Meet the Cameroonian artist worth CFAF ONE HUNDRED MILLION

In 2011, Senegalese - American superstar came to Cameroon for a concert. His coming made news just as did the fact that he was paid "according to some sources" the sum of CFAF 300 million for the show. Cameroon-based media; print, audio-visual and virtual, echoed the latter fact insistently or too persistently some would say. In May 2012, it was the turn of the formidable Nigerian fraternal duo P-Square. For their performance, "some sources”, still them, were quoted as saying they had received a gargantuan sum. This time around some restraint was shown as their pay check was estimated at just about CFAF 100 million. The pre-concert ambiance was somewhat tainted by the decision of a trade union of some Cameroonians artists to use this concert as the perfect organisation to tilt media attention in their direction in a bid to focus the spotlight on their royalty tussle with the multinational mobile phone company that sponsored the event. It is during this concert that I heard talk of discontent among the Cameroonian artists invited to perform as opening acts. Apparently they felt devalued for being paid peanuts - apparently about 100,000 CFA Francs- to perform as opening acts. All this is still according to “some sources”. 

                                                                               

A war of figures

                              So far I considered all this talk of discontent from Cameroonian artist about their meagre pay check for opening act performances as rubbish from the rumour machine. However recent remarks by a Cameroonian Makosso musician on Equinox TV‘s programme “After Work” suggest this is not the idle grumble of the unrelenting rumour mill. These remarks made me understand that this feeling of discontent is actually harboured by some Cameroonian musicians. In fact it is anchored deep in individual consciences for sure. Recent comments I stumbled on Facebook have made me understand that some Cameroonian music aficionados share the above sentiment and  feel slighted at the mere thought that P-Square could receive a whopping supposedly CFA Francs 100,000,000 as a pay check for a concert they headline, in another country, whereas home-based talent receive CFA Francs 100,000 as opening acts. Mind you, P-Square were in Cameroon again last August 2014 for another concert in Yaounde and as usual speculators let their imagines run wild as to the pay check they might have gotten. I say might because this concert was for a good cause and I think they could have, why not, “Alingoed” and “given that” for free? The comment that tripped this wire was as follows roughly: why did the organisers not give the same huge check to Cameroonian artists. This brings me to my question and with all due respect: which Cameroonian artist is worth CFA Francs one hundred million. To some this is a billion dollar question but to my mind the answer is simple: NONE at this point on the entertainment scene (which some prefer to call entertainment industry. “Wo ko tauk dee matta na deefriend day”).

                                                                       

The billion dollar question

                                 Before you label me a “hater” as it is now fashionable to do, holster your passion, fandom (or fanaticism even if you don’t like) and supposed patriotism. Take out just your reason and level-headedness and politely try answering the following questions: which Cameroonian artist can keep a concert crowd spellbound for two hours with a non-stop hit performance? Which Cameroon artist is popularly known in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish -speaking Africa? There are more questions but let's make do with these two. I know the ready-made answer to the first question will be Petit-Pays but what about the second question? I know, you are scratching your heads for answer or a decent reply but spare your breath. Did I mention that by Cameroonian artist I mean only those permanently resident here in Cameroon? In case I didn't, I have now. So don’t go blurting Richard Bona or Manu Dibango (“The Cameroonian entertainment industry will be built sustainably by those who are on seat not overseas.).

The real issue is business

                    Listening to the arguments expressing dissatisfaction with paying international acts more and local acts less, I discovered that some fans as well as musicians (quite surprisingly) still have a rather peephole perception of how the music business works. There have become so accustomed to the art part that they have a hard time adjusting to the business -the realpolik- side of the thing. They recognise and understand the word music and hang onto it fanatically, maybe because it is shorter or should I see easier to understand. Sadly they seem not to know and acknowledge the existence of the term “music business” which is when the art becomes or must become a product to be sold. It is when artistry must acknowledge the economics and relevance of the former to its ultimate rise to greater heights or fall into the doldrums. This is the less banal component of the music that some Cameroonian musicians and fans alike have a hard time comprehending. Otherwise how can someone expect Akon who is known on every continent and (all due respect) Romeo Dika to play in the same league financially. This is the underlying issue. Many people in Cameroon, musicians included, still don't understand that in our capitalist age profit beats everything even hypnotic beats, voluptuous hips-don’t-lie video vixens, killing-you-softly lyrics, silky voices, killer moves and punch lines so tight you can reliably use them to hang if you’re feeling suicidal (Lol, just trying to work on my rap game). Sponsors do not dole out gargantuan sums to international acts simply because the latter are international acts. It is because of where these acts will take their brands to. It is because of the fall outs in terms of positive perception and then sales that will come from being associated with these international acts. If a local act can enable a brand penetrate a market or consolidate its position or introduce it to an all new audience then sponsors will happily pay them gold and not mere silver.

                                      The patriotism card is recurrently used to prop the sentiment expressed by the facebooker above. But expecting a company to give a massive sum to a local act merely out of some naive definition of patriotism is senseless (I previously used “stupid” before opting for senseless.) Companies aren't people and so do not make emotion-based decisions. They make calculated moves. Business is chess and every move is calculated to checkmate opposition. Companies are primarily profit-seeking entities ever indebted to only this goal. They of course have a corporate responsibility to the communities where they operate but is it responsible to give 100,000,000 CFA Francs to someone who will take your brand only as far as Mbankomo*? Companies pay their taxes and so cannot be guilted into making irrational and emotional decisions.

                            Furthermore asking companies to start pouring bags of money on musicians not because they are deserve such a high consideration but because they operate in the musician’s country is encouraging laziness and a culture of dependency. It is fostering a false sense of entitlement which can be quite misleading. Nobody is arguing that corporate financial involvement is not required for the advancement of entertainment. No, this is not the opinion in this piece. The message here is that the logic to corporate involvement has not been understood and must be, squarely by fans and especially musicians before progress can be made.

                          Many reasons can be advanced for the lack of this understanding but to my mind, three are most relevant. Firstly, Cameroonian musicians, rookies and vets alike, have refused to wake and smell the coffee: they don’t want to understand and master the business of music which complies with the laws of economics (If you want great chocolate, give great cocoa). Secondly they need to recognise and deal with the fact that their competition is global and before they can enjoy a huge payday they must produce hit after hit not just for their immediate entourage but for the world at large. Jovi needs to know he is competing for endorsements with Jay-Z. In some respects you could argue this is not fair but this is just the way it is with globalisation. Thirdly they must remember what it means to exercise a liberal profession. As liberal professionals just like lawyers, unity in the absence of standardised government-back regulations is core to their survival. They need to bond and set the tone regarding how they consider themselves and want to be considered. It is only post this bonding that they could wrest better financial consideration from sponsors for their performances.

                        These I think are conditions sine qua non for them to start hitting high bank notes because there is no charity in the music business. They need to start having more hits than tweets because the former can bring in hundreds of millions while the latter can bring in nothing more than followers. “Et ce n’est pas ce que l’artiste chop.”