TIPTOPSTARS

Stunning! That’s how a Daphne fan described Mother’s Love, the artist’s previous track that sent young girls regurgitating their filial love for their mums. More than stunning! The same fan came back, this time giving Daphne’s latest single, a bigger qualifier. Allez, the said track that arrived in the music market on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 like a shooting star, has already permeated Cameroonian circles abroad with immeasurable vigor. This is a clear indication that the author of Rastafari and Ndolo has kept to her tradition – crafting only the kind of songs that possess the capacity to move their consumers.

If we go by the rhythm, words and dance flare in Allez, then the fervent Daphne fan who sees Allez beyond just being a stunning track is unarguably on point. But let’s stay with the third aspect – the dance. Allez by every ramification, spots on a front seat position when it comes to comic dancing in videos released in Cameroon of late.

In a rare occasion, the singer, known for her glaring seriousness while in activity, is noticed in an exciting comic mood as she displays the ‘Bend Skin a la Daphne et Les Featurists’. This is certainly resulting from a video set inspiration from the starring clown duo whose ingenuous approach in dramatizing the story in Allez, gives the video the grandeur it is now feasting on.

Described by its makers as fun and playful, Daphne’s Allez, produced by Mr. Winney and AnyKindBeats, is dance-in, dance-out, with the potential of mobilizing much more attention than could be remotely imagined. The song/ video features Les Featurists, a Cameroonian band that has been in the headlines for quite some time now. “It was a lot of fun working with Les Featurists, both in the studio and on the video set,” Daphne said. She added: “I hope our fans will have as much fun, listening, watching and dancing to the Allez just as much as we did while making it.” To Steven’s Music Entertainment (SME), Les Featurists’ role in the project was a great asset. “They add a balanced touch to the story of the song,” the production outfit wrote in a release sent to TIPTOPSTARS.

Allez is directed by Dr. Nkeng Stephens who has done previous Daphne jobs, including Mother’s Love, Gunshot and Rastafari.

Meantime, Daphne is currently nominated for the 2016 edition of the prestigious KORA Awards.

Washington DC, the world’s strongest political capital, is a very beautiful city. DC, as it is affectionately known will be more beautiful as from May 15, 2016. This will be soon after Shiri Achu would have run her fine art brush across this great city, painting the beauty of life as she knows best.

For the first time, the venerated painter whose artistic attitude of rubbing cities with the brightest colors they deserve is focusing on Washington DC. That the painter is ready and will transform the minds and perceptions of DC dwellers towards paintings is no doubt. “I’m really excited and looking forward to this debut in Washington,” says Shiri.

In what has been dubbed 36InPrint, the May 5-14, 2016 art exhibition will give room for visitors to view, touch, appreciate and purchase one or more of what the artist describes as 36 framed signed limited edition Shiri Achu Art Prints. “They’ll be gotten at very affordable prices,” she told TIPTOPSTARS.

According to the programme, 36InPrint will begin with private viewing on Thursday May 5, during which a raffle will produce three lucky winners of signed limited edition framed prints worth $400 each, as well as a copy of Naomi Achu’s (USA-based Cameroonian rapper and sister of Shiri Achu) new album. The exhibition’s public opening party takes place on Friday May 6, 2016 at the Gallery a – 2106 R. Street, N.W Washington DC, 20008.

Before 36InPrint, the painter, under the watchful eyes of the Mayor of Harrow, registered a resounding success at the 35InPrint exhibition that took place in London April 19 – 25, 2014 at the Strand Gallery.

Shiri Achu’s art paintings have attracted enormous attention over the years. According to the painter who just relocated to the US from the UK, her inspiration is broad - from her travels, to natural moments captured in Africa and still objects, from the human form to the human in action. “I capture the spirit of my subjects and make them come alive through form, colour, texture and tone,” she says.

The USA-based Cameroonian painter insists that her works are aimed at showcasing African cultures wherever she and the paintings go. She finds beauty in the woman carrying her child on her back and going her way, just like the typical Ngemba (ethnic group in the North West region of Cameroon) woman, making achu (a traditional delicacy) in her dark outdoor kitchen for her grandchildren. Shiri admires the beauty in the African fabrics, just like the young girl climbing a tree. She cannot let these great moments pass by without interpreting them with the use of her brush. That’s the meaning of arts to the artist. And that’s what has kept her waxing and maintained her works veritable masterpieces.

In line with its mandate to tell under reported stories, Sisterspeak237 has instituted the National Storytelling Award. The event will be an annual feature that will celebrate excellence in journalistic works by recognizing meaningful contributions made by individual journalists.

Sisterspeak237 hopes that the Annual Journalism Award will reignite the passion for journalism, encourage journalists to pursue stories that are not often told in mainstream media, and most importantly, contribute to uplifting of professional and ethical standards of journalism in Cameroon.

The sustainability of media in Cameroon has remained a nagging issue for several years now. This Journalism Award is therefore for those dedicated journalists who work day in and out, chasing stories and deadlines – to inform and educate, to bring out the plight of the poor and the marginalized in the national mainstream, to keep watch over the powerful and the influential, and to deepen democratic culture, among many other.

Sisterspeak237 hopes that the annual journalism award will go a long way in inspiring young journalists to reach even higher. We hope the award will rekindle the latent passion in many of us and revive our commitment to journalism. We hope it will encourage us to go the extra mile while reporting stories.

