Its disrespectful how the BBC pigeonholed a great artist: A protest singer is a ridiculous description of Lapiro de Mbanga by the BBC. To millions of Cameroonians, he was a hero; a brave political activist and tiredless human rights campaigner with a commanding presence and a contagious likeability that compelled even his enemies to develop a love hate relationship with him. He was so good and unique that his music became their guilty pleasures. It is also worth mentioning that he collaborated with the likes of Jimmy Cliff, Sunny Okonsun and Fela Kuti back in his hey days. Most importantly, Lapiro was an accomplished self-taught artist who wrote his own songs, produced some of them and played 5 different musical instruments instruments perfectly. He unreservedly championed the voice of the poor and underdogs in a dictatorial regime that saw so called intellectuals transformed into what I call intellectual gatecrashers. Like many kids growing up in Cameroon in the 90,s I benefitted a lot from his music and courage and since I was privilege to listen to talks by the late Bate Besong while a student in the University of Buea, I would like to remark that Lapiro was the Bate Besong of the streets. The freedom he exerted in his music was unrivalled , engaging and as boundless as the sea and even today when I paint, I am always thrilled by the aspiration to emulate that sort of eloquent poetic crispness with a brush and paint. Even though he betrayed and hurt a few when he became part of the government, Id say anyone who is perfect should come forward and be counted! The role he played in the initiation of multi-party politics in Cameroon cannot be overemphasised. He would be remembered as a father, a husband, a brother, a poet, a musician, a hero and as Cameroons most prolific political activist. Yet his humility would always have his complice them for kumba, Nkwen motor park, and marché central, to fondly refer to him as Tara, Ndinga man, and, ndoss. Lapiro fought for freedom of all till the last minute of his life and this is testified by his last speech in Oslo Norway during the last Oslo Freedom Forum which could be viewed by following this Youtube Link: youtu.be/gccRQPa84GQ Otherwise YouTube Lapiro de Mbanga Oslo Freedom Forum. Hope The Cameroon Government would have the respect to solicit in taking his remains back to Cameroon and officiate the immortalisation status that he so deserved. BBC please do your research well in order to avoid making such nonchalant assertions. My favourite of his songs is Fogo Mawo and the lates album titled demissionez and my best memory was meeting him in The American embassy in Cameroon in 2002.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:44:44 +0000
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