TIPTOPSTARS

If there is one thing one should not afford to lack, it is DREAM. Most often than not, when you dream, the tendency is for you to rise and see this dream come true. If this is coated with Faith, there is no doubt that the end result will be delicious. This assertion best describes the young people whose efforts have been brought to the limelight through The HillTopians, Cameroon’s latest publication on the country’s ever-swelling newsstand.

“We have nursed The HillTopians magazine dream for four months and I can only say I feel fulfilled after its final release,” Fri Ngu aka Frisha Gold told TIPTOPSTARS on the heels of the launch of the magazine. “I feel like I just gave birth to a baby,” the Yaounde-based Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of The HillTopians explained further.

According to the HillTopians EIC, the publication has come to provide the answer to several questions on the lives of Christian youths, most of whom are talented and possess unexplored skills. “We think that we can create an impact on such youths beyond the walls of the Church and The HillTopians could just be that much-desired avenue,” said the EIC.

Published and run by the Yaounde Hill-Top Faith Ministries International, The HillTopians is a published in colour with four writers filling the columns so far – Frishs Gold Ngu, Bennis Nchang, Bob Zionson and Chi Valery.

Designed d by DURELLA CONCEPTS, the 18-paged maiden issue of The HillTopians has the spiritual leader of the Yaounde Hill-Top Faith Ministries, Rev, Steve Olatunde Abolarin and wife Olatunde Eleanor Nagwah as cover stars. It also carries an exclusive interview with the former.  You may just like to know ‘Mama’s seven secrets to mental bliss’, then procure a copy of the maiden issue in which you would also read about the Cameroon-FIFA ‘palaver’ which fortunately is being resolved in a reasonable manner. These and more are the professionally-crafted and packaged write-ups that enrich The HillTopians No 1.

According to EIC, The HillTopians will hit the newsstands every month but for now is only circulating within Cameroon.

Known for her extra-ordinary drive, The HillTopians Editor-in-Chief, Frisha Gold Ngu is also a fine film scriptwriter and freelance daily-life freelance commentator whose works, regularly published on the social media network, Facebook have attracted wide admiration. On his part the spiritual leader of Hill-Top Faith Ministries International and publishers of The HillTopians, Rev. Steve Olatunde is well reputed for his efforts in making talented youths productive and useful to their community. He is a motivational speaker par excellence and from time to time organizes forums where youths are drilled on how to explore God-given skills. This latest initiative only comes to make the Cameroonian print media landscape a publication richer.

Keenly, this reporter watched how Naomi Achu comported in a completely different mood. That was perhaps the first time he noticed the Cameroonian music icon in deep solemnity. All along the artist put on a coaxing smile that apparently won the admiration of Dayo Chiedozie Akinwande more and more. This mood was diametrically opposite to that you would watch when Naomi is performing the art she knows best – singing and dancing!

Dayo Akinwande is the handsome gentleman who will henceforth be husband to this Cameroon’s illustrious daughter the country seems to be more and more proud of. Wife and husband are yet to come out of the stupor of wedding joy they fell into since last Saturday, July 27, 2013. They should be honeymooning as we write, at least even if we don’t know where. It has honestly been described as a celebrity wedding. Indeed, it was!

Scores of friends and family members thronged Maryland to accompany Naomi and Akinwande in this new order. Perhaps, what was more exciting is the Africaness of the event. Clad in Yuruba (Nigeria) traditional regalia, then later the North West (Cameroon) ‘toughe’, husband and wife painted a beautiful picture of the ever clenched relationship between Cameroon and Nigeria. The love bond became even stronger as they spoke. And though ‘it was hard to describe’, the star’s spouse managed to tell his guests the kind of woman he saw in the music queen. “She is most beautiful, most gracious and most caring woman I have ever met,” he said with uncontrollable emotions.

