TIPTOPSTARS

Arguably, the last two to three years have been the most spectacular in the history of Cameroonian music, at least in terms of the volume of production. Quantitatively, there has been an amazing bloom. The frequency of new tracks that pour into the music market has left no one indifferent. This new order has led observers to strongly hold that music is the best thing happening to Cameroon culture, currently. Convincingly, one can easily subscribe to this assertion.

It may however be simplistically argued that the switch from albums to singles, clearly explains this speedy influx of tunes. Also, the sometimes logical explanation that computer technology makes the making of music easier as opposed to the scenario in the past, has come into play. Buttressing this argument, it is held at certain quarters that were it not for the digital beats which would harness all the scintillating sounds provided by the various instruments, only a few musicians would have been able to bring out raw stuff in the studio as was the case in the past.

Furthermore, some school of thought have opined, rightly or wrongly, that it doesn't require much ingenuity and patience to weave urban music as it would for makossa, bikutsi, assiko, bottle dance and other indigenous genres. To this thinking, urban music, which is easily patched up without painstakingly concentrating on every little aspect as would be the case with the aforementioned.

These arguments are plausibly convincing in nature and could be advanced to cut a long story short. But a deeper, yet critical look into the discourse may bring forth balanced arguments. And, spanning the lens, one can easily see three things that have stood out in this new dispensation, computer technology, which is said to have facilitated things aside. Talent, skill and creativity!

The current generation of musicians is an amazing factory of intelligent composers, brilliant song arrangers, fine vocalists and skilful choreographers. Who would be blind to Daphne's singing prowess? Ok listen to the Buea-based singer's Mother's Love or Ndolo.

It is only gifted singing that can result to , Realm Squad's Chop No Dey or Mel B Akwen's Tell Me Your Name or Rythmz's Me & You.

That Magasco and Stevelil are talented is a truer talk than the computer aide assertion. Take computer out of Mr. Leo's music life and the gentle vocalist, author of E Go Better and On Va Gerer, would excel even more.

Missy BK would display her vocal skills, yet whip salient messages across, just like Naomi Achu, in Busy Body would convincingly blend melody, message and dance to deserve an up score.

At their tender ages, Bonaventure and Denzel (11 and 9 respectively) of the USA-based C-Boyz band have struck the positive cords, leaving their fans and music pundits with nothing but applause for their brilliance.

It is clearly not entirely computer that makes Zita Light's Saka a palatable track nor it is modern technology that makes Leonette Ayeah's Jimmy a piece to reckon with.

Perhaps, music video directors are the engines of the locomotive. What the Bonaventure Takoukams (one of the pioneer music clip directors in CRTV) left undone, are what the February 16s, Mr Adrenalines, Dr. Nkeng Stevens, Adah Akenjis, Shamak Allharamadjis, etc, are doing and with a cajoling finess. Cameroonian music videos have opened the gates into a rich world of endowed videographers and editors whose dexterity is one of the most important reasons why the sector now blooms. That these music video technicians rock, is a fact.

The current dispensation has logically stepped into a fruit-reaping phase with rewards that had for long been estranged from Cameroon, now fast becoming common. In the last decade when Cameroonian music suffered in the oblivion of unpopularity, who would have imagined that an MTV prize would be flown into the country. Today, international nominations appears to be a back-to-back. This year's All Africa Music Awards, KORA is Cameroon-rich in nominations. This is news!

How the music sector thrives at a time the art has ceased to be a veritable source of livelihood is still hard to tell. Whether music production today only requires very minimal financial means is also a mystery. But the surest thing is that it is happening and doing so in grand style.

It would be an incomplete thesis to ignore the role of certain outfits whose enormous contributions to this new movement have been pleasantly significant. Emile Ngomba and his Molyko Buea M-One studio quickly come to mind! What is today described as the biggest music success story in Cameroon, is to a greater extent the result of the M-One project. With scores of artists to its credit, this music studio and its founder have transformed aspiring young boys and girls into music icons who now fly Cameroon's flag internationally.

Bamenda's C-Jay Productions, Buea's No Hitz, No Recordz, manned by Prince Mykel Enobi , Steven's , to name these few, have slotted meaningful pages into the great history book of Cameroonian music. As we write, young boys and girls are awake in tedious studio sessions, ready to drop the next new piece in the coming hours. That is the new way in musical Cameroon - the way to go musically speaking! Let the music play on!

To be continued...