Global Fandom: Mbong M. Mai (Cameroon)
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Secrets and Styles in Popular Culture: Youths’ Krotal Cameroun Nâ yâh feat Jahel Video
Cameroun nâ yâh (feat Jahel)
Refrain :
Ring di alarm / anoda soul si dying / oohh / Faisons sonner l'alarme / plus rien ne va regardes bien / Ntondobe ma sili na yâ o né / I wa yen foâ infâ bi toâ ? / Cameroun ma sili wa nâ yâ ? / I wa tsog nâ bi ne dzâm kuî ???
Krotal :
Aveuglés par un monde sourd / à nos appels le silence nous a doté de la parole et sans appel / Mon coeur de lion depuis n'a plus de crinière / mais juste un collier de barbe et sur son pelage des tâches de Panthères
Un jour tu gagnes comme un jour tu perds / à défaut d'être un roi gars appelles moi juste chef einh / dès la naissance c'est le tiercé les dés sont lancés réfugié dans le rêve la lune m'a brûlé les ailes / En vol plané bien qu'ayant sorti mes flaps / ma destinée s'est écrasée sur une table de craps / à les entendre vivre est une maladie chronique / et si mes fauve sont blessés le Hiphop est une clinique / En attendant le changement / ou que la nous console au bord de la console on fait tourner l'Odontol / Trop tôt pour beaucoup c'est le ghetto / pour les getam babylon a mit un veto / ça sert plus à rien petit que tu te leves tôt / l'avenir appartient ici à ceux qui se baissent tôt .
Refrain ...
Jahel :
Wow !!!
C'est une histoire de quoi ? / De monarchie d'anarchie ou de droit ? Stop !!! / Faut arrêter de nous prendre pour des chèvres / faut arrêter de nous abrutir au jus de maïs / Un peuple acculturé moderne entre guillemets berné par un système éducatif de bornés mort - nés / Ici on ne peut plus accepter d'être / et si l'écart se creuse c'est que la classe sociale est polarisée / Donc nos histoires sont faites de lances et de flèches / de peuples Moundang ou de Guinarous qui se réveillent / passe passe l'Essingan que je développe ma pensée / pour ceux qui ont traversé l'âge de la pipé taillée / aveuglés par l'école et les diplômes la vie à fait qu'ici les jeunes se pètent pour s' en sortir / Trop de pression y'a le feu dans les backs / les animaux se lâchent et y'a le feu dans la brousse / y ' en a qui volent tuent pillent / au nom de la religion torturent en démocratie
Refrain ...
Krotal :
Aveuglés par un monde sourd / à nos appels le silence nous a doté de la parole et sans appel / On nous a dit pour évoluer faut go au school / familles démunies donc à l'église on se colle / même si chez les curés après les cours c'est la tourmente / combien se barrent en courant des viols et des tournantes / Les vies prennent des virages / des directions opposées / déjà à contre - courant bien avant même de poser l'espoir fait vivre / mais ici le droit de vivre est une marque déposée / l'essence de ma musique et ses idées sont ménopausées / Le Cameroun vit quand Yaoundé respire / le pays subit l'asphyxie si la vérité se respire / falsifier jusqu'à notre histoire t'inquiètes on vit dans le faux donc du mensonge on s' inspire / 2013 on paye pour leurs erreurs / subir le ndem ou mourir en martyr / Si le savoir est une arme je suis calibré comme le B.I.R / En attendant le meilleur j'ai appris à maîtriser le pire
Refrain ...
Krotal is among the first hip hop musician in Cameroon with thousands of fans. Thought-provocative about the youth situation in Cameroon, he protrays the regime in place that has crippled the youth with no hope for the future. For example:” stop treating us as goats/stop stupefying us with corn’s juice. A community asleep through an education system of blind dead-born…/ the country is suffocating…/ while waiting for the best, I have learned to master the worst”. Such are some of its words. The language used here is a combination of French, English and a local language as illustrated on the refrain. This type of expression is common among Cameroonian musicians and hip hop musician in particular. This style of expression, typical of Cameroonian youth, appears to orchestrate well with the local youth.
This style of language, synchronizing with the youth population in general and drawing a large number of fans in the process will be investigated. We will also explore the cross-border and commercialization of such Cameroonian styles.
