TIPTOPSTARS

In recent years, Africans living in the diaspora have been very concerned about recognizing and appreciating the continent’s values, talents and productivity. The creative arts domain has easily been figured out, given that sons and daughters of Africa have amazingly excelled here. As a way to reward excellence and in a bid to promote talents and creative initiatives, individuals and groups living out of Africa have from time to time organized events to pay tribute to those who have kept the engine steaming. This has mostly been the case with Nigerian and Ghanaian communities in the US and the UK.
Sporadically, the Cameroonian diaspora has organized recognition events, but would in most cases limit them to specific areas of creative arts – fashion and beauty contest. Never has there been a Cameroonian recognition event that covers all domains of arts and culture and involving Cameroonian artists and celebrities living around the globe including back home. That is what is about to happen.

Long before Among Youths (for which this writer was Editor-in-Chief for close to five years) went on a break, we had been reviewing happenings in the domain of arts and culture at the end of each year. For each edition, we would recollect best-selling stories within the just-ended year and package them in a tribute-paying piece. Our focus since then has always been on young Cameroonian creative artists in a bid to promote talent in a talent endowed country. Never mind if our stars have not hit a mark internationally – we ferry them from nothing to something. Join us in this edition in recalling some of the things that happened within our entertainment industry in 2011.

With a heavy heart, the film industry in Cameroon now talks about two of its iconic members in the past tense. Having passed on a couple of weeks ago, Bebe Manga, heroine and Janvier Ngonga Ngassa aka Pa Oyono have been laid to rest in her native Tinto (Manyu Division in the South West region) and Bamena (West region) respectively.

The death of the two artists attracted huge sympathy from millions of fans spread all over the globe. Their works have been savoured and are still being consumed by an undetermined audience all over the world.

One of the rare elderly men who dared into and succeeded in the art of acting in a country where filmmaking is not sufficiently encouraged, Ngonga made great strides in a rich career posterity would recount. He triggered to the limelight in 2005 when he performed in the selling Before the Sunrise produced by Agbor Gilbert Ebot, starring Nollywood’s Zack Orji, Olu Jacobs and Dakore Egbuson.

Ngonga who passed on on 07 July 2011, hit the success road again when he played on set with Nigeria’s Clarion Chukwurah in a fine cinematographic piece that described the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), The Blues Kingdom, yet another movie produced by Agbor Gilbert Ebot. His movie exploits did not end there. In a block buster that hit headlines in Cameroon, the talented elderly actor put up a great performance in Neba Lawrence’s Royal Destiny, produced by Ayi Chatou Inoua. The movie, shot in Yaounde in 2009 had Nollywood’s Emeka Ike and Tonto Dike starring. Cameroon’s Moma Pascal, Solange Yijika and Quinta Eyong also played major roles in the movie. He had earlier done Land of Shadows co-directed by Zack Orji and Neba Lawrence and produced by Agbor Gilbert. The soft-spoken Ngonga has featured in several other films including Land of Shadows, Royal Destination, A Great Pain, Great obligation, Besides 3 Worlds.

Meantime, Elizabeth Bessem aka Bebe Manga will be remembered for her magnificient performance in Rich Mange’s (brother of the fallen heroine) Pheonix Scar produced by Agbor Steve and Chrono Entertainment in 2008.

Nollywood star Stella Damasus is supposed to have arrived Cameroon. The Nigerian actress of great repute was programmed to be on board one of the flights from her country that was expected at the Douala International Airport yesterday. Stella will be in Cameroon on the invitation of Splash Networks International, one of the pioneer film houses in English-speaking Cameroon.

According to Splash Network CEO, Cyril Akonteh, the popular Nollywood actress will be accompanied on her maiden visit to Cameroon by her manager Bunmi Ayeni. In an announcement over the Cameroon Film Industry (CFI) yahoo medium, Akonteh told filmmakers that their Nigerian counterpart will be here to foster a constructive partnership between her and Splash Network International with a broader vision of building a strong and reputable Cameroonian film landscape. ‘’In fact Stella is willing to invest a lot, financially, morally and materially in developing the entertainment industry in Cameroon,’’ Akonteh said.

On the sidelines of her two-day rencontre with showbiz kingmakers, the CEO of Stella Damaus Archives (SDA) will undertake a health visit to the Douala Reference Hospital where the actress will donate items on behalf of Splash Network International to cancer patients. The move falls in line with a newfound common front to combat cancer in Africa launched by Splash Networks International and SDA. ‘’…we intend to give hope to cancer victims, survivors and their families,’’ Akonteh explained.

Before the Nigerian star returns home, Stella will visit one of Buea’s renowned schools, St Therese International Primary School where TIPTOPSTARS understands there is already an uncontrollable anxiety.

It is the first time Stella is visiting Cameroon. She is one among scores of Nollywood stars who have in the country to either lay ground works for partnership or feature in Cameroonian productions. Some of the include Patience Ozokwo, Nonso Diobi, Pete Eneh, Charles Awurum, Emeka Ike, Tonto Dike, Jim Iyke, Emmanuel Franz, Nkem Owoh (Ukwa), Sam Loko Efe, etc.

Meantime, Splash Networks International has gone into the annals as the first film outfit to fly in Nollywood stars who starred in Peace Offering in 2003. Other popular Cameroon-Nigeria co-productions are Before the Sunrise, The Blues Kingdom, Land of Shadows, Royal Destiny, Wendy and Sacrament.