I would first of all love to thank you
personally for taking some time off to read this enlightening article, one
which reveals the very nature of ALL entertainment in Cameroon. As we know,
Cameroon is a bilingual country. Granted; but is it, really? Are we as
Anglophones really proud of the bottom position we hold in the ladder of
Cameroon Entertainment?
Let’s talk about Cameroon as a bilingual
country for a moment. How bilingual are we when the media is “frenchified”,
when all the celebrities are French, when all major awards go to French
artists...and so on. Name two top musicians from Cameron. Francophones. Name
two major TV stations in Cameroon. French. Yes, French. French, French, French!
You might be thinking I am blaming the Francophones
for putting us at the periphery of the entertainment circle. No. I am not and I
will never. I blame us, the ANGLOPHONES, for letting others decide for us where
we will fit in the entertainment milieu. We as a people, a race and people of
the same cultural heritage let others dictate for us whether we will succeed or
not in the world of Cameroon Entertainment.
Now, let’s see how language affects
entertainment. I am a well renowned English stand-up comedian and entertainer. Read
carefully: ENGLISH COMEDIAN= ENGLISH COMEDY. Now, what business will I have
performing in front of French-speaking Cameroonians? Anything you do in a
language ends where that particular language is being understood. This also
goes with movies. A good English movie
cannot be screened in front of a French audience.
That being said, it is a little different
with other entertainment acts like music, modelling and dancing. Some people
may think music is language. Well...it’s really not about what the artist is
saying. It’s about the melody, the harmony, and the ‘beats’. That explains why
50 Cent is loved by people of all sorts of linguistic background, and why
Michel Telo’s song “Ai Se Eu Tu Pego” which is in Spanish, is loved by all
Cameroonians today. Dancing really has no language. Play a great song and let
the dancers thrill the crowd. You have a show. Same with modelling and fashion
designing.
Now to the main event. We, as Anglophones,
have to STOP trying to fit in the Francophone agenda. They have made a
considerable step towards writing their names in Entertainment history. We
should stop running after them, like they hold the key to our success. We must
stand up and fight as a people. With regards to entertainment in Cameroon, we
should stop viewing it as general Cameroon Entertainment, but rather as two
separate forms of entertainment in Cameroon: English Entertainment and French
Entertainment.
Take the case of the blacks in America. For
centuries, they were molested, discriminated upon, derailed, but they now outrival
in ALL areas in the American Entertainment industry. In music, we got 50 Cent.
In movies, we have Samuel L. Jackson. In stand-up comedy, there’s the great
Chris Rock. They top the charts in a country that made them slaves and took away
their dignity.
We are in Cameroon, and though the
oppression still persists, it should serve as fuel for our burning desires to
become great entertainers in the future. Rather than either resigning to our
fate or trying to be French, we should unite as one people of the same
linguistic domination, one solid force in Cameroon determined to put an end to
the French oppression in the entertainment industry.
We might be the minority, but that is in
the mind. We can achieve, but this starts when we realise who we are. We are a
marginalised people. We are looked upon as second class citizens in our own
country. That will change. It begins with you. We write about the X-Maleya’s
and the Tony Nobody’s. No disrespect. They have achieved...and helping the
French community. Not us. Let us look within ourselves and find out those who
can make us proud. Let us promote them. Jovi has made us proud. If you hate him,
fine. He made me believe Anglophones can go as far as other people of different
languages. I tip my hat to you man. Keep up.
Enough said. Now that you have been patient
to read this article, I would beseech you to believe in the Anglophone dream.
We can change the face of English Entertainment in Cameroon. We can overcome.
The dream lies in those who have the hope in their hearts. It’s time to cut off
from the French disease and do something on our own, something we will be proud
of. If you believe, then you can achieve. Keep the faith alive. Do it now.
Read and share. Spread the message
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