Art of Attracting Massive Followers in Cameroon
Popular culture generally refers to those type of things that have mass accessibility and appeal to the wider population. The football sports for instance and its associated lead figures like Samuel Eto’o Fils in Cameroon has the highest number of fans and followers on the three major social media namely; Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. It goes without saying that popular culture goes hand-in-hand with its fans and followers and on specific media. In the modern West as in Africa, pop culture refers to services and products such as music, art, fashion, dance, film, cyber culture, television, and radio that are consumed by majority of the society’s population. The focus of this project however will be the Cameroonian hip hop culture from a metapragmatic perspective as portrayed on social media. Metapragmatics describes relations between different discourses in linguistics and thus relates to aid in understanding certain aspects of culture inter-subjectively (Overstreet and Yule, 2002).
Hip hop can be defined as a subculture, of which artists and youths use for self-expression or self-definition, and as a tool for resistance. This relates to (Wortham, 2006) assertion that youths, can use language to co-construct (inter)subjectivities and related identities. For example, in expressing the youth frustration and rage about unemployment, Valsero in 2002 wrote the songs ‘Ce pays tue les jeunes’ (This country kills the youths) and ‘Ne me parlez plus de ce pays’,(Do not talk to me about this country anymore) which rapidly became very popular, especially among the disillusioned youth who could identify with the harsh realities in his songs.
In Cameroon, there is dearth in this area of research with just one referenced article on Cameroon hip hop in 2013 by Wakai, Kangsen Feka which was published in a magazine. The hip hop artists and the youths whom they represent become an important constituent in the socio-political and economic development or the lack of these in the country.
Given the Anglo-French background in the already multicultural and multilingual setting of Cameroon this genre of music becomes multifaceted as stimulated (Nyamjoh and Fokwang, 2005) by either the many other music genres and/or the many languages and cultures of this country. Thus, other genres of music and their expansion would require a comparative glance to ascertain the place of Hip hop as a sub-culture. To do this, first, I briefly outline the history of hip hop, and its expansion, second, the language of hip hop as expressed by local artists and finally the use hip hop as an identity will be reviewed below and the finally, the implications thereof. Cameroonian hip hop musicians use a language style typical of local contemporary youth’s expression, which enable them to synchronize with their large youth population followers. It is this style of language enabling such synchronicity that we aim to explore.
A brief account of hip hop
Historically, it is believed that hip hop was born at a birthday party in Bronx in the early ‘70s (History.com Editors).But in reality, the roots of hip hop can be traced as far back as the 40s in Jamaica, where it gradually evolved to street corners by the ‘60s. Only by the 70s was this phenomenon to become popular in the United States, particularly in the Farragut Projects in Brooklyn, NY. Among the earliest DJs then, were; Kool, Maboya, and Plummer who mostly played disco music. As the love for hip hop increased, so too was the controversy about what sub categories of music actually defined hip hop. Hip hop and most of its subgenres are often defined by the artist’s lifestyle, sound, subject as well as where an artist comes from. This project explores the hip hop sub culture in Cameroon while acknowledging the different facades of popular culture.
The Origin and artist behind the evolution of Cameroon hip hop.
Traditionally, the Hip-hop genre was associated with resistance (Mbock 1996, Nyamjoh 1999). On contrary, other popular local genres such as bikusi, makossa, bottle dance, soukous or bend skin among others, usually relate to celebration and happiness in general where themes such as love, social problems, sex and relationship issues are expressed. While the many most genre of music all over the country tend to derive from specific linguistic groups, hip hop on the contrary, is associated with youth movement that bring to the fore new music, language and art. According to Nyamnjoh and Fokwang, Bikutsi and Makossa, they argue, became popular thanks to the emergence of His Excellency, Biya as head of state since Biya is from this region of the country. But it took almost two decades for hip-hop to establish itself and become as popular as the genres mentioned above. This so because in the beginning, hip-hop was marginalised and associated with angry youths. However, this was not always the case with some pioneering artists namely Benjo, Stars System, Bashiru, Ak Sang Grave and so on. This master genre has musical themes that are different from other genres, offering platforms for youths to speak up for socio-political issues they believe in. In this light, hip hop unfolded in Cameroon in fascinating ways in the ‘80s. As this genre gained more grounds in the ‘90s, Louis Tsoungi purchased a recording studio, and alongside Paul Edouard Etoundi and Patrice Bahina in 1998 and started Mapane records in the capital city of Cameroon-Yaoundé in 2000. This became one of the most important music labels of the 2000s, championed by artists such as Krotal, Ak Sang Grave, Bashirou, Ebene and others. The first album to be released under this label was Yaounde Pour La Planete in 2002 by Ak Sang Grave. Following from this, other emergent hip hop musical labels were to spread over the country.
