Epodecor thrills public

The musician, painter and dyer exhibited his works in Bonanjo, Douala. The Conference Hall of the Littoral Regional Delegation of Arts and Culture, Douala, offered a fresh look at one of the most startling and fascinating artists – Epodecor, whose real names are Epoh Paul François, painter of the famous “Ngominga, Heros du Ngondo” or “Ngominga, Heros of Ngondo.”

“Ngominga, Heros of Ngondo” is one of the oldest but most popular themes of Sawa painting which reveals an enormous amount about the Ngominga and the society they lived in 1815. The story was first retold by a reporter Valère Epée in one local newspaper in the French language. Epodecor’s paintings show how the Ngominga conquered various physical and somehow spiritual confrontations.

The exhibition, which took place between 18th and 27th May 2015, was placed under the theme: “What Boko Haram is doing in Cameroon” It revealed his technique and materials in correlating ancient confrontations by the Ngominga with the modern extremist Boko Haram insurgencies in Northern Nigeria and Cameroon. Keen visitors listened to him tell the entire story of the Ngominga’s life as portrayed by his paintings.

He also showed in amazing detail many of his captivating musical works. The musician chose to focus also on his music career, his relationship with music and his dyeing profession, which are in line with the exhibition’s objective- to let the public get a taste of his know-how.

He might have surely inspired many of his enthusiasts with the life flow of wisdom through guitar strings during the 10-day exhibition. He has seven albums to his credit.

The first dubbed “Muna Soja” was released in 1968 by Radio Douala on magnetic tapes, later “Etuwedi” in 2000. Others like “Epoh à Londre”, “Nkamba”, etc. His latest album “Epoh, le Retour de l’Homme,” Like his previous albums, is a blend of genres, ranging from Assiko, Ekoa Kekoc, Bantutism, Fonk, and Abele – the latter being an instrumental Sawa traditional dance played for newlyweds.

The 59-year-old musician, painter and dyer, hails from Bomono-ba-Mbengue in the Moungo Division. Besides painting and music, Epodecor dyes cloths and with the collaboration of other fashion designers, transform them into fine modes. All of these were on display, having learned the trade of dyeing in Nigeria in 1975.