TIPTOPSTARS

Many are urban music lovers who have hardly had a stable mind, waiting for the release of the video of Naomi Achu’s latest single, since the song went public late last year. These fans are definitely heaving a sigh of relief now. It’s My Life’s video has finally dropped in today. “I’m quite excited,” Naomi told TIPTOPSTARS upon the release of the much-awaited video.

Also speaking to TIPTOPSTARS, some Cameroonians who have been previously indicated that the USA-based singer is their favourite urban music artist displayed a lot of excitement when we mentioned that It’s My Life video was doing its last few moments in editing studio, ready to shoot out. “I have waited for it anxiously and can’t just tell you how glad I’m to hear the video will be out in the next couple of hours,” said Meline, an Ohio fan of the musician. “I can trust, it will be a hit, can’t wait,” yet another fan said.

Filmed by Megapixelvisuals’ John Ukandu, the video is 4.22 minutes long and contains exciting choreographic displays the renowned singer is always known to be well versed at.

Written by the artist herself, It’s My Life is produced by Nigeria’s ace producer Samklef.

Meanwhile, Naomi Achu is an award-winning musician and one of Cameroon’s leading contemporary artists who are contributing enormously to make the sector tick. Other popular singles she has dropped previously include Suga, Alhadji, etc.

To throw more light on the latest release, Naomi Achu joins Afrikka Radio’s African Cocktail later today from her Maryland base. The show could be listened to at www.afrikkaradio.com or by dialing 832-280-0016, beginning at 10:30am Eastern Time

VIDEO RELEASE

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Title: It's My Life Artist: Naomi Achu Videographer: Megapixelvisuals (John Ukandu) Length: 4:22

web: www.NaomiAchu.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NaomiAchuWorldwide                                                                   Twitter: www.Twitter.com/NaomiAchu Youtube: www.YouTube.com/ NaomiAchuWorldwide

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Renowned Cameroonian actress, Sahndra Fon Dufe has said she is poised to reassert the salient role of the woman in the development of the African society. This, according to her, is the main reason for writing her first book, Yefon: The Red Necklace. Sahndra, a committed artist who has made laudable strides in the African film industry was speaking on the Afrikka Radio’s African Cocktail hosted by Ernest Kanjo this Wednesday.

Very rare are young Cameroonian musicians who do not only venture into folkloric genres, but sing brilliantly in their mother tongue. Contemporary music, marked by brands such as Hip-Hop, Rap, etc has influenced the careers of scores of youths to the extent that few of them consider their roots. Even singers who do not reside in big towns and cities have found more pleasure with urban music than anything else. This has left indigenous music in an alarmingly oblivious back seat.

However, the handful of artists who have consolidated their stand with root music have displayed an exciting commitment which is easily noticed each time they spring with a production. Just like Richard Kings, Ateh Bazore, Wara Festus, etc, Lily Meka fits squarely in this category. She is young, yet so conscious of her roots and the beauty of her cultural background.

Lily, from Bui Division in the North West region of Cameroon is a fast-coming sensation her country and Africa as a whole will soon be proud to show to the rest of the world. “I’m proud of my culture and I think it is my responsibility to promote it via the art I know best. That’s why I sing in lamso, my mother tongue,” the USA-based musician told Afrikka Radio’s African Cocktail during a recent interview.

According to the talented singer who is amazingly fluent in English and French, her passion for music dates back to her childhood when she would do playbacks mimicking renowned female artists including the legendary Anne Marie Ndzie. “My community saw this talent in me and encouraged me greatly,” she told TIPTOPSTARS.

Lily who just moved to the United States and is poised to make major strides in her career has a beautifully packaged album to her credit. The six-track album has songs that exploit salient themes including the fight against malaria, known to be one of Africa’s most deadly diseases. In the track, United Against Malaria, the singer urges everyone to put hands on deck and combat malaria. Other songs in the album are Ver Sherri Woo Tatah, Koo Va Ve Sin, Ever Since I Met You, For The One, and Homage (For Mama).

Reactions, mostly endorsing a decision to suspend foreign music from the CRTV FM 105 Suelaba airwaves, at least for the first halve of the day, have been streaming in since the announcement was made earlier on Sunday. The Station Manager, Beyhia Leonard Bruce told citizens on social media it was time to start promoting ‘our own’, referring to Cameroonian music.

Overtly stating that we have failed in doing so, the journalist who is well known to have a penchant for his country’s entertainment sector regretted that while other countries have promoted theirs, Cameroonians have killed what belongs to them. “When we travel, we see how bad we kill our own,” he put. It therefore requires the braveness of someone, somewhere, to change the order, the radio manger stated.

In changing the order therefore, Beyhia has said he will be urging other local radio managers to embark on a similar move.

Scores of reactions have supported the decision which certainly is the content of a service note TIPTOPSTARS may eventually be served with. To citizens on social media, it is the right move in the right direction. “I’m totally in agreement with you on this. It makes business sense and promotes local artists…You have made a revolutionary opportunity for local artists and given them reason to work harder. You are a visionary leader…,” one of the reactions held.

According to the decision, the manager of Cameroon’s second commercial radio station (created after FM 94 in Yaounde) said, foreign music will be muted on the airwaves from 5am to 11:59am from now till May 20. “It could be aired from midnight to 4:59am,” Beyhia pointed out. As part of the decision, maiden albums by local artists will be aired for 50 percent promotion cost during this broadcast and will occupy day-play with older artists who will be aired for free.

Giving priority to local music on Cameroonian radio stations has been a very topical issue since the liberalization of the audio-visual sector in April 2000. The law to this effect had clauses that obliged radio and TV stations to provide a bigger portion of music airtime to local productions, but the ironically strong influence of foreigner genres has been a stumbling block to this. Consequently, fewer outfits have respected this and Cameroonians have rather been overdosed with foreign music to the extent that local music has taken an oblivious position in the country’s media.

The quagmire even became unbearable, causing some local artists to openly vent their anger against what they described as an ironical discrimination – favouring foreign music at the expense of their own. Isolated cases of local musicians who stopped their music from being played on some radio stations as a way of protesting were reported.

The latest decision by the Station Manager of FM 105 is seen as a strong reminder that something needs to be done to get Cameroonian productions back on the rails. TIPTOPSTARS will be talking to Cameroonian musicians. Their views on this will be published in our subsequent updates.