Despite its status as a latecomer among Cameroonian musical genres, two decades since it first emerged, hip-hop has undergone a series of transformations and today is no longer associated with disgruntled youths, but rather with social consciousness and musical innovation. Today, Stanley Enow’s ‘Hein Pere’ (2013) from his EP Tumuboss has become the first of a MTV Africa Music Award winner in the Best New Act category in 2014 in Durban-South Africa. This album explores complicated issues of hardship, and faith and flaunts his Cameroonian-ness on almost every level – culturally, thematically, linguistically and stylistically.
Stanley Enow - Hein Père (Official Music Video)
Hein Père
{Intro}
Stanley Enow, Stanley Enow
Bayangi boy huh
You know what it is, hehe!
Hein pere!
Hein pere!
Listen, check!
{Verse 1:}
I don waka no be small, see ma foot
Up down around town see ma boots
Ma foot dem di worry need Dschang shoes
Like Banso man I di fight fo ma oun
Tara dem di gossip, hala hala
No time for dirty fight man, pala pala
Hustle hard nigga I di waka waka
Go slow go slow, hein Jaga Jaga
Hein! Etantimomanyang hein!
Niggas holla back I never rest yo
Been working so hard with the king yo
Thank you Tony Nobody this is me hein
Hein père! say what!
Pour tout mes gars du mboko,mes tatats
Soso go before no matter what
Ask Petit Pays na God go pay
Hein père!
{Hook: x2}
Nous on est au quat on est high père!
Et comme mes gars du mboko on dit "Hein père" (Hein Père)
Hein Père (Hein Père)
Hein Père (Hein Père)
Yes yes yes yes c’est pour mes frères père!
Oh boy we dey fo qwata on est high père!
Et comme mes gars du mboko on dit "Hein père" (Hein Père)
Hein Père (Hein Père)
Hein Père (Hein Père)
Yes yes yes yes c’est pour mes frères père!
{Verse: 2}
Mami nyanga, rouge à levre kos kos
Straight bensikin wanna see Mr Cosmos
Don petite seour wanna get rich at all cost
Ma’ala, Kamdem wanna be a boss-boss
Hein Pere! Sexy Makero
Ova don na mbout oh boy da wan na lapiro
Jean Michel Kankan donne moi mon marigo
Djobolos vient on va au beignet Haricot yeah!
Yémalé! Sharp sharp,chakak koubi,zing zing,fap fap
Don petite soeur I go take you for la’akam
Work dat body,gi you small Kanwang
Muah!!
Charlotte Dipanda I go marry you
Lady Ponce I go marry you
Karyce Fotso I go marry you
I go marry you, I go, I go marry you yeah
{Hook: x2}
Nous on est au quat on est high père!
Et comme mes gars du mboko on dit "Hein père" (Hein Père)
Hein Père (Hein Père)
Hein Père (Hein Père)
Yes yes yes yes c’est pour mes frères père!
Oh boy we dey fo qwata on est high père!
Et comme mes gars du mboko on dit "Hein père" (Hein Père)
Hein Père (Hein Père)
Hein Père (Hein Père)
Yes yes yes yes c’est pour mes frères père!