Terms and conditions

Entry into the Sisterspeak237 National Storytelling Contest 2016 is subject to acceptance of these terms and conditions.

– The competition is open to student journalists in Cameroon. People who are staff reporters at any national or international media house cannot enter the 2016 edition.

–  Entrants should submit a story that highlights one of the following

1. Women’s issues in their community

2. Social inclusion with focus on persons with disability

3. Innovations in agriculture

– All entries must be received by midday on the 25^th of April 2016. Any entries received after this closing date will not be accepted. Sisterspeak237 reserves the right to change the closing date where the entries are of insufficient quality. Sisterspeak237 shall not be responsible for the return of entries.

– Entries must include full name, home address, email, mobile and/ or home phone number.

–  Entrants must include a photocopy of their school identity or attestation from an authority from their school to prove they are currently enrolled in the school.

– Entries should not have been previously published and should be the sole original work of the entrant. Any evidence of plagiarism will result in the entrant being removed from the competition.

–  Incomplete entries, entries on behalf of another person and joint entries will not be accepted. Only one entry per person can be accepted.

Prizes

The awards will be in the form of a trophy, a citation, and gadgets/cash. Winning entries will be published and promoted in partner media houses. Each category will have three prizes. All first prizes must be equivalent to 50.000 FRS; second prizes 30.000 FRS and 3^rd prizes 20.000 FRS

– Sisterspeak237 Prestigious Journalism Award. This category is to honor a senior female journalist whose works has greatly contributed to public understanding of women’s issues, social inclusion or agriculture

Submission formats

For Print entries: Write a feature in English, of no fewer than 650 words and no more than 1000 words on their chosen topic.

For audio visual entries: Submit news items or radio features, maximum five minutes. Features should have at least 2 interviews.

For Photojournalism entries: Submit 5-10 well captioned pictures on chosen subject.

• Entries should be mailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Promotional usage of entries

• The work of short-listed or winning student journalists may be used in promotional activities by Sisterspeak237 and the contest sponsors within the context of this award. By entering this award competition, student journalists agree to such activities.

  –  In applying for the award, the applicant agrees to have their submitted piece possibly used in a collection of applicants’ works, and as such made public. If you have any questions about these terms and conditions, please email info@sisterspeak237 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A multidisciplinary centre for youths in Africa, created by Syndy Emade and Malia Obama will go operational this July. The Cameroonian movie actress and the elder of the Obama daughters have just made the announcement through a project statement. According to the statement, first reported on CNN and now trending on American news channels, SYNDYLIA TALENT EXPLORATION CENTER (STEC) will operate from four sub-regional headquarters – Cameroon for Central Africa, Kenya for East Africa, Ghana for West African and Tunisia for Malgrebian Africa.

STEC, Malia explained, will be equipped to offer training and career opportunities to young persons who unfortunately don’t have the means to explore their talents. “Syndy and I are looking at acting, singing, fashion designing, painting and handicraft,” America’s first daughter said on the CNN this morning. “There is no gainsaying that Africa is a nursery of talents in these areas, yet, scores of young people end up not finding their way in their areas of passion – we want to add our voices in talent exploration,” Malia went further.

STEC, according to its founders, will work in collaboration with other youth empowerment centres on the continent and arrange for youth exchange programmes between the United States and Africa. STEC-trained youths will be funded to do projects in their various domains and encouraged to become entrepreneurs in a bid to lengthen the chain of support.

But when and how was the STEC project nursed? “I had thought about something I could do as my little contribution to the development of the African youth and this came to mind,” Syndy Emade told TIPTOPSTARS' Editor when we reached her on phone from Buea, just before writing this story. “I put it in writing, but had to ponder for several months on how to get funders or a valuable partner,” she went on.

The actress cum producer explained that she wrote to the American first family with her project inclusive and left it to providence. “Behold, I got a reply from the First Lady of the United States approving the project and saying that I was going to have Malia as the project partner since she had expressed similar desires,” Emade told us. She added: “Since then, Malia and I have been talking and putting things together.”

According to the Cameroonian actress, she and the Obama’s daughter are set to change the situation of the youth in Africa and it’s just a matter of time the continent will feast over the result of their mission. “I’m talking with Malia and if everything goes as planned, Cameroon will be the first STEC sub-regional headquarters to be officially launched and that means my partner will be in Cameroon,” the producer of Rose on the Grave announced.

Emade also explained that a lot of funding organizations have bought the idea and will be reacting accordingly.

Talking to CNN, Malia Obama explained that her Cameroonian co-founder, from what she took time to observe, is a serious youth who is relentless in what she does. “Syndy’s drive is a huge asset for this project and I’m excited and proud to work with her,” she said.

Malia, 17, is the older daughter of Barack Obama, president of the United States of America whose mandate ends on January 20, 2017. She is widely known to be very jovial and good natured.

Meanwhile, Syndy Emade is a frontline Cameroonian actress with scores of films to her credit including Bad Angel, The Rumble, Chasing Tails and Different Kind of Men. She recently produced Rose on The Grave, premiered in Douala and Limbe respectively and is at the verge of starting a new project.

Oh, wait a minute – what’s today’s date? April Foooool!!!!!  Read more Here