Cameroonian music just like African music is good rich thrilling music yet it’s exportation is dogged by many things. One of those things preventing Cameroonian music from reaching far-off frontiers is ,unfortunately, the length. Some of them are as long as 8 minutes. Please hold it right there before you utter this enormity “Were Toto Guillaume and Ange Ebogo songs not embraced despite their length”. If that’s the only bullet in your barrel then grow up because tastes and trends have changed considerably . R’n'B and rock have nothing on “Makossa” and “Mbagheuleum’ but they have stealthily became world music because their lengths tie with what media outlets allocate. We live in a world where time is a precious resource and if our musicians must get the airplay needed to popularise their music widely they must tailor them to the world trend which is about 3-4 minutes max for a song. In a world where we do not control mainstream media we have to bow to these unwritten rules else our music will never go beyond some thresholds. Even Cameroonian D.Js will confess to you that some of the songs aren’t played fully because they are too damn long and time isn’t free at any station. The world yearns for Cameroonian and African music but in the 21st century people can’t spare one whole day listening to one song. Diaspora- Cameroonian musicians have learnt the lesson but some home-based one’s have refused to listen. Isn’t it cost-wise for Rabba-Rabbi to take 7 minutes and record two songs than one. Feel free to disagree. One thing we all have a right to is an opinion.
A brand new platform has been created for those who think they have the comic gene in them.“Take your mic” is expected to be a breeding ground and launchpad for Cameroon’s future funny men and women. If you’re in Yaounde and believe you have the jokes to laugh your way into people’s hearts the place to go every Wednesday as from 5 p.m is the 1111 Club in the Nguosso area, opposite Petrolex. Stop wasting your jokes on cliques,go for a real audience.
A new award has joined the ever-growing Cameroonian entertainment landscape. The Cameroonian Entertainment Awards ,as it is called, “intends to recognise Cameroonians in entertainment”. Nominations are open for a wide range of nominees from sports,music,film and other media -related sectors like T.V. According to information reaching us, the award ceremony is supposed to take place on June 30th,2012 in Washington D.C. Persons interested in voting are called upon to do so using the email cameroonentertainmentawards@gmail.com. Nominations will end on February 14,2012 and the top five nominees from each category will be announced and posted on the C.E.A website cameroonentertainmentawards.org which people can visit for the list of categories. The organisers say they plan to broadcast the event on CRTV and other T.V outlets. While applauding this umpteenth attempt at promoting excellence in the entertainment milieu, we pray the part about broadcasting live over the CRTV is no P.R stunt. For updates,visit their facebook page Cameroon entertainment awards.
Cameroonian footballers have apparently developed a thing for being on screen. After Samuel Eto’o‘s appearance in an X -Maleya video ,it is now the turn of Jean Makoun. The midfielder features in Tity-P‘s video release “Jeunesse star”. Although the player doesn’t utter a note all through the song his presence will surely trigger some buzz for the song. Tity-P is supposed to be a hip-hop artist but in this song he rather explores coupé-décalé. This release is a prelude to his upcoming album entitled “Vise plus haut”. Even by Cameroonian standards,this is a bad attempt at coupé-décalé. See for yourselves.
Those who missed the maiden edition of the Douala Hip Hop festival can make up for lost time. A documentary film release depicting the event as it went down has been made available online by the folks at STM Studios. As usual, Nexdim has brought it to your doorsteps and all you have to do is watch. If you were not part of that history-making event with electrifying performances from guys like Jovi and Valsero this is your chance to get a taste of that urban pie. Enjoy the rich and exciting content free.
The recent surge in the popularity of Cameroonian -urban artists has left some people pondering why urban music is finally on the rise. Countless cogent reasons have been given for this phenomenon. But what if the reason was simply the language used.What if it is because the language used is pidgin. Yes,pidgin. The language we were reminded never to speak at school except in the neighbourhood. If there is truth to the theory that each language we speak is a life we live then Cameroonians penchant for guys like Jovi can be explained. When Jovi sings of “shak”, it resonates with us because we all “shak” . When he talks of “don for kwat”, childhood memories spring of one ”grand” who used to terrorise the neighbourhood. These artists, aided by a parallel- refined beat, easily win over the public whereas Jay-z wannabes who sing of champagne, jets and bling using unconvincing accents rather lose the public’sympathy. The public knows that the jet and champagne-singing artist doesn’t even own a wheelchair or drink portable water . Like it or not,most Cameroonians speak in English or French but dream,belief,hope and exist in pidgin. We express all the subtleties of our being in pidgin. We are complete and without debilitating inhibitions in a space where pidgin is the means of communication. We easily connect with Njoheur when he sings “you dong forget ma number”. “All we dee shak,all we dee chop koum-koum even the one dem weh they dee stay for fence house”. Pidgin unites us all, so we enjoy the song when it is released, making it a smash hit and making the artist a star. With the help of artists, pidgin has stopped being an outcast that is avoided. It is no longer an aside in a 7 minute-long song. It is now the main thing: the wave on which most successful urban-music artists surf on their way to success. Ask Jovi, Dugtor Sley and yes,why not Niken.lol. Feel free to disagree
Cameroons gotten so much talents and yet a whole lot of people know nothing about such hidden talents. Kris and Doggy is an innovative creation inspired by a young Cameroonian called Kris, he is a holder of a Master’s degree in chemical engineering and has had a strong passion for arts work from childhood. He started painting on wood but later discovered its slow cos people don’t always afford wood. So Kris decided to take a new dimension in his business line. He now does designs on cars, bikes, jeans, t-shirts making them all personalised, also indulges in tattoos both temporal and permanent, does piercings on tongues and all other parts and is based in Molyko, Buea.
