TIPTOPSTARS

That the Cameroonian music landscape is currently experiencing a reawakening is no longer news. From an easy look of things, there is a glaring revival which now seems to be the best thing happening in the country’s art and culture domain. The coming into the limelight of scores of talented young people who display a satisfactory mastery in the art of singing, is fast becoming phenomenal and it is hope that the current twist of things may turn tables to an extent that Cameroon will hit the world music map once again.

But prior to this new dispensation, it is common knowledge that Cameroon’s music sector almost went into slumber. In fact, it had at one point in time fallen into a deep and very disheartening fit. This most-dreaded episode in the country’s one-time leading art domain came with its own ugly consequences one of which was the disturbing disappearance of some music icons who had held the baton and commanded the sector in an enviable manner.

As those impact-full voices faded away into the doldrums, they took away the inspiration on which the younger generation could thrive in order to keep the sector alive. A new generation came up, not being able to trace the smooth route that had led Cameroon to a glorious past that was at one time and perhaps still being regurgitated with a lot of nostalgia.

The big names had literally evaporated – great compositions that put Cameroon on the music apex melted out – makossa, the country’s one-time identity genre suffered a big blow and hopes almost dashed away intrinsically. That was that ill-fated consequence of an art and culture sector that had witnessed avoidable setbacks.

At one point, it was thought that the younger music folks, for lack of guidance from their legends, won’t be able to trace their way. How could they produce results as rich and enviable as the ones their predecessors had had? How were they going to engage smooth rides that would ferry them to resounding successes when the forefathers who could facilitate the job for them had unfortunately gone moribund? Was this new generation going to start things all over? If that was going to be the case, what were we going to do about the relics? How were the fallen pieces going to be gathered – how were they going to be picked up? Who was going to pick them? The questions became disturbingly endless.

However, since there is always a silver lining in every dark cloud, a few Cameroonian music legends stayed afloat and could not afford to see the sector quickly go down the drain. To them, the art was so valuable to them and their country to extents that letting it go was going to be tantamount to silencing a very pivotal aspect in the lives of a music loving people as Cameroonians.

One of such national heroes is makossa maestro Prince Ndedi Eyango who during the rainy days of the country’s music, proposed that we needed to turn to a new page. His “On tourne le page” philosophy in one of his tracks is a direct link with the singer’s brilliant consistency and his later option to become a veritable godfather to this new generation that sprang with hope, in spite of trading on difficult grounds.

As a passionate contribution to keep the country’s music waxing on, Prince Eyango resisted the stormy days hurricane, stood firm on the play button and kept the songs flowing. Even when he relocated to the United States, Eyango’s music inspirations stayed intact. From the States, he unleashed more captivating pieces that consolidated his ever leading position in the industry. But the makossa icon, from a look of things is a glaring example of selflessness. He is one rare professional who would not find any gain in savoring hard-earned glory all by himself. In him, you clearly see a spirit of sharing and paving the way for the young to grow.

From all indications, Prince Eyango quickly understood that for Cameroon to consolidate its long-time comfortable front seat in the continent’s music train, the succeeding generation had to be prepared and empowered with the necessary tools that would enable them function properly. That’s why all the younger musicians he has invested his professional know-how in, have demonstrated an exceptionally brilliant performance in the sector. And if these beneficiaries have equally been described as some of the sector’s geniuses, it is largely thanks to the torchlight provided by this legend. The Longue Longues, the Tanus Foes, the Jacky Kingues, the Junior Eyangos, you name them have also been household names in their own respects, having been molded by the makosssa baobab.

Eyango through PREYA Music might have worked with artists who are much older than the C-Boyz for the same vision of giving Cameroon more talented singers. By deciding to take the responsibility of molding child singers, Eyango is simply indicating that it’s about time we start identifying talent from infancy and shaping it in order to produce far-reaching or call them excellent results. Two things are certain here – one: with a genius such as Eyango in the music lives of the C-Boyz, these child singers will undoubted be one of the best things that will happen to Cameroonian music in the nearest future and two: their episode with him would be source of new inspiration to other aspiring child singers.

Consequently, child singing which has hitherto been very uncommon in Cameroon’s music dictionary would gradually start meandering its way into the industry. Is Eyango’s example worth emulating? Yes! Why? The answer is simple – legacy is also when one sits back and admires the work they did being manifested in others.

On their part, as Resource Person number one on Apex 1 Radio in charge of Art and Cultural Affairs, Ken Shally Monette, puts it, the C-Boyz have to make their new mentor a proud legend by upholding professional music righteousness. This rectitude has to be imbibed from day one and from every indication the music duo is ready for the task. Who would not like to see a happy Prince Eyango, celebrating with all joy, the success story of successful musical grandchildren? A hero can only make other heroes!