{Outro: End}
Stanley Ebai Enow is referred to as the Cameroonian King Kong with over 400.000 followers on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnEh1dU7bfY). Enow is a Cameroonian rapper, radio and TV presenter, and voice actor. He is the co-owner of the record label, Motherland Empire. He began writing rap lyrics break dancing while at high school. With his English-French bilingual background and multi talents, Enow quickly combined his talents and showbiz personality to become part of the new generation of the hip hop movement in Cameroon. With Hein Père (where hien is a typical Cameroonian slang which means what; usually used to seek clarification or express surprise) and Père, (a French word meaning dad/father but in slang language would mean guy, man, buddy etc.), literally, it meaning What buddy!), while sticking to the hip hop gangster style, Enow’s clip and language has no vulgarity, a thing very rare to find in hip hop nowadays.
Apart from his talents, Enow performed with a lot of Cameroonian originality, the language style where his lyrics and street stories are in typical Cameroonian Pidgin English and French spiced with Lapiro-like flavour of slangs. His intentionally sloppy sounding voice over the beat makes it look like he is drunk and high on some kind of drug. To crown it all, Enow appears as patriotic when he is shown on a few scenes draped with the Cameroon flag. This song has taken him round the world and to the Unity Palace where he performed in front of the Presidential couple. In addition, to this, he has also created a social movement with Hein Père.
In the above video clip, the fans and followers of Stanley Enow are presented life in the capital city of the country Yaounde. Notice that Cameroon is a country made up of both English and French regions. As shown above, Stanley is from the minority English-speaking Cameroon. Yet, from the response and attitude he gets, it shows how Stanley’s followers and fans cut across both national and international boundaries.
In addition to these fans and followers, hip hop is prominent for nurturing and preserving collaboration among artists. In the above video clip, Stanley Enow was invited on stage by a hip hop artist from another country who apparently is a legend in the domain, compared to young Stanley, and so, he was invited to perform in Cameroon. In hope, to hear the famous “Hein Pere”, once more, he eagerly asked Stanley for an impromptu performance. But Stanley instead sang “My way” which the audience and fans still welcomed as shown above. While expressing his love and admiration for Stanley he quickly announced their (Stanley and himself) up-coming album and mentioned his preference “Hein Pere”. At the mention of this, Stanley quickly switches and sang parts of the second verse of “Hein Pere” that was happily received by the audience who sang along with him and followed his gestures.
Below is a video clip of my way.
References & Further Reading
Clark, Misa Kibona. 2012. “Hip hop as Social Commentary in Accra and Dar es Salaam”. African Studies Quarterly 13(3):23-24.
MBOCK, C. G. (ed.), Cameroun : pluralisme cultel et convivialité (Edition Nouvelle du Sud, Paris, 1996).
Nyamnjoh, Francis B. & Jude Fokwang. 2005. “Entertaining Repression: Music and politics in Postcolonial Cameroon.” African Affairs:245.
NYAMNJOH, F. B., ‘Cameroon: a country united by ethnic ambition and difference’, African Affairs 98, 390 (1999), pp. 101–18.
Overstreet, M. and Yule, G., 2002. The metapragmatics of and everything. Journal of Pragmatics, 34(6), pp.785-794.
Onambélé, Paul Edouard Etoundi. “Les Musiques Urbaines au Cameroun de 1983 à nos Jours.” (Unpublished Ministry of Culture Document)
Wakai, Kangsen Feka. “A New Chapter in the Kamer (Cameroon) Hip-Hop Files: A Review of Jovi Le Monstre’s H.I.V (Humanity is Vanishing)”. Bakwa Magazine <http://bakwamagazine.com/2013/04/26/music-review-a-new-chapter-in-the-kamer-cameroon-hip-hop-filesand-there-was-jovi-le-monstre-a-review-of-h-i-v-humanity-is-vanishing/(link is external)
Wortham, S. (2006). Learning identity: The joint emergence of social identification and academic learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mbong M. Mai completed a PhD in Language and Communication at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Mai’s research interests include curriculum language and culture, language and identity, transformation, language and migration, entrepreneurship, and globalisation with interesting findings, some of which relate to the well-established perspectives on centre-periphery, territoriality, and identity formation. Mai has served as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Communication and Media Sties at the University of Johannesburg (UJ)., and as an Academic coordinator at the office of the Vice Chancellor: Academic Affairs for the Division for Postgraduate Studies at the University of the Western Cape and as a Sociolinguistics and Super-diversity fellow for the Max Plank Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity. Currently, Mai is a researcher32 at the UJ.
