TIPTOPSTARS

Cameroon’s music industry is two singles richer following the release today of To-Nite and Nu-Life. Both singles are carefully packaged and attractive pieces by Inorie Fotso, one of Cameroon’s leading singers stationed in the diaspora. Reports say there is growing anxiety amongst Inorie’s fans in Cameroon as well as abroad as they await the products. Soon after today’s release, To-Nite and Nu-Life will be available on I-Tunes, Amazon and CD Baby. Mixed and arranged by Koffi Benson, the singles are produced by Tee-Y Mix. Also an actor (featured in many Nollywood movies). Inorie Fotso has done several colabs with Cameroonian gospel singer  Maybelle Boma including the famous Cameroon Unite and Thank You Lord.

Unarguably, it is rare that someone hates music. The sound of music leaves no one indifferent. And even when a music consumer cannot decode the lines of the song, its soul-searching melody easily moves them. They would either murmur along, hum, node their head or dance. That is how strong the effect of music is. In fact, it is strongly believed that music started with creation. If agreed that music has an amazingly strong impact on its audience, it is therefore clear that it goes beyond entertainment. It is a perfect medium of education and development. Proof is that it is pedagogically accepted as a didactic material for schools in Cameroon and elsewhere on the continent. This means that the messages vehicled via music must be carefully picked, tailored to suit its audience and create a positive impact, properly packaged and sent across in the most reasonable and responsible manner.

Similarly, song writers and/or musicians pull weights. They are not only popular figures, but they easily get considered as society’s opinion leaders. Society believes in them and goes by what they say or teach in their songs. In short, they are educators and development agents par excellence. That is how influential musicians could be. At times, society relies on them for positive change. At other instances, musicians enjoy a mass following and can easily win control over salient issues.

Governments are known to have used musicians to educate citizens especially on civic matters. Non-Governmental Organizations commonly use singers to execute their social development projects. Some of the most effective anti-AIDS or malaria messages in Cameroon and Africa within the past couple of years were vehicled through songs composed by popular musicians. Examples abound.

While a good number of music artists understand these stakes, some unfortunately seem to ignore their strength on society. The latter simply fail to bother about the messages they send across to the public, let alone the impact such messages could create.

It is not pleasant, especially to promoters of good values via culture and/or entertainment to note that some musicians still write obscene lyrics which get produced and put in the market. It is old school to believe that songs must carry crude language with obscene video scenes to be able to have a good performance in the market. No! Without being a musicologist or song expert, this writer understands that music is likeable, popular and sellable when it is melodious and professionally arranged. So, musicians could just do well to use that opportunity of a melodious and well arranged piece to sell good and responsible massages to their audience or society at large.

What some singers have been slow in learning is that music consumers, unlike in the past have become so educated, cultured and wise. They would vehemently refuse to be dragged into the mud of obscene lyrics and would quickly react by turning their backs to it. Rather, many more music lovers are now embracing meaningful music and musicians who perform their art in a laudably responsible manner. Perhaps, that explains why in the past couple of years, there has been an amazingly huge thirst for gospel music.

Who could imagine that Gervais Mendo Ze’s Assimba (gospel) would hold Cameroon spellbound – that Agatha Moses’ 2003 hit (gospel) would keep Africa on its feet – that The Bright Phase (gospel singers) would take Cameroon to the finals of KORA Awards – that Odile Ngaska (gospel singer who later became copyright’s corporation boss) would become a leading artist in Cameroon? The list is endless. But these artistes who chose to do praise lyrics created the impact they did and have gone into the annals of music as having done so. Or, it is by chance that young gospel singers such as Maybelle Boma, Pandita, Yunick Yuniwo, Anita Etta and Sister Favour Grace Nganje are making great in-roads and winning enormous attention? Certainly not! It is by making the right choice in the kind of educative messages they intend to send across via their lyrics.

In the same light, secular music doesn’t mean obscenity. There are countless salient subjects and/or issues which consumers want addressed for the betterment of society. Fortunately, some Cameroonian musicians have produced brilliant results, composing and singing meaningful songs. Little doubt that the legendary Prince Nico Mbarga (of blessed memory) still rocks. Don’t Africa still consumes Eboa Lotin’s (of blessed memory) music like hot cake? Doesn’t the world still roll a red carpet to Soul Makossa icon Manu Dibango? Did these song gurus have to go obscene to become the music legends they are? No!

