayed enormous commitment in telling the African story in the diaspora as well as mirroring the continent’s diaspora to governments and the people back home. “It’s a herculean task but through your content-rich slots, you have achieved this goal within the short period of the station’s existence,” a resource person for Afrikka Radio told a show, reacting to the recent recognition.
Accepting the Universal Achievement Awards UAA best online radio award, the CEO of Afrikka Radio, Nana Ampem praised listeners for their commitment in providing the audience which the station needs in order to keep going. “We appreciate that love and concern and hope it will stay on,” he said. “And if we are able to achieve this so far, it is largely thanks to a collective effort of the committed staff we have,” Ampem went further. The CEO however promised Afrikka Radio was not going to lie on its laurels. He said: “We shall continue to work hard and serve you with sumptuous shows. Of course, we are eyeing the sky.”
With staff drawn from various countries of Africa, the award-winning Afrikka Radio went operational in 2011 and airs programs that meet the information, education and entertainment needs of its listeners. Some of its prime time shows include iTunes (Sunday 3pm to 5pm EST), Restoration Hour (Sunday 10pm to 11pm EST), Boyz Boyz & Girls Girls Show (Monday-Friday 10pm to midnight EST), Drive Time (Monday-Friday 5pm to 8pm EST), African Cocktail (Wednesday 10:30am to 1pm EST), Global Views (Saturday 9:30am to 11am EST).
Afrikka Radio, also known to have partnered in several community events, has been previously recognized. It could be listened to by clicking on www.afrikkaradio.com or by simply dialing 832-280-0016832-280-0016 or downloading the tunein Afrikka Radio app.
The News
Reactions, mostly endorsing a decision to suspend foreign music from the CRTV FM 105 Suelaba airwaves, at least for the first halve of the day, have been streaming in since the announcement was made earlier on Sunday. The Station Manager, Beyhia Leonard Bruce told citizens on social media it was time to start promoting ‘our own’, referring to Cameroonian music. 
Afrikka Radio Congratulatory messages have continued to stream into the Afrikka Radio newsroom since the station emerged victorious in the best online radio category of the Universal Achievement Awards, UAA, that held in Columbus Ohio recently.
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