"Bana Ba Cameroun - La musique camerounaise en histoires" is a podcast that revisits so-called "modern" Cameroonian music from the 1960s to the present day. Through conversations with various historical witnesses, journalists, musicians and historians, the great moments of Cameroonian music are evoked and analyzed. The program also includes a wealth of anecdotes that plunge us into the secret lives of many of Cameroon's leading musical figures. Like a journey through time, this podcast takes the listener on a journey between eras and territories, seeking to understand not only how music was made in Cameroon, but also how music made Cameroon.
Produced by the Goethe-Institut in collaboration with SENS COMME, it comprises 21 episodes divided into 7 themes. It was recorded in 2022 and is dedicated to the memory of the German ethnomusicologist Joachim Oelsner (†2022) who devoted part of his life to restoring and digitizing thousands of songs from the four corners of Cameroon.
From 17.11.2023, a new episode will be broadcast every Friday at 12 noon and will be available on this page and on the Goethe-Institut Kamerun YouTube page.
The different themes of the program are: "The advent of Cameroonian rap. From 1980 to 1990" (Guest: Krotal, musician and producer); "Bikutsi - The period 1985-2000" (Guest: Roger Owona, journalist and art critic); "Diaspora and External Influences" (Guest: Joseph Owona Ntsama, historian and cultural columnist); "Music in Northern Cameroon between 1960 and 1990" (Guest: Adala Gildo, musician and writer); "Cameroonian music between 1950 and 1960: from heritage to commercial" (Guest: Pr. Daniel Anicet Noah (journalist, lecturer-researcher); "The mvet in Cameroon" (Guest: Joseph Owona Ntsama); "The patriotic songs in Cameroon between 1960 et 1990" (Guest: Daniel Abwa, historian); "1950 - 2000: Half a century of women's voices " (Guest: Zenabou Pomboura, filmmaker).
