HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!

As the clock strikes twelve
All bad habits we must shelve
To see in a new day
Hoping and praying for new ways
A new dawn
A new yearn
Here comes a new tomorrow!
So good bye all my sorrow!
For I will know you no more
Just like the days before
A new me I want to explore!
(Cynthia Tabe)

Take this time to reflect on the past year and the coming year and I hope all you wish for this new begining comes your way, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!
In all things, don't forget to give thanks to GOD.
From Ngum and myself.
Stay sweet and blest
Dulce
xxx

AND THE WINNER IS....

Miss Cameroon UK 2008 took place on Saturday the 20th December 2008 at the Polish Centre in Hammersmith, London.

The finalists were Sophia Ayuk from South West, Octavei Bei from Littoral, Naomi Bucharri from North West, Marcelline Menyie from South West, Josiane Nzuekeu from West, Irene Muma from Central, Christiane Dawwe from West and Barry Jackson from Littoral.

...winner is Christiane Dawwe!

Miss Sophia Ayuk = 1st runner up

Miss Barry Jackson = 2nd runner up

The judges were ready and waiting and with the stage all cleared and set, the lights on, the show started. The two presenters Dominique and Yolanda started by introducing to the crowd 2 singing duo by the name of Essence who came out and did their thing.

Miss Christiane Dawwe being crowned by the Deputy High Commissioner for The Republic of Cameroon, His Excellency Mr Denis Nyuydzewira

The girls were presented according to their numbers to the judges and the crowd and their first show was their presentation of a traditional dance which they all did very well apart from some hiccups from the DJ who kept stalling on the music.

The casual wear category was a bit confusing as all but one of the contestants came out in actual casual wear. The rest were far too dressed up to be considered casual. The traditional wear was in fact African wear as none of the girls came out in any traditional gear to represent their respective tribes or provinces as this category suggests. Nevertheless, the contestants came out and gave it all they got. The two contestants who stood out in this category were Irene Muma who dazzled in what she was wearing and Christiane Dawwe who wooed the crowd when she came out. Her dress was beautiful and it also bared on the chest of the dress, the green red yellow of the Cameroonian flag.

Evening Wear Category

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In the swim wear category, the girls all looked fantastic in the colours and styles they chose to present. One contestant who was missing from this line up was Josiane Nzeukeu. She had not been marked on the first 2 rounds because she turned up late for the show and she later felt the need to drop out of the competition altogether.

The final category was question time and the same question of “If you were the Barack Obama of Cameroon, what would you do to improve the lives of the Cameroonian people” was asked to all the girls. They all had good responses however, Christiane’s response totally blew the crowd away. I spoke to her after she had been crowned Miss Cameroon 2008 to see how she practiced her answer and she just said that it all came to her on the spot. She opened her mouth and the right words came out in the right order too. She totally appears to be very confident and capable of holding the title and representing Cameroon at whatever level and of course, her beauty shone too.

Swimwear

***********************************************************************

The show was good there is definitely room for improvement especially if the organisers want to attract more sponsors and more crowd. The night ended at the newly refurbished Black & White nightclub where the remaining contestants and the winner danced together with the rest of the crowd followed by some entertainment provided by some Cameroonian artists.

Casual wear category

*************************************************************************

The other winners on the night included:-
Best Traditional Wear = Christiane Dawwe
Best Evening Wear = Barry Jackson
Miss Photogenic 2008 = Sophia Ayuk
2nd Runner up = Barry Jackson
1st Runner up = Sophia Ayuk

Contestants during the traditional dance

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And that was it folks!

Stay sweet

Dulce

xxx

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!

From Ngum and myself, have a good one!

Stay Sweet

Dulce

xoxo

THE RISING & SHINING STARLETTE!

Miss multi-talented and multi-faceted, a real gem and a darling to talk to. She is a sweet girl with a very caring heart who is striving to put both Cameroon and Africa on the map. Her positivity and drive is definitely worth noting.
I believe she will make it because of her sheer determination and passion and I also think that her efforts to help in Cameroon will pay off.
Below is her interview, Happy Reading!

Name: Sophy Aida
Age: 21
Location: New York, USA

DC: What is your favourite colour and why?
SA: My favourite colour is black because it is a colour that goes well with everything and it is also very elegant. You cannot go wrong with black and you always have the little black dress which makes you feel sexy or the black shoes which you can wear with a pair of jeans.

DC: Who is Sophy Aida?
SA: Erm, well, who am I? I am a young Cameroonian woman, an artist at heart who loves everything that relates to Art, from performance, to sculpture, to painting. I am a very dedicated, confident and strong woman who is just trying her best to put Cameroon on the map.