Nexdim promises to bring you more exclusive details on kris and Doggy on some of their techniques used in doing such great jobs.
In music, awards are primarily intended to celebrate excellence. They represent the respect fans or music insiders have for those who are nominated. These awards can equally provide outsiders with an idea of the actors perception of the environment in which they exist. The award fever has gripped Cameroon and a string of awards have sprung into the limelight. The recently- held Mboa Hip -Hop awards ignited a backlash from a segment of English- speaking artists and audience due to its controversial “Best anglophone artist” .However we must note that this is just one in many controversial awards handed out.Another equally divisive award show is Canal d’or. Since its inception, the award has amassed a huge load of credibility for itself. Year after year the event is polished and upgraded yet something is still wrong. There is a category for best artist and another for best folklore artist or group. Under the former award, one finds mainstream Makossa and Bikutsi artists. Under the other,one finds artists using parallel rhythms tagged “folklore“. One question pops to mind aren’t Makossa and Bikutsi all indigenous and folklore? Is this an implicit raising of these rhythms to the position of king rhythms and a consequent degradation of the others to lesser positions? Please,spare us the they-are-the-most-known-Cameroonian-rhythms- argument. If the world ,ignorantly, has a narrow appreciation of our music,we should not stoke their narrow-mindedness. It is not their fault for celebrating only those two rhythms. It is rather our fault for tending to help celebrate only two when we have hundreds. Makossa is sure one of our finest cultural export commodities but that doesn’t mean it is the king commodity.This dichotomy is just as divisive and discriminatory as much as Mboa Hip Hop’s “Best anglophone award”.
After years of endless criticism,the CRTV seems to have awoken from its coma and is now trying to be part of 21st century audiovisual broadcasting.This revolution is visible at the level of program content and quality.Despite this pro-audience shift,some of its leading programs do not coincide with its new slogan:at the heart of the nation.This slogan augurs a more kamer-centric leaning.However,a flagship program like “Bonjour” seems to be at the heart of other nations when one looks at its kitchen slot.Instead of celebrating Cameroonian cuisine which is a rich as it is diverse ,we are served foreign dishes.Who then will popularise “Eru”,”Khati-khati” and “N
dole” if not the country’s pioneer and national TV station. Feel free to disagree.
P-Square,J Martins,Timaya,Bracket and many more,day in day out get considerable air time on our local radios and snack bars in Cameroon.Their popularity in Cameroon has triggered criticism from some in Cameroon who cannot understand why “foreigners” have become the people’s favourite.Their resentment even pushes them to point fingers at Cameroonian radio D.Js for dedicating so much time to foreign music at the expense of national music.But is it really a problem of foreign music or better music?
Music cannot be confined to another area,it cannot be controlled so that it doesn’t intrude into another ‘s territory.Urban music ,most especially,speaks to any group of people regardless of their country.When it is brilliantly done, this remark is even more true.However, those vexed by this situation should interpret this as a call to excellence made to Cameroonian artists.If Nigerian urban music is popular then maybe this is due to an existing void which the music has come in to fill and Cameroonian artists have to churn out good and sufficient music to compete .Rather than call for some form of musical protectionism,our artists should take this as a challenge and come up with songs which can equally make their way into Nigerian airwaves. In this debate,people should keep in mind that urban music has no frontiers whereas local genres can be circumscribed to a particular area.Furthermore,we live in a free market context where the audience decides what it wants.If they decide to choose Nigerian artists then let it be.After all,Vox populi vox dei.
Cameroonian music just like African music is good rich thrilling music yet it’s exportation is dogged by many things. One of those things preventing Cameroonian music from reaching far-off frontiers is ,unfortunately, the length. Some of them are as long as 8 minutes. Please hold it right there before you utter this enormity “Were Toto Guillaume and Ange Ebogo songs not embraced despite their length”. If that’s the only bullet in your barrel then grow up because tastes and trends have changed considerably . R’n'B and rock have nothing on “Makossa” and “Mbagheuleum’ but they have stealthily became world music because their lengths tie with what media outlets allocate. We live in a world where time is a precious resource and if our musicians must get the airplay needed to popularise their music widely they must tailor them to the world trend which is about 3-4 minutes max for a song. In a world where we do not control mainstream media we have to bow to these unwritten rules else our music will never go beyond some thresholds. Even Cameroonian D.Js will confess to you that some of the songs aren’t played fully because they are too damn long and time isn’t free at any station. The world yearns for Cameroonian and African music but in the 21st century people can’t spare one whole day listening to one song. Diaspora- Cameroonian musicians have learnt the lesson but some home-based one’s have refused to listen. Isn’t it cost-wise for Rabba-Rabbi to take 7 minutes and record two songs than one. Feel free to disagree. One thing we all have a right to is an opinion.
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