TIPTOPSTARS

Music concerts or other related events are described as a failure if spectator turnout is drastically low. They can also be said to have failed if the general organization is poor – insufficient lighting, awful sound quality/system, below-standard performance, etc. However, none of these was the cause of the failure of the much-talked about and highly media-publicized B1 album launch that was supposed to have taken place in Maryland, USA, over the weekend.

Rather, the event failed in that it did not happen as planned, even when the stage had already been set for it. According to organizers, Laurel, MD Police stormed the venue and firmly instructed that the event which had just begun be stopped. Reasons – guests to the event were grossly more than the capacity of the hall and the said venue, according to police reports, was licensed to run only Church, not secular activities.

“I had no idea  that the venue could only host Church activities and so did not feel at any moment that we were violating the license policy,” B1 told TIPTOPSTARS when we reached the artist for explanation. “Rather, prior to mine, several other events of such nature had taken place there and I was part of some of them – it is unimaginable that the violation of policy should only come out when I was doing this particular event,” the singer doubted further. B1 told went ahead that his previous single, Ndolo Dance was launched in that same hall with no qualms.

Disappointed, some observers have suspected fowl play and think the album launch, described as one of Cameroon’s biggest event in the diaspora, at least as far as the first quarter of 2015 is concerned, was sabotaged. The Maryland-based Afro-styled singer however refused to lay blame on anyone. “It happens, so we take it as such and life continues. Even if there wasn’t a license issue, they were still going to stop the event from taking place because of the huge crowd which the hall could not accommodate,” B1 said. “So, we just have to forget about the past, learn from our lessons and avoid mistakes next time.”

The author of Ndolo Dance however expressed gratitude to all guests and guest artists who showed up on Saturday at the aborted event. “There came in their numbers from far and near and this shows how much space I occupy in their hearts. I’m really thankful and doff my hearts to my fans as well as colleagues,” said the singer.

As a mark of gratitude, the author of Africa Mama (the album that was on agenda for official release) opened up for a catch-up concert the following day, Sunday April 12, 2015, during which guests stars, including the Minnesota-based child band, C-Boyz, performed. The Sunday make-up event was free of charge.

Aborted music concerts are not a strange phenomenon in the entertainment world. A couple of years back in Yaounde, Cameroon, a highly publicized concert with a famous French rapper ended abruptly when 10 to 15 minutes into the spectacle, lights went off. The thousands of spectators who had showed up were stranded but the situation never changed. The organizers had incurred huge losses.

According to B1, the Africa Mama album launch proper will place in July this year. “Details will be announced subsequently,” he told us.

B1 has been in music for some time now, but he hit the fame road last year with the release of Ndolo Dance and since then, the artist has been a replica of hard work and determination. He is now known to have broken the myth of ‘much show, less business’ which Cameroonian entertainers are being tagged with. Observers say his mastery of the business component of entertainment is a good example to emulate.

Dust hardly settles so fast on spectacular things. Reason – the strength of spectacle has the propensity to repel it. This logic fits squarely with good music – music that spectacularly finds a comfortable spot in every heart that comes across it. Stay, a Rihanna hit whose cover was recorded and dropped into public space by Cameroonian song heroine, Kei, is one of such tracks that will stay longer in the music minds of its everyday listeners. In just a week following Stay’s outing, the remix fetched over a hundred and fifty thousand views on YouTube. That was in 2013. Hilarious!

Two years on, there are very serious speculations that the same scenario may be produced with Cry, Kei’s second single whose official release has been slated for Wednesday, April 15, 2015. “Who knows how loaded this next piece would be – I can’t wait!” Miriam, a young Cameroonian Afro-styled music lover told us. Miriam, who sa

id she is a fan of Kei, explained that Stay had knocked her out as though nothing ever did. “Till date, I can still be caught on it, savouring Stay as though it was my first time to come across it – Kei was extraordinarily great on that track,” she said.

“I’m awaiting Cry with my fingers crossed, but I can assure you that my girl will do it big again,” Willis, another Kei admirer indicated. He went on: “I only hope we’ll be having that golden voice again.”

Just like Miriam and Willis, scores of other African music lovers in general and Cameroonian ones in particular are excited, yet anxious ahead of the USA-based Afro Soul Pop artist’s second release. According to Kei’s communication team, the artist is currently whipped by strong emotions as she braces for the outing she describes as special. And if the release of this new track is special, it is indeed thanks to that fact that Cry has been dexterously made, with the expertise of great people including producer Gemini of the Los Angeles-run Gemini Musiq (known to have produced singers such as Justin Bieber, Mario, Christina Milian, Lil John, etc.).