DC: What do you do to relax?
SA: I like to play the guitar, I always wanted to learn it. I write a lot of scripts, which is a way to get off my mind anything negative. I also practise Capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts originally from Angola and it helps me to de-stress and gets my mind off negativity too. I also sing and take voice lessons.

DC: How did you get into show biz?
SA: Erm, basically I started theatre when I was 2 years old in Cameroon. I had to grow out of it because it wasn’t a popular choice so when I moved to the US, I became exposed to the entertainment industry even more and I saw that I could go to school to learn and earn a qualification in this field. About 2 years ago, I started by auditioning for plays, did some short films and an independent feature film. By doing this, I met a lot of people and also got the opportunity to attend the American Black Film festival in 2007 where I met more people and also partook in a boot camp class with the actor Bill Duke. He saw my potential and told me to develop my talent and that he wanted to work with me too. This is where I suddenly knew that this field of work could be for me after all.
When I went back to Orlando, Florida where I was living, I immediately packed my stuff and headed back to New York where the opportunities were and that was in early 2008. When I moved, I looked for an acting school and whilst there I met someone who was looking for a host for a show and I was given the position in a show about African News. I was not passionate enough about this so my then boss put me through to someone else who was looking for a host on a show on the Black Entertainment Experience and that is how I got my break into TV and people started to hear about me in the community.

DC: What future stuff are you working on?
SA: I am in talks with Optimum Radio to host a 2 hour French music show. I am also talking to an online TV network about a potential show too. My love and passion is still acting and I am working towards that.

DC: Were you formally trained?
SA: I was trained on the job on the presenting side and right now I am going to “New School” for general studies. I like to get a degree in film directing so that I can go back to Cameroon and develop that industry.

DC: Do you get star struck?
SA: No, not really. I feel that we are all the same. They are individuals like me who just took their passion forward!

DC: What did your parents say about your choice of career?
SA: Well, erm, they didn’t understand, especially my father. He wanted me to work in something more specific in order to have a “normal” life because they did not see where acting was going to take me. They could not understand why someone would want to become a professional entertainer but when they saw my passion, they became more supportive and encouraging. My mum especially is very involved and aware of everything I do.

DC: Do you think the views of our parents are changing?
SA: Yes I do. I think they are getting more open minded especially as the young Africans are getting more opportunities to travel abroad and experience newer things. With TV and the way the media is nowadays, they are seeing that the world is moving forward and there are even some parents now who are pushing their children towards this not so typical career paths! I can definitely see some changes which I thought would never happen!

DC: What are your passions?
SA: Acting is my first love. Humanitarian work is also another passion and I am actually trying to start an NGO that will help young men and women in Cameroon through theatre. I hope to launch that in 2010. I want to be an actress to be able to give back.

DC: Who or what is your inspiration?
SA: My first inspiration is my mother. Being an African woman is not that easy but she managed through. She went through a lot and despite this she was still there for all her children. My father too is my inspiration because through hard times, he was there and still is there working hard to provide for all his children. The last one is Oprah Winfrey because when I was young, I watched the film “the colour purple” and in that film there was a character called “Sofia” who was a strong woman who knew what she wanted and I wanted to be just like that woman especially as her name was somewhat related to mine. It was not until I moved to the US that I realised that that character was played by Oprah! I was having so many doubts too about my career choice because of all the negativity I was getting and after watching Oprah’s life story on TV, I knew that nothing was impossible. I knew that through dedication and hard work you could make it.

DC: What do you think about the TV standards in Cameroon?
SA: To be honest I didn’t even realise that there were more than 2 TV channels in Cameroon! When I went back home, I had no time to watch TV at all! Nevertheless, from what I remembered while I was growing up I knew that there were a lot of repeats and short shows. The news is now better, the décor too is better and I was really impressed There seem to be people who are making moves to change things, which is great.

DC: You always look absolutely great, do you have a stylist?
SA: Thank you [she laughs] No, I don’t have a stylist but I am very fashion forward. I put everything together myself. I think I have a flair for fashion and I love vintage! I love to put different styles together to see what it looks like. I am very daring and not afraid at all. As you can see, I am rocking an afro!

DC: Yeah, and I am loving it too!
SA: Thank you. I am also trying different styles with my hair too!

DC: If you were God for a day, what would you do?
SA: Wow, that is a hard question! Ok, I will put Africa on the map by making it more positive so that people can see it as one of the great continents too. I would lower the rate of suffering that is going on in world and make more people proud of where they were from.

DC: Do you think coming to the US has helped your career choice?
SA: Oh yeah….no doubt about it. I cannot lie and say no not really. I believe that if I hadn’t come to the US, I wouldn’t have seen that my passion was recognisable. Even when I was in France, there were little opportunities for ethnic minorities but when I came to the US, It was completely different. I f I were still in Cameroon, I wouldn’t have been able to do this and that is why I want to take this back there to show that anything is possible.