In recent years, musicians such as, Longue Longue, Ottou Marcellin, Richard Kings and others have carved a niche for themselves by composing tracks pregnant with meaning. This has earned them unchallengeable glories. Longue Longue’s 2001 Ayo Africa, to be specific has gone down into music books as one of the most captivating Cameroonian and/or makossa songs that brought audience thinking in the same direction. If it won the best song of the year award with Longue Longue declared Cameroon’s most valuable musician in 2001, it was not by error. It was a deserving prize. Ayo Africa still sounds fresh in our minds.

These examples should not only be a lesson for up-and-coming artistes, but young musicians should emulate them. In the current global context, music has come of age and consumers are more mature. Music is capable of halting war, bringing peace, feeding the poor, curing the sick and instilling development. It does not deserve to be rubbed in the mud – it was never meant to be so. If songs succeed in entertaining and educating the masses, their composers would have succeeded in the purpose for which they practice the art.

Affair a suivre…

Renowned Cameroonian gospel artist, Maybelle Boma will be taking another giant step in the process of moving her career to greater heights. This will happen in the evening of June 13, 2013 when the singer thrills wives of African leaders at a gala night to commemorate this year’s Millennium Development Goals, Women Progress Awards.

« I was identified by someone, then called up for an interview which was successful. Organizers were convinced I’d the capacity to perform the job of entertainning African first ladies at the said event, » Maybelle Boma told TIPTOPSTARS Editor. « This will be the first time I’ll be performing in front of African first ladies and I’m grateful to the Almighty for such an opportunity, » she went further. The New York-based singer also explained that she was quite excited and hoped to give in her best come June 13.

During the gala which will take place at the United Nations Delegates Dinning Room, Maybelle will also be thrilling women in senior leadership positions. « This is an indication that gospel music has not only gone a long way, but the world is beginning to consider this genre as one of the most valuable and most desired, » the singer remarked.

Performing alongside Maybelle will be Somi, a female African jazz soul artist who sings in Swahili, Yoruba, Nigeria pidgin, etc. Latest reports say 10 African first ladies have already confirmed their presence at the June 13 event.

It should be noted that Maybelle has performed at other high profile events. Just two weeks ago, the author of I’m Covered By The Blood of Jesus (Maybelle’s latest video) performed at the Textans party in Houston, organized on the sidelines of the OTC Conference of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, CNPC with over 600 guest attending. The Cameroonian gospel singer is known to have a comfortable place in the hearts of the Nigerian entertainment family who affectionately refer to Maybelle as their adopted daughter. Maybelle also doubles as one of the executive producers of the Cameroon Entertainment Awards, CEA which will be in its second edition this August.

Things may never be the same for film directing in Cameroon. A new vision is built, a new foundation constructed, new goals set and the men and women who call the shots are ready to give directing a completely different garment. They have started implementing some of the urgent decisions taken at their maiden guild meeting that took place in Kumba a fortnight ago. “There is no time to waste any more. We are now ready to work in a professionally accepted and acceptable manner. We must give film directing an honourable representation,” a director told TIPTOPSTARS just before we put this report together. To the shot caller, film directing had previously suffered under the oblivion of unprofessionalism, giving room for people who refused to be serious to jump at it simply because they had the chance to. “From now henceforth, it will not be the case,” he said emphatically.

For one thing participants at the Kumba meeting agreed that they need to have a working statute, which constitution opened up by making Directors’ Guild of Cameroon, DGC the official appellation of the syndicate.   It was also unanimously agreed that though it would not be subservient in any way to the CFI, the DGC will be an arm of the CFI as would the other guilds of the Cameroon Film Industry.

If the guild is going to change the phase of film directing in Cameroon, the shot callers agreed that only serious people be members of DGC. Such members must be able to register with a sum of 50,000 FCFA. Also, to be referred to as a director, one must have to had at least three productions with at least one that is released and is circulation or being screened on TV or have been submitted to a festival.

Chaired by Tenning Nova Productions’ Musing Derick, alongside Alfred Amandi (Chief whip) and Awah Oliver (session secretary), these decisions were taken in the presence of big names such as Waa Musi, Neba Lawrence, Esua Julius Fossung, Nkeng Derrick, Molimi Cletus, Maru Gatscaya, Mofor Clementine, Billy Bob Ndive, Mbole Dennis, Asaba Ferdinand aka Penda, etc.

Amongst the media outfits that covered the maiden DGC session were MBS Mountain Broadcasting System, MBS, a Kumba-based TV Station with audience from Muyuka to Loum, The Herald Newspaper and TIPTOPSTARS.