TIPTOPSTARS

An observer once described Bamenda as the Lagos of Cameroon. Bamenda is the regional headquarters of the North West of Cameroon while Lagos, former capital of Nigeria is the economic nerve centre of Africa’s most populous country. Lagos is as active and dynamic as its inhabitants. Lagos thrives by itself. Its inhabitants love and master business. They hold success in business in high esteem. This same description fits Bamenda.

Over the years, Bamenda has experienced an amazing progress development wise. In infrastructure, Bamenda has moved many steps forward. The mentality of its people is said to have metamorphosized a great deal. This mentality evolution has been noticed in the area of private business initiative.

For some time now, sons and daughters of Bamenda and people of the region in general who identify with Bamenda have been building themselves as individual business entities. There are scores of successful business initiative linked to people of the region. Some of these people have been recognized in the Cameroon’s hall of fame and their works appreciated.

On the other hand, there have been an interestingly increasing number of entertainment initiatives, coming alongside the now blooming music and film sector in the North West region. This has brought about the huge sprouting of fast-growing entertainment outfits and individual artists who are printing their names in the golden books of Cameroonian and African entertainment.

Having established themselves, the business class and entertainers have now thought that coming together to showcase their successess and create more opportunities through a platform known as the Project New Bamenda, PNB. According to the architechs behind this project, PNB is a process of developing the economic atmosphere in the North West Region. “It is designed to propel the region into a new business and entertainment era to its full bloom,” the PNB website states. According to the site, PNB will be celebrating the emergence of the North West Region into a phenomenal era in business and entertainment, uniting townsfolk and its visitors through a series of cultural events, seminars, concerts, etc.

Objectives of the project include exploring talents, strengthening the structure of the entertainment industry, redress the carefree attitude of economic operators, instilling the spirit of confidence in the townsfolk, promoting cultural development, create investment avenues, recognizing excellence, etc.

Sponsors of the PNB include Think Tank Plus, Kibonen NY, Belle Muse and Imagine Bakery. Some of the popular names traced in the project are Ntumngia Walters (Project Director) and USA-based Kibonen Nfi.

Dallas-based Cameroonian HIP-HOP singer Yunick Yuniwo has been filling his own pages in the history book of African music. Yunick who favours the option of musical collaboration has been working with a good number of artists on the continent. This weekend, the young and musically energetic Yunick thrill fans in a highly publicized concert he and Ivory Coast’s DJ Arafat are offering folks in Dallas, Texas.

To Yunick, featuring in a concert with Arafat is a great opportunity to amass quick experience. DJ Arafat who is the current winner of the All Africa Music Awards, KORA has been on a tour in the United States and is making his Texas stop this weekend. Reports say there is a huge mobilization within the African community and other fans of the Coupe Decale ‘Commandant’, as the skilful dancer is fondly called. According to organizers the concert which begins at 930pm will take place at Nai Sports Bar and Grill, 15375 Addison, TX, 75001.

Meanwhile, Yunick will be one of the guests on African Cocktail, a show presented by Ernest Kanjo on Afrikka Radio which broadcast from Columbus, Ohio, North of America. The show comes up on Saturday from 9am to 11am and can be listened to on www.afrikkaradio.com or by dialing 832-280-0016.

They might have been wallowing in squalor, following a long-held disturbing silence that kept Cameroonian film directors in the oblivion. But these shot callers have at last turned the tables and are convincingly ready to start the new journey towards giving a befitting representation to the practice of the art/science they know best – directing. And that movie directors are converging on Kumba to start charting the route towards their goal is a thing to write home about. The consoling ‘come-true’ of their dreams begin at the conference hall of the Kumba Women’s Empowerment Centre in less than 72 hours.

The maiden meeting of the Director Guild of Cameroon has been in gestation since the shot callers departed from Yaounde after marking their remarkable presence at the March 23 Cameroon Film Industry, CFI General Assembly that saw the birth of a board to henceforth pilot affairs of the sector. It is reported that close to 50 film directors answered present at the said GA.

In Kumba, chief town of Meme Division in the South West region of Cameroon, there is growing anxiety – first – for hosting such a big event and secondly – to turn it into a resounding success story. Success has been the watch word for the hosting directors’guild members -  Ayukachem Stephen aka Maru Gatscaya, Esua Julius Fossung  alias The Rambler, Ebako Derrick fondly called Mbonji Drickwest, Molimi Cletus Ngwana,  Edmond, call him Eddie Goffi,  Kenneth Akoh and others. For one thing, these Kumba-based film directors are known to be meticulous when it comes to organization and are not ready to have this maiden come-together pull down such a reputation. Ahead of Saturday’s conclave, TIPTOPSTARS’ K-Town lady, Anang Christy Ijang talked with some of them and sought to know just how prepared was Kumba.

“My name is Molimi Cletus. I feel honoured that Kumba is hosting this first deliberation and also glad that the new order is kicking off from this town. We are quite ready to host the meeting and only waiting on delegates. It’s about time movie directors in Cameroon put some order in the house. This meeting will affect the shape of the industry. I consider it the herald of a new dawn in the film industry in my country.”

“I’m Esua Julius. A wise man once said that opportunity sometimes puts on the cloak of responsibility. We in Kumba have understood that honour involved in receiving our colleagues from all over Cameroon to brainstorm and chart a way forward. Kumba is known for its legendary hospitality and it is this value we are going to extend to members of our guild. On the other hand, we await serious issues to be discussed and hope that at the end of the day the Kumba meeting would set the platform for greater achievements within the film directing core.”

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 Cameroonian film directors set ball rolling

Nothing stops a financial management expert from being an acclaimed artist. If your singing talent is in-born, go right ahead and explore it. This best suits Rosychicks, an up-and-coming Cameroonian musician living in the diaspora. Rosychicks belongs to the category of formal education intellectuals who refuse to kill their God-given artistic skills. She is in the market with her second album. Perhaps the featuring of Don Tom (Nigerian), one of Africa’s leading HIP-HOP singers in her latest album has been newsy enough to attract press attention