With musical groups from home and abroad, the initiative was aimed at celebrating the original "Author" of music.
The celebration of the 31st edition of World Music Day took an unprecedented turn in the economic capital last Friday June 21. Adepts were graced with a new trend in music celebration, introduced by the first-ever edition of the Gospel Fiesta. The maiden event, dubbed the "African Cup of Nations of Gospel Music" lured a mammoth crowd that challenged the accommodation capacity of the Douala Bercy Hall.
Featuring seven renowned gospel musicians and groups from Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon; the initiative according to the organiser, Missionary Gilbert Etimbi, aimed at re-instating the original purpose for music. This refers to offering praise and worship to the Almighty, an aspect neglected throughout the past years, he explained.
The Yaounde-based choir, Gospel Jam, set the pace for the evening, ahead of a grandiose jamboree. Turn by turn, O'nel Mala, Les jeunes Moissonneurs, Ano Mira, Debby Debbs, Germain Kiper, Lea (from La Harpe de David), Chinyere Udoma, Nestor David, Le Prince de Jesus and Boniface mounted the rostrum. But first, civic responsibility requested the singing of the host country's National Anthem which echoes Cameroon's legendary hospitality.
When the quorum was met, despite the three different flags representing the artists' countries of origin, the hall was transformed into a blend of worshippers, lifting up "one voice" towards the heavens. Roles were equally inversed, as both the artists and the public transcended their singing capacities, by engaging in dance and shouts of joy.
Chanting: "Glory Be to God in the Highest, Alleluia," the long awaited Midnight Crew crowned the day's rejoicing. At exactly 3:30 am on Saturday June 22 morning, the curtains were drawn in Douala, paving the way for a similar atmosphere in Yaounde on Sunday June 23.
Meanwhile, major streets and crossroads in Douala were equally animated with open-air performances from locally-based and international musicians to immortalise the day.
