By:Nformi Sandah
The campaign said to have been launched by the Cameroonian diaspora targets the products, concerts and other activities of certain Cameroon artists who endorsed the candidacy of Paul Biya and his subsequent reelection.
Launched on social media with groundbreaking physical impact, the artist targeted are those who performed at the CPDM organized mega rally on the eve of October 7, 2018 to support the candidacy of President Paul Biya.
Some of the close to 20 musical artists affected and whose names have widely been circulated on social media are Nicole Mara, Grace Deca, Coco Argentine, Mathematic de petit pay, Mani Bella, Saint Bruno and others.
The campaigners call for a total boycott of their clips, concerts, gadgets and all that has to do with them. Some of the artists concerned have already reacted.
K’Tino in an authoritative early bird outing, said she had the right to sing or perform anywhere and for who so ever, without interference. Lambasting the Boycott Campaigners, K’Tino confidentially stated that the campaign will have no impact in her, recounting how some years ago her songs were banned from the airwaves of some media outlets for 10 years, but it left no negative impact on her career.
K’Tino in another outing challenged Prof Maurice Kamto, President and candidate of the Cameroon Renaissance movement CRM party, to speak out and Condemn the Boycott campaign which according to her is championed by CRM party supporters. She threaten to sue Campaigners at what she referred to as the ‘International court of human rights and people’s freedom’ if nothing is done to stop the campaign.
Romeo Dika, under the ‘Cent Dika Group of Cameroonian Artists’ where he is president targeted
Prof Maurice Kamto in a communiqué. He called on the CRM president to speak out on the Boycott Campaign, which he like K’ Tino believe is propagated by supporters of the Cameroon Renaissance movement party.
Mani Bella on her reaction chosed to stay with her Fans irrespective of their political standpoints. In a humble outing, Mani Bella called on Cameroonians to pardon her of any wrong decision she took in the pass. Stating that non is perfect, she regretted any step or decision taken in the pass which ended up hurting her fans. The Pala Pala women promised to be more prudent and faithful to her fans whom she said, with out them, she is nothing.
The social media fanned artists boycott has left Cameroonians divided . Some say its wrong to target artists on political matters as they only perform for the money, while others frown and question why the name of Prof Maurice Kamto be repeatedly mentioned in a campaign championed by the Diaspora.
The boycott campaign is less than a week on social media, but the pinch is already being felt by some of the artists targeted. Grace Deca’s concert in Brussels Belgium has been cancelled as a result of the threats by the Cameroonian Diaspora to Boycott . That of Coco Argentine scheduled for November 3rd in Germany was also cancelled.
K’Tino was shocked and embarrassed in France on Wednesday October 31st in France, where the venue for her planned concert was simply blocked by the Cameroonians in France supporting the boycott, who said they didn’t want to see her.
Only future Concerts will tell if fans of these politically implicated artists will heed to boycott calls or stand by them.
