Richard Bona, the Grammy award-winning Cameroonian music legend, has unleashed a wave of nostalgia with his latest track, “Il y avait quoi avant” (What Was There Before), currently making waves in Cameroon. The song serves as a response to a controversial video featuring Celestine Courtes, the minister of urbanization, who questioned what existed before Paul Biya. However, she disputed the context in which the video was analyzed.
Released today, the song has swiftly become a national sensation, guiding listeners through a poignant journey to the pre-Biya era. Bona’s lyrics vividly depict a Cameroon flourishing with prosperity, spotlighting thriving state-owned enterprises like Cameroon Airlines, SOTUC (United Transportation Company of Cameroon), SODECAO (Cameroon Development Company), SONEL (now Eneo), ALUCAM, SONARA (National Refining Company), and others. The song accentuates the easy accessibility of petrol from SONARA during Ahmadou Ahidjo’s presidency.
Bona’s evocative verses have struck a chord with Cameroonians, especially those who recall the pre-Biya period. Many perceive the song as a subtle critique of the current government, holding it responsible for the decline of once-vibrant institutions.
The song’s popularity has ignited spirited discussions both online and offline, as Cameroonians reminisce about the Ahidjo era while expressing their aspirations for the future. “Il y avait quoi avant,” just a few hours after its release, is evolving into more than just a song.
Celestine Courtes made her controversial statement during her visit to the Northern part of the country, questioning the population about what existed before Biya, who has been in power for 41 years.
Several former state-owned companies that existed before Biya are now shadows of their former selves. The Yagoua Rice Expansion and Modernization Company (SEMRY), once rescued from bankruptcy multiple times, now lies in ruins. The Cameroon Sugar Company (SOSUCAM) has been sold to the French. The Cameroon Wheat Development Company (SODEBLE) has been destroyed and closed. The Société des tanneries et cuirseries du Cameroun (STPC) is also closed.
Other casualties include the Cameroonian Fertilizer Company (SOCAME), the Cameroon Graphic Workshops (AGRACAM), Cameroon Airlines (CAMAIR), Cameroon Shipping Lines (CAMSHIP), Cameroon Sugar Company (CAMSUCO), National Centre for Assistance to Small and Medium Enterprises (CAPME), Cellulose du Cameroun (CELLUCAM), Caisse d’épargne postale (CEP), Direction Générale des Grands Travaux (DGTC), among many others.
Richard Bona’s “Il y’avait quoi avant” is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
