Cameroonian music just like African music is good rich thrilling music yet its exportation is dogged by many things. One of those things preventing Cameroonian music from reaching far-off frontiers is, unfortunately, the length.
Some of them are as long as 8 minutes. Please hold it right there before you utter this enormity “Were Toto Guillaume and Ange Ebogo songs not embraced despite their length”. If that’s the only bullet in your barrel then grow up because tastes and trends have changed considerably.
R’n’B and rock have nothing on “Makossa” and “Mbagheuleum" but they have stealthily become world music because their lengths tie with what media outlets allocate.
We live in a world where time is a precious resource and if our musicians must get the airplay needed to popularise their music widely they must tailor them to the world trend which is about 3-4 minutes max for a song.
In a world where we do not control mainstream media we have to bow to these unwritten rules else our music will never go beyond some thresholds. Even Cameroonian D.Js will confess to you that some of the songs aren’t played fully because they are too damn long and time isn’t free at any station.
The world yearns for Cameroonian and African music but in the 21st century people can’t spare one whole day listening to one song. Diaspora- Cameroonian musicians have learnt the lesson but some home-based one’s have refused to listen.
Isn’t it cost-wise for Rabba-Rabbi to take 7 minutes and record two songs than one. Feel free to disagree. One thing we all have a right to is an opinion.