AKinwande was glad the D-Day had come – he so badly waited for it – seven years in courtship. And during those seven years, he watched his future wife keenly and what perhaps held him spellbound was Naomi’s drive. This drive has been noticeable in the singer’s music career – a trait many observers had had to mention time without number. Living the rest of his life with Naomi is not only Akinwande’s outmost wish, but the gentleman’s concrete option. He pointed out this with no hesitation.

In a pampering tone, the author of Suga, Naomi’s latest hit tract simply saluted Akinwande’s efforts. “Ashia {pidgin usage for recognizing efforts} to my man,” she simply told the day’s groom.

Also clad in North West traditional regalia, the black wedding coordinator, Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle, renowned international legal expert and long-time spokesperson for North West Fons, who flew in from Douala, Cameroon, enjoined guests to bless the couple and hoped that God was going to have His mighty eye on them. “Seven years down the line, seven years is completion, finished, May God bless you,” the Ntumfor concluded.

Perhaps, what makes a celebrity wedding described as such is largely due to the presence of celebrities. They were at Naomi’s nuptial knot clenching in their numbers. Celebrity cameras spotted amongst others, gospel music artiste and Dallas-based Anita Etta and her Cincinnati counterpart Pandita Njoh Eta.

Clad in a three-piece-suit with red bold tie, Maryland-based film actor and producer Kang Quintus communioned with other colleagues in absolute joy. Then in a black (with white stripes) party gown, actress and TV host Fru Pridine smiled along as she wished Naomi a happy matrimony. In similar attire, singer Adele-Clarise could be spotted.

Celebrity cameras also zoomed on actor and musician Abraham Takoh, clad in the North West traditional regalia as well as the renowned Cameroonian sound system specialist and Maryland-based DJ Anselmo.

As friends, fans and family members parted with Naomi and hussy Saturday, a new life had just begun for this extra-ordinarily talented artist. An observer, who placed her arguments on Naomi’s prolific nature in her career, conjectured that the Afro RAP musician would surely be translating Saturday’s event into song and said she would not be surprised by the release of a video with Akinwande as protagonist. That also is the task of artistes.

Meantime, Naomi Achu is by every indication one of Cameroon’s leading contemporary singers in the diaspora. She is widely admired for her captivating stage performance and singing prowess. Her clips have regularly been top-rated and have fetched Naomi many more fans at home and abroad. Amongst others, tracks such as Alhadji, Suga, The Kind of Man, Kitchen Near You, I Can Love You Like That, have propelled the Cameroonian singer the apex spot she now enjoys in her music career. Salut les maries!!!!!!

 

Attitude – check, stage presence – check, great images – check; Stanley Enow is the new must know name being uttered from every Cameroon urban music lover’s mouth. In such a short space of time, this young rap artist in his 20s signed to his own indie label Motherland Empire; has become synonymous with a new youth order vying for change and recognition within the small scale industry seeking to elevate its status within the African and international milieu. The buzz around him has become so huge so fast so much so that his award hunting debut single “Hein Père” is not only the biggest hip hop track of the moment released since April but is also the only contender for the most memorable and worthy track within the Cameroon music scene this 2013 This most anticipated debut video for “Hein Père” shot in Douala, Cameroon by the renowned video director Shamak Allharamadji was finally launched online last Saturday after a few days air play on Trace TV and the reception has been tremendous.  48 hours before the release, the video already received up to 8,000 views an indication of the thirst and hunger from his followers and fans which includes Cameroonian bloggers, media reps in Cameroon and abroad as well as famous French rapstars. The video has been endorsed by Pit Baccardi and Corneille; both very popular artists in the French urban music scene . The track/video is a vivid yet satirical expression of the hustler’s life. “Hein Père” is not only a phenomenon but has also found its way into the Cameroonian “street” lingo. The track is off Stanley Enow’s debut album “Soldier Like My Papa” scheduled to be released soon.

Purchase the track on iTunes here:https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/heinpere/id650325695?i=650325730&ign-mpt=uo%3D4