Cameroonian artists

We Have Always Been Cool

It is 1 a.m.; I’m sitting in a popular Yaoundé cabaret. The live band is covering various Cameroonian hits and people are jamming. As I look around the room, I see men and women swaying from side to side, eyes closed, to the rhythms of their dear country. It is a beautiful sight and all that comes to my mind is: We Have Always Been Cool.

Cameroonian music doesn’t need a savior

Frankly, Cameroonian music doesn’t need a savior. We don’t need anyone reminding us that being Cameroonian is cool. We know this. We have known this. Yes, some of our music videos may look less than desirable, but the music? Our music has always been stellar. You would not know it by the onslaught of “urban music” lately with its promoters and advocate telling you that this is all there is.

We have a history of great music. Do I have to remind you of Francis Bebey?

Or Ekambi Brillant?

Or Charlotte Mbango?

What we label urban music is just a small part of our musical heritage, and reducing all that has been accomplished to it borders the insulting. But I digress.

We were cool when Michael Jackson decided to “borrow” Mama Ko, Mamassa, Mamakossa from Manu Dibango’s Soul Makossa. We were cool when André-Marie Tala saw parts of his Hot Koki’s album “used” by James Brown without his consent. We were cool when Sam Fan Thomas sang for Mandela. We were cool when Eboa Lotin sang Ngon’a Mulato and Tom Yom’s subsequently covered it. We were cool when he and Charlotte Bango sang Senga To.

We were cool when Sam Fan Thomas sang for Mandela

We were cool when Beko Sadey told us that “le patron est en mission” or when Kotto Bass sang and we would jokingly imagine the lyrics to say “il s’est moqué de mon pied”.  We were cool when Atebass told us that Bikutsi “se danse avec ou sans cavalière”. We were cool when a Zangaléwa song was used in the 2010 world cup anthem. We are still cool when Stanley Enow invites us to say “Hein Père” with him, when Coco Argentée tells her man “je vais te piloter” or when Mani Bella is inviting us to tell all the naysayers “saute et cale en l’air”. I should stop here, you get the point.

 

All of this to say that we don’t need a chosen one to get us out of some mediocre tunnel who only exist in the mind of people unaware of how much we have given the world musically.

Cameroonians are aware of the legacy that has been left to them by the great musical minds of this dear nation of ours. They may not all know Jovi but pop some Eboa Lotin and see if people don’t start jamming and singing along. They may not be aware of who Magasco or Duc-Z are but they all know an Ekambi Brillant. I’m not disputing nor am I denying these new acts’ contribution to our cultural landscape but we have to understand that they are the latest chapter of a rich, interesting and fascinating Cameroonian musical journey.

We don’t have an identity crisis

We don’t have an identity crisis as far as our music is concerned. We may have problems marketing outside of the country, but here? Cameroonians know and love what is being offered to them. Now excuse me I have to end it here, Maurice Njoume’s Maimouna is playing…How cool is that?

What we label urban music is just a small part of our musical heritage Click To Tweet

 

 

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  1. #RETRO237 or when a hashtag becomes a trending topic - Moshare Magazine

    […] If you made your way around Cameroonian twitter last night, or #twitter237 as we affectionately call it, you would have witnessed a full on party. Cameroonians all over the world shared, via the hashtag, old hits that have marked the country’s musical scene. It was a night full of fun and reminiscence that brought the whole community together. Youtube links were passed around like hot cakes, people shared stories and we saw a genuine outpouring of love for Cameroonian music. […]


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