Music Legends show: Orange Cameroun flags off Season Two with glamorous mega concert July 3.

The free-accessed concert to be graced among others by Cameroonian music greats, Grace Decca and Mr Leo, will kick-start what is expected to be an innovative 24-episode-long top-quality musical show, designed to valorise the Cameroonian people and its music.

Orange Cameroun announced the event during a press conference in Yaounde Wednesday, June 26.

The presser, which officially launched activities for the second season, was jointly granted by Orange Cameroun, led by its Senior Brand Manager, Vennant Povemi. 

He briefed the pressmen alongside two of the partners accompanying the telecommunications institution in the organisation of the show. 

The Head of the Production Department at Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV, Herve Djoufack, which is a production partner for the show, represented the state broadcaster, while producer, Bobby Shamau, featured for the AG Partners.

A-list starting line up

According to Orange Cameroun, 10 Cameroonian music stars will compete in the 2024 edition, maintaining the standard originally used when the event was introduced during the inaugural phase of the competition last year. 

Like in the first edition, the competition will see the participation of five artists selected from the old generation of Cameroonian music. 

Legendary singers; Prince Ndedi Eyango, Donny Elwood, Sally Nyolo, Grace Decca and Henry Dikongue will represent the iconic team.

The group will blend with five artists from the younger generation.  

The youngsters will be represented by similarly internationally recognised singers Tao, Fadil le sorcier, Rinyu, Mr Leo and Philbill.

Singers from both camps, per Orange Cameroun, were selected from across the country’s cultural zones among others, considering their contributions in promoting Cameroonian music and its heritage as well as their popularity. 

The key focus of the participants besides valorising Cameroonian music and playing frontline roles in getting Orange Cameroun closer to the people, according to the telecommunications heavyweight, will be a 10 million FCFA prize money up for grabs.

Viewers who will have a chance to vote their best duos during the broadcast of the shows notably through text messages, will also stand a chance of winning a sum of five million FCFA for their loyalty. 

Major innovations

Several innovations have been announced for the 2024 edition of the event despite the vast success recorded during the first season last year. 

Top among them is the launching of the 2024 event with next Wednesday’s mega concert at the Multipurpose Sports Complex. 

Last year, the show was only broadcast on television. The July 3 concert is expected to be attended by all the 10 participants in the 2024 event and one of last year’s winners, Cysoul. 

Artist Cysoul, Orange Cameroun said in last Wednesday’s presser, is included in the concert to maintain continuity.

Entry at the sports complex for the show will be completely free, according to the organisers. 

Tickets will be up for grabs via the Orange Cameroun Max It Application where persons wishing to attend the event are given the opening to download the application and easily download the entry ticket.

“The concert is free of charge with tickets available on the Max It App which is equally an innovation because last year we did not include the application in the Orange Music Legends,” Lauriane Ngameni of the Orange Cameroun’s communication team, said.

Increase in number of episodes… 

Another key innovation in the 2024 series is the increase in the number of the show’s episodes and the number of broadcasters.  The episodes will increase from the 12 used last year to 24 this term. 

This will see the duration of the competition moving from the three months covered last year to six months, the Orange Cameroun officials stated.

The number of television channels to broadcast the show from the one used last year to three. State broadcast, the CRTV, solely aired the event last year. 

But Orange Cameroun representatives at Wednesday’s press conference said Cameroonian channel, Canal 2 International and Pan African music channel, Trace Mboa will join in the broadcast this season.

The CRTV will air the show on 9pm on Saturdays. Canal 2 International and Trace Mboa will show the event at 5pm and 6pm respectively on Sundays.

Challenging, refreshing duel 

According to Orange Cameroun and its partners, the show will see the participating artists from the two generations pairing in groups of two and going into contests. 

The event will round up with two winners selected from each of the generations like it was the case during the inaugural edition organized last year. 

Internationally-acclaimed youngster, Cysoul and Cameroonian music great, Prince Yerima Afo Akom, respectively came through as winners last year.

Despite the spirit of competitiveness that is expected to spice the event, the Orange Cameroun officials at the presser insists the focus of the show will be valorize Cameroon and its people. 

“It is important to note that Orange Music Legends is not a competition among artists. It is a program that enables them to enjoy themselves all through,” Lauriane Ngameni said. 

“But given that it is a get together and there is obviously something to win and in other to galvanise the artists deep into their thoughts and creativity, at the end of the day, the public votes its best duo and this duo wins 10million FCFA like it was the case last year,” she added. 

“Like last year, anytime that the programme will be aired, the public will have a chance to vote and at the end of the day, the favorites will win. Even the public participating in choosing the winner will equally stand a chance of winning up to five million FCFA,” Brand Manager, Maxime Petoh, added. 

CRTV, other partners bracing up

The two representatives of other institutions involved in the organisation of the show present during yesterday’s event, all announced their dedication and readiness to ensure a smooth delivery of the season at the level of production.

The Head of the Production Department at CRTV, Herve Djoufack, said the institution will bring onboard all its arsenal to give the participating artists and the public with premium-quality delivery at the level of production. 

“CRTV is set to give a high-standard production during the show. The human resources and technical components have all been assembled for a premium delivery,” Djoufack said. 

Producer, Bobby Shamau from AG Partners Group, involved in the production, also made similar declarations. 

He said the group will work had to ensure that the renewed spirit of collaboration between younger and older artists to be displayed during the Orange Music Legends Season Two successfully yields a perfect fusion between the old and the new.

Orange Cameroun recommits

Speaking during the presser, Orange Cameroun officials said the forthcoming season two of the Orange Music Legends show falls in line with the communication giant’s commitment to play a frontline role in the development of the Cameroonian society.

Vennant Povemi, a Senior Brand Manager at the institution said besides ensuring that Orange Cameroun gets closer to the public, the show will play the pivotal role of preserving Cameroon’s rich musical heritage.

He said the competition will serve as a special opportunity to give Cameroonian artists especially the older ones, a chance to stage a comeback to the limelight. 

He said music is one of the major pillars of Orange Cameroun’s activities.

The Senior Brand Manager credited the commitment for the institutions involvement in supporting several legendary music events like the Makossa festival in Douala, its Bikutsi equivalent in Yaoundé and similar events in the northern and western part of the country covering notably the Grassfield areas.

About Orange Music Legends contest 

The Orange Music Legends show was launched last year. The inaugural edition saw the participation of legendary singers; Isnebo, Petit pays, Prince Afro Akom, Tala André Marie and Ange Ebogo Emerand representing the older generation. 

The younger generation of artists included the likes of the highly-acclaimed youngster, Cysoul who came through as one of the two winners. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3152 of Friday June 28, 2024