TIPTOPSTARS

The French would describe him as ‘artiste engage’ (committed artist). Nabstar is unarguably one! He definitely would not sing, if music were just to be for the sake of it. To the young Cameroonian-born Belgium-based singer, music means message. One of such messages Nabstar holds tight to his heart is hope. In the present context of social vices such as poverty, disease and political instability in certain parts of Africa, Nabstar believes nothing can be so instrumental like hope.

It is this optimistic that Nabil4Real, as the artist is also fondly called, is transferring to his audience in One Day, a single which has had a firm grip since it first went public on May 24 in Belgium and later June 5 in Cameroon. “We all have dreams for better days. However, we cannot afford to let such dreams thwarted by despair. We therefore have to be determined, reassuring and keep believing that one day, these dreams shall come true,” Nabil told Batimu FM (www.batimufm.com) in a recent interview.

As part of this drive for a hopeful tomorrow, Nabstar concurrently runs a social media network campaign, One Day in which citizens conjecture brighter days with a sign of a finger that is pointed in the sky. So far, the One Day campaign has counted more than a thousand posts on social network, a sign that many people are adhering to it.

Meanwhile, One Day as a track, is one of several other songs that are being knitted into a full album which will be released soon, the singer told us. It is an amazing infusion of Rock, Hip-Hop, Afro beat and House which portrays the ideology of unity and universal peace. This ideology is the key to the One Day Movement (to which Nabstar is attached), a foundation that has pledged to release music singles every six months with collaboration of various Cameroonian as well as African artists.

African Cocktail, the popular midway radio show on Afrikka Radio (www.afrikkaradio.com), hosted by Ernest Kanjo who doubles and TIPTOPSTARS editor has gone a break. Announcing the month-long break, the host of the show told listeners that the African Cocktail crew was going to use the vacation to review and reflect on possible innovations.

According to the host, live editions of the show will be back on the airwaves on Wednesday, July 2, 2014. Meanwhile, during the recess, recorded versions will be run on the day of the show – Wednesday at 10:30am Eastern Time..

African Cocktail was conceived to project African values in virtually all domains of life. Amongst the slots on the show are Overflying Africa, a feature that presents the various countries of the continent and African Kitchen, a cuisine segment that showcases African traditional delicacies and how they are made.

Since May 2013 when the show kicked, African Cocktail has had numerous guests, drawn from all walks of life, especially people in the entertainment industry. Amongst them have been Dr Peter Karim Sesay (Sociologist), Dr Waithera Karim-Sesay (expert in Women’s Affairs and Women Health Issues), Victor Viyuoh (producer/director of award-winning Ninah’s Dowry), Dr.Victor Olatoye (founder of the Nollywood and African Film Critics’ Awards, NAFCA), Akim Macauley (founder of the Cameroon Academy Awards, Sonnah), Naomi Achu (renowned Cameroonian rapper), Shiri Achu (renowned Cameroonian artist/painter) and Kanvee Adams (award-winning Liberian gospel artist).

Little did this writer know that what he thought was just a mere joke would turn out to be a fact. He had told a Cameroonian resident in Germany that he believed every compatriot in that country spent the entire year only planning for the next Challenge Camerounaise (CC). He had added that Cameroonians in Germany go to bed each day with Challenge Camerounaise (CC) in their minds. “You are perfectly right…in fact, what you’re saying is not a joke, it is reality,” the peer had confidently attested.

Challenge Camerounaise is the annual socio-cultural and economic forum the Cameroonians community organizes in Germany, pulling thousands of Africans together. This year, the event which kicks off today will be taking place in the city of Dortmund.

For three days, visitors to the CC village will be treated to attractive sporting and cultural events including Football, Basketball, Handball, Table Tennis, Beach Volleyball, Athletics and music concerts. Prominent amongst the sports event will be a FIFA football tournament for youths.

 Just like in a previous Edition, the famous Cameroonian band of three talented singers, X-Maleya will be thrilling guests to this year’s CC. They will be accompanied by Bikutis giant Lady Ponce and Adonise.

Meanwhile, a business and social forum will be top on the agenda of celebrations this year. Placed under the theme Together for the Transformation, the forum is expected to breed socio-economic and development ideas that could help in transforming Cameroon into a modern state. Experts are expected to enrich participants, most of whom will be students with knowledge that could be vital in their business and development goals.

Perhaps the Miss Challenge beauty contest and the Challenge Idol song competition are innovations that will make this year’s version peculiar.

Initiated some 22 years ago, Challenge Camerounais began as a football competition between Cameroonian teams in three German cities. It has grown significantly to a crowd-pulling socio-cultural and business fair with over six thousand guests taking part in the event every year. It brings together Cameroonian students and graduates in Germany in a bid to seek avenues of giving back to their country from the diaspora

The event will be held under the guardianship of Cameroon’s ambassador to Germany H.E. Jean-Marc Mpay and Dr. Angelica Schwall-Düren, European Federal Affairs Minister