Polemic: Who will celebrate our own fallen stars?

The  recent demise of  famed r’n’b diva Whitney Houston  seems to have caste a spell on the world. All over , the Whitney stock seems to be at an all- time high. In Cameroon, this worldwide fervour manifested itself through tributes,small and meagre to the fallen star. This is a good initiative though and it got me wondering. Who celebrates or will celebrate our fallen stars ? If yes,is it done with the same pomp and pageantry, scale and sales ? The Cameroonian music family has suffered its  fair share of losses; Eboa Lotin, Francis Dom, Tom Yoms just to name a few. Yet these legends have progressively slipped away from the public memory because few , if not nobody, border to keep their flame burning. Despite their immeasurable contribution to our socio-cultural heritage, those who matter and should have failed to resurrect their memories  and keep them alive in every generation. Even those artists who owe and profess loyalty to these our fallen stars have failed to give them the due consideration by way of tribute, memorial concerts and etc. If they have, other actors like journalists and the State  have failed  to give these events  their deserved importance. I agree with you,Whitney Houston was a global icon. Agree with me that Francis Dom and Eboa Lotin were local icons whose   popularity reached all the nooks and crannies of this nation. But on the anniversary of their deaths, do recognition and tribute sprout from every corner of this country. Do cameroonian artists come together with the same passion to celebrate them as they would do or are doing for others. If we do not  raise our fallen stars ,who will? Justin Bieber ? I don’t think so. Why should we keep respecting people who do not have us on their compass. Why do we keep abandoning those who had us in their sights while they were here ? We all share responsibility for protecting and promoting the legacy of our stars. Feel free to disagree or better still agree after watching this Eboa Lotin classic.

Nchanji

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