Cameroon By Night: Monthly Music Roundup
Welcome to the inaugural March/February edition of our Cameroon By Night series, where each month Okayafrica contributor Paola Audrey runs down her choices for the best tracks and videos to hit Cameroon. Scroll on for the full selection and check back in April for the next roundup.
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Askia feat. J Milly "Allez Les Lions"
The World Cup is around the corner, and of course, artists are starting to release new material to support their teams. Young emcees Askia and Fluriboyz member J Milly joined forces for "Allez Les Lions," an anthem dedicated to national football team the Indomitable Lions. The video was directed by Buea-based director Mr Adrenaline.
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X-Maleya "Mama" & "Hola Me"
Yaoundé's crowd-pleasing trio X-Maleya are gearing up for an upcoming show at Paris' mythical L'Olympia venue this September. But before that, they're still releasing new videos to promote their latest album. Last week, their label Empire Company unveiled two new music videos, "Hola" and the Pit Baccardi-featuring "Mama," which comes with a dedication to "all the mothers around the world."
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Killa Mel feat. Dian O Mic "Mini Me"
If you didn't already know Douala-based rapper Killa Mel is a bad boy, the video for his latest single "Mini Mini" makes it explicit.
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Sine feat. Meiway "Je Te Ya Mo"
Sine is on a roll. After his lovely collaboration with Cameroonian 80s/90s and onwards heavyweight Petit Pays, the Yaoundé-based R&B soul-man has teamed up with Ivory Coast's Meiway on "Je Te Ya Mo" (meaning "I love you"). Directed by William Nsai, the video sees the two crooners competing for the attention of the same woman. This latest TOUCHSOUND-produced single will make its way onto Sine's upcoming LP via STM Records. You can download "Je Te Ya Mo" for free over here.
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Dareal "Françoise Foning"
His "Yaoundé Boss" remix of French rapper La Fouine's "Paname Boss" put him on the map, but Dareal has been rapping for a minute now. After releasing "C'est Quoi Ton Way" at the end of 2013, the Yaoundé MC revealed a new song titled "Françoise Foning" earlier in March. Who is Françoise Foning? She's one of Cameroon's most famous politicians and businesswomen.
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Sadrak "Les Gars De Yaounde" (produced by Le Monstre)
Hard-hitting lyricist Sadrak is the most recent (and first Francophone) addition to Jovi‘s New Bell Music. On his first single at his new label home, Sadrak nods to his Yaoundé childhood with production coming from Le Monstre (aka Jovi’s producer pseudonym).
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Bookerti "Serenade"
Former member of the SCR crew, Bookerti has been around since the early days of hip-hop in Cameroon. His latest single is a far cry far from the activism of his previous songs. Rapping about love, dating and relationships, the track may have caught some of his fans off guard. We'll have to wait for his upcoming projects to drop until we know for sure whether his creative direction has changed for good.
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Ngoma "Afe Nkap"
Newcomer afro-rapper Ngoma, who unveiled the video for his debut single "Afe Nkap" ("money issues") back in February, hails from the North-West. His album Kamer O'bosso awaits a release. In the meantime you can download the lead single here and watch its Adah Akendji-directed video above.
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Petit Champion feat. Rude Bway "Replay"
"Replay" is Petit Champion's comeback single after "C'est Rouler," released two years ago. He collaborated on this one with Da Thrill bandmember Rude Bway.
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El Kana "Wisest Perika"
Bamenda-raised/Yaoundé-based rapper El Kana made his official debut in February with "Wisest Perika" ("the smartest little guy").
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For more from Cameroon catch up on our list of 10 Cameroonian Urban Artists to Watch.