“Upon release, Cry will be available on iTunes, Google, Amazon, Spotify, Sound Cloud, etc. a lyrics video will be on YouTube for those who want to sing along with Kei,” writes I Rep Camer, one of Cameroon’s leading entertainment blogs known for its committed promotion of the country’s culture.

Sung to tell one of the singer’s stories, Cry is a heart-to-heart track from which several love lessons would be drawn. It comes to swell the list of hit contemporary music tracks that have had strong grip on the sector in recent years.

Jeffery Epule and Nsang Dilong, two of Cameroon’s finest actors, have been selected and hired to run an African-focus show meant for Fox 28 Columbus, Ohio and Fox 28 Indiana. The TV outfits are affiliates of the renowned Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States of America. The said reality show, Africa’s Window on the World will be a platform to showcase identified young and talented Africans living in the diaspora, in various domains.

Africans in the United States who have a penchant for entertainment and Cameroon in particular, with the same taste buds for showbiz, are about now pulling themselves together, ahead of what observers here describe as the most-awaited event of the year - the launching of Africa Mama by B1. B1 is a frontline African musician of Cameroonian origin.

The said event, billed for Maryland on Saturday April 11, 2014 has been highly publicized and this is being followed by endless excitement and anxiety. “I can’t wait to be in MD on that day. I’ll be there not only to enjoy the great songs B1 is known to always produce, but to support my brother,” Ajong, a Cameroon movie actress living in Columbus, Ohio told TIPTOPSTARS. “He’s always been a great musician, I admire his talent and zeal in the art he knows best,” the actress cum B1 fan went on. Just like Ajong, scores of other entertainers are set to hit the road for Maryland come April for the album launch whose echoes are fast penetrating all corners of the globe.

According to the celebrant artist, there has been confirmation that some of the USA-based Cameroonians who matter in the domain of entertainment will be attending the event. “A lot of them will be making it to Maryland – in fact, as we speak, they have their tickets in hand,” B1 told Editor Ernest Kanjo, when we reached the singer to find out how ready his team was for the event. The said august guests include amongst others the President, Secretary General and Public Relations Officer of the National Actors’ Guild of Cameroon, NAGCAM– USA, Terence N. Limona, Beatrice Nwana and Edith Pikwa respectively who will be flying in from Texas, film producer/ writer and producer Ken Shally Monette and Elian Mambo respectively from Minnesota, co-producer of the Cameroon Movie Merits Awards, CMMA Mairo Sanda from Atlanta and the CEO of the Africa Gas Association Anne Ngono Ngozi.

The Maryland-based author of Africa Mama, popularly known and admired for his Ndolo Dance creation said he is particularly impressed with the immeasurable support he has had from peers and fans vis-à-vis the upcoming event. “It’s really been a wonderful feedback and I’m convinced that more concern and support will be displayed on April 11,” Bi said further.

Meanwhile, scores of other singers have announced their participation at the B1 album launch. On the list, we have B1’s longtime music associates such Alexis Emile (with whom the artist did Les Lions Sont Forts, a 2014 World Cup track), Jigga Flames, Ebeny Amstrong, Alice Austin, George Okudi, Evelyn Bright, Sis. Comfort and Kay Zeey. Perhaps, the sensation guests singers for the event are Bonaventure Jr., 11 and Denzel, 9, who make up the C-Boyz child band. “The boys are set for the event and have been very excited about it,” Marie Ndapqwe, mother of the two up-and-coming urban music artists told TIPTOPSTARS.

Organizers of the B1 album launch have told us that the event which will be hosted by renowned USA-based Cameroonian promoter, Marechal Tiano, with Dj Selmo as main sound system man, starts at 8pm and will run into the early hours of April 12.

Made up of eight tacks (Africa Mama, Na Only You, Ngondere, Ndolo Dance, Move Ya Body, Soul mate, How We Go Do and Pretty Lady), B1’s new album features other singers such as Evelyn Bright (the artist’s biological sister), Vreezy Ville, Alexis E. and Kay Zeey. It comes after some of the songs, inclusive, were produced as single tracks, including the famous Ndolo Dance.