DC: What is your goal?
SA: My ultimate goal is to build an Arts school in Cameroon that will give scholarships to talented kids in any form of Arts, from singing to instrument playing, to acting, painting, sculpting etc. I am currently working towards this goal as I will need the money to finance the scholarships.

DC: What has been the attitude of young Cameroonians towards you?
SA: Most have been supportive and there have been some who have been jealous however, I have had a lot of encouragement generally.

DC: Thank you so much for your time and good luck with all the projects!
SA: Thank you. I would like to say that I love your initiative. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help!
One last word, us Cameroonians need to support each other, we also need to go back home and help and develop. Please contact me if you need any advice on how to get into what I am doing. Thanks!

To contact Sophy Aida, please visit:

www.myspace.com/sophyaiida

http://www.facebook.com/

DC: Dulce Camer

SA: Sophy Aida

Hope you enjoyed reading! Please contact myself or Ngum if you are doing anything out there that you want people to find out about. Use Dulce Camer, it is created to serve YOU!

Watch out for a review of Miss Cameroon UK 2008 show happening tomorrow. Who is going to win? Come down and find out for yourself ;-)

Stay sweet

Dulce

xxx

SOME FOOD FOR YOUR SOUL...

Andy Allo: Knew you at all


Menoosha Susungi & US2U: Various


Coco Mbassi: O Bi


Etienne Mbappe: Miso Ma Munami


Manuel Wandji: Boyaka


Manuel Wandji: Amatchi


Ok, I think this is enough for today...more another day!
I hope you have now been well fed, lol!
Watch out for my interview with Ms Andy Allo on the blog very soon
Stay sweet
Dulce
xxx

MISS CAMEROON UK 2008

Miss Cameroon UK is on again this year and we have 8 finalists all battling to take Miss Sandrine's crown!

Who is going to win?

To find out, come and witness for yourself!

Venue: Polish Centre, 238-246 King Street, London W6 0RF

Date: 20th December 2008

Time: 7.30pm to 11.30pm

Price: £20 in advance & £30 on the door

Miss Barry Jackson, 30, Student, Littoral Province

Miss Christiane Dawwe, 22, Student, Western Province

Miss Irene Muma, 18, Student, Central province

Miss Josiane Nzuekeu, 24, Student, Western Province

Miss Marcelline Menyie, 18, Student Midwife, South-West Province

Miss Naomi Bicharri, 20, Student, North-West Province

Miss Octavie Bei, 20, Student, Littoral Province

Miss Sophia Ayuk, 21, Student, South-West Province

Come and support if you can and see who wins!
Stay sweet
Dulce
xxx

HIS NAME IS MUNTU, MUNTU VALDO

From an early age, Muntu Valdo realised that music, song and poetry would allow him to discover the depths of his true self, and that art would help him steer clear of life’s pitfalls.
Muntu is a “Douala” and as such, part of the “Sawa” community stretching along Cameroon’s coastline.
Muntu prefers the concept of “reconciliation”: bossa nova, afro-cuban, blues, soul and funk, which all have their origins rooted in the Diaspora and Slavery.
An outstanding guitarist, singer and harmonica player, his own repertoire of compositions was already well developed when he began to appear alongside the great names of African and International music, Lokua Kanza, Keziah Jones, Etienne Mbappe, Bébé Manga, André Marie Talla etc This was followed by several acclaimed supporting concerts for Tony Allen, Lionel and Stéphane Belmondo, Richard Bona etc
Lokua Kanza is adamant that Muntu’s melodic inspiration and harmonic invention is worthy of the international scene, Manu Dibango (Cameroon’s very own godfather of Jazz) simply tells us that his music must be listened to!
Herewith is my interview with the very cool and chirpy guy.
Happy Reading y’all!

DC: I love coming from Cameroon because…(complete)
MV: Because it is my motherland, my parents are from there, all my family, my close friends, I have a strong link with everything there, from the land, to the colour to the odour. I am proud of my roots and my roots are from there.

DC: Describe to us your music.
MV: My music is like a dialogue that comes from my heart to the hearts, spirits and souls of others. It is like a material for meditation, for thinking. It is like a vehicle for happiness. Some people call it “Sawa Blues”, the most beautiful music in the world is what I want to do.

DC: What is your inspiration?
MV: My inspiration is everything, it is the sky, it is my dreams, my imagination, it might be you or a certain story. It is almost everything but it depends on my mood and the moment.

DC: Your 2005 self produced and released album “Gods & Devils”, why did you choose that title?
MV: Erm, first of all that title is also a title of a track in the album. This album talks about my background and this track describes the opposites of everything that has been created, the good, the bad, the heaven, the earth, male, female. By choosing the title “Gods & Devils” it invites people to be aware of these two sides that we have in us. We are all gods and devils but we must fight the devil side to become more godly. That is what this album and this track strives to do, to promote a godly character. In the Douala language, it is called "Moiyé na muititi" which means light & darkness.




