There
is a background to the current grudge Cameroonian artists have with music from
without Cameroon and the Cameroonian music consuming public. Street legend has
it that while foreign stars like Sean Paul , Akon and most recently P-Square, I think, were paid around
a 1,000,000 CFAF to come perform in Cameroon, Cameroonian artists enlisted to
serve as opening acts got a 100,000 CFAF. Remember I said street legend and not
official sources holds these figures to be true. Whatever the case, press
reports suggest that a wave of discontent gripped the Cameroonian music scene
when P-Square came to Cameroon. This suggestion and the feudy exchange I had on
social media left me with one question, generally – speaking what are
Cameroonian artists worth? By Cameroonian artists I mean those operating on the
local music scene. This means the so-called diapora – based artists are
excluded as well as Petit – Pays because he is an EXCEPTION. So what is an
average Cameroonian artist worth? I would have loved to use the name of an
actual artist but that might come off as disrespectful and that’s not my
intention. So I’ll just proceed generally. What do I mean by what is a
Cameroonian artist worth? If it is announced that the average Cameroonian
artist is headlining a show, how many people will show up? How many will show
and be ready to pay a 1000 CFAF for the entry ticket so that concert promoter
can pay the artist let's say 5,000,000 CFAF for the show and still make a
profit when all is said and done? Remember in the word showbiz, business is the
end of everything. How many Cameroonian artists can headline a show and take a
crowd hostage with a 2 hour slew of hits punctuated with brilliant choreography
and stuff? This is what I mean by what is the average Cameroonian artist worth?
Personally I think he/she isn’t worth much, not much at all.
So
whose fault is it that Cameroonian artists aren’t worth much? Is it the
government’s? No, not fundamentally. We are in a free-market economy where the
forces of demand and supply, and not government, determine the value or WORTH
of things. We also live in the 21st century where you don’t need the
latest - gadgeted studio to craft a hit. Is it the fault of the private sector
sponsors then? Once again no, not fundamentally. As unfortunate as it may be, we
live in profit - minded world where most companies will dole out one hundred
million of any currency only when they’re sure to get a return on investment.
So is it the fault of the Cameroonian music-consuming public that their
unenthusiastic consumption of local music has floored the worth of their
home-bred talent? No, not fundamentally. In a globalised world, people have a
right to gravitate towards what pleases them and if you want to drag their
attention youwards you better please them. So is it the fault of the artists? I
hate to say this but YES, it is their fault mainly. The average Cameroonian
artist still lives with the illusion that the Cameroonian music - consuming
public owes them the patriotic favour of supporting them.NO, HELL NO. They also
forget that music in the 21st century is a product and entertainment
is an industry. So just as our boxer matches must compete with blue-tip matches
from Pakistan so too must their products compete with those from other
countries. Duc – Z’s ‘African mamy’ isn’t at the top of the charts because it
is Cameroonian. It is because it is simply good.
Less
I forget, doesn’t it strike you as odd that in our entertainment parlance,
those doing music are still referred to as artists and musicians instead of
stars, performers and entertainers? This is perception and this not the fault
of government, private sector sponsors or the public. Our artists don’t brand
themselves as 100,000,000 CFAF acts. While other artists perform ours still
only sing. While other artists entertain, ours still only dance. In the face of
an entertainer, musicians aren’t worth much. Feel free to think otherwise.
