TIPTOPSTARS

Cameroonian nominees for the 2009 KORA Awards, Bright Phase and Petit Pays are set for a joint album, Change, to be released in the coming months. The group, made of four young talented singers and the makossa icon are expected to spend sleepless nights in Petit Pay's Makepe up-to-date studio where they will record the eight-track album of praise and patriotic songs - Nation Builders, I Surrender, Geta, Strange Man, Welcome 2010 and the hit track, Change. Also featuring in the album will be Annie Anzouer, one of Cameroon's most admired female artistes. Annie, the Quail was told, will participate more in arranging the songs.

That Petit Pays is co-opting Bright Phase is no surprise, definitely. The makossa icon recently found Christ, when he received deliverance from Nigerian exorcist Prophet, TB Josua. Upon his return to the country, he composed praise songs and released an album in which he paid tribute the Lagos-based Man of God.

Petit Pays' future music partners, Bright Phase have been making great strides in Afro beat gospel since 2005. This has fetched them a KORA nominee status they now savour. Also, the young singers, during one of their visits to Lagos, attended a SCOAN service, just like Petit Pays did about a fortnight ago. Curiously, Bright Phase and Petit Pays are KORA 2009 nominees.

When it is released, the album is going to be Petit Pays' second try at music of praise which apparently is the leading Cameroonian artiste's newfound domain. Before now, Rabba Rabbi, as he is fondly called was a controversial singer whom persons of high moral standing criticised for promoting obscenity. Two of his most controversial works have been the album in 1996 where he posed nude and the one of 2005 where he appeared like a woman. He will surely hate to be reminded of these.