DC:Describe the “feel” or “tone” of the album?
MV: First of all, this is my first album as a solo artist. I have already participated in other albums as an instrumentalist. This album is autobiographical. It talks about my background and me. It is my language, my message. You have 3 languages in this album – English, French and Douala and this shows my identity. Because I play more acoustic instruments, the album is mellow and relaxing and about 70% was recorded in Cameroon so you can hear the “rawness” of the instruments.

DC: Where can one purchase your album "Gods & Devils"?
MV: It is sold at the music shop of the Barbican (Farringdons) at a price of £12

DC: Who is Muntu Valdo, the person?
MV: I am a product of God who aims to become godly. I am a person who thinks that we should all care for one another. I am a bit of a dreamer, a utopian, I see the good in everybody and I believe in human beings even though they are wicked. I hope in my music, I can leave something behind.

DC: Is there a difference between Muntu Valdo the person and the artiste?
MV: The only difference is that the artiste is a creator.

DC: Why have you got the track Gods & Devils & Des dieux & diables? In English & French?
MV: It promotes my identity, my culture – the identity of Cameroon as we speak English, French and our own native dialects. I first wrote this track in French and because I also wanted my album to be global / universal, I didn’t want this track to be simply translated so I did the English version too.



DC: Would you consider yourself religious?
MV: Erm, no not really but I am not an atheist. I believe in God but I do not belong to any religious denomination. I see that religion creates wars in the world. Too many religious groups fighting each other rather than promote peace. I am not saying that religion brings wars but in my opinion the only religion you need is LOVE.

DC: Where would you like to go with your music?
MV: Erm, I want my music to be beneficial to all humans

DC: Are you receiving support from Cameroonians back home in Cameroon?
MV: Yes they do, you have people who really love my music who would follow me to my concerts. Take for example last November, I did a tour of some big cities in Cameroon, Yaoundé, Buea, Douala, Bamenda, Maroua, Garoua and Dschang, this was organised by the Coopération Française and the Alliance Franco-Cameroun and they were totally sold out. It is funny because I am not very well known yet but the few people who know me follow and support me all the way.

DC: And those living abroad, do they support you?
MV: Yes they do too. I receive emails everyday from people who get to know me through my concerts or through word of mouth.

DC: What is success in your eyes?
MV: Depends on each person but my definition is when I see people really happy at my concerts. I did a show during the Africana concert and during my slot, everyone was singing with me, that was really heartfelt! To see my work appreciated and for people to say I have done a good job, that is my definition of success.

DC: The way artist rights are treated in Cameroon is very different to the way they are treated in the Western world, what do you have to say about this?
MV: It is a reflection of the organisation of our country. There are no music schools and they do not even teach music in Cameroon so they don’t even respect the musicians. Only when you become a big star that they respect you. When you are starting out, people consider you to be stupid and lazy. With this point of view, why would they fully organise the music industry?




DC: Does the Cameroon government have to do more to change this, in your opinion?
MV: They are the ones ruling the country so they have to organise it!

DC: Are you working on new materials?
MV: Absolutely, absolutely! Watch out, hopefully by the middle or at least the end of next year, you will have something released.

DC: So are you working on a new album and when is it due?
MV: Yeah, yeah, working on a new album but I don’t know when it would be released. This time I wouldn’t release it myself simply because it was a tough tough job trying to do everything from managing, to promoting to being an agent, you don’t have time to be an artiste. It did allow me to tour the world though!

DC: Would you encourage anyone to go into music like you did?
MV: Yes, why not. If someone has the skills and the talent, I would encourage them but they will have to know that it is not really easy especially from the start. You must work hard.

DC: If you were not into music, what else would you have liked to do?
MV: Either becoming a lawyer or a football player, who knows! I had a lot of skills when I was growing up.

DC How do your family react to you?
MV: Some of my family are supportive and some are not. My mum has been supportive from the start but my dad was not because he was expecting me to have a “normal” job. For him, he couldn’t understand why I wanted to become a musician.

DC: Have they ever come to see you in concert?
MV: Yes, my mum always comes but last year during my tour of Cameroon, my dad even came too and at the end of the show, he came to congratulate me. That was very good!

DC: Ok, well thanks Muntu. All the best!
MV: Thank you

DC: Dulce Camer
MV: Muntu Valdo

To check out more on this guy and to be updated on his concerts, please visit:
www.myspace.com/muntuvaldo
http://www.muntuvaldo.com/
Watch out for his concert on Sunday December 7th at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, France. Also watch out for a show next March in Newcastle, UK.
Thanks for reading
Stay sweet
Dulce
xxx