"Instants Africains"

This man, who received the Ivorian Cultural Order of Merit in 2007 and the Côte d’Ivoire Cinema and Visual Arts Excellence award in 2016 for his many actions to promote the arts, was not predestined to become an artist. “I like drawing, but I was more drawn to literature, philosophy and management careers, so becoming a visual artist wasn’t one of my priorities”, he says.

This coming May, furniture giant Ikea will introduce a number of products resulting from its collaboration with ten designers representing seven African countries. From Dakar to South Africa via Abidjan, the world will discover the creativity and culture of the oldest continent. As a Cameroonian, I was a little frustrated to yet again not see my country on the creativity map.

This young chef, who is 33 years old, married and the mother of an adorable 11 year old daughter, bubbles with energy and has a real passion for the art of gastronomy. A touch of tenderness, a hint of craziness and a good dose of determination; that’s how Sofia S’Mouni defines herself.

When he finished his studies, he chose to return to classical music and develop his solo career. “I accompanied numerous classical singers when they toured Cameroon, including Jacques Greg Belobo”, he reminisces. I wanted to know what the main difficulty is with classical music...

“Good deeds aren’t a choice but a duty, whatever your religion.” This quote created by Hayek Hassan summarises his everyday actions. For the last ten years, this 34 year-old Lebanese man – who is married and has a child – has put his body and soul into social and humanitarian work in Côte d’Ivoire, the adopted homeland of this man who defines himself as a vagabond of charity.

About fifteen years ago, I was a young student at Chevreul high school in Douala. Of my two years at that school, the thing I remember most were the parties at the end of the academic year where pupils were able to express their various passions and their creativity. We were a long way from the interminable lessons.

Amee defines slam as a poetic performance or, more simply, spoken poetry. “There’s also a French-language definition that isn’t mine but I totally agree with it because it’s self evident: Scène Libre Aux Mots [open mic for words]”, she says. Slam poetry was born in the United States, and it is undoubtedly that country that has the most female slammers because there are recurrent open mic events there.

“Beauty hides within ugliness”. That’s how painter Obou defines the message conveyed by his various works of art. He calls his style BRAID ART, which he explains as follows: “It’s a word we use in our slang to describe ugliness. My style is where ugliness.

Cameroon’s first contemporary art and design fair was held on June 1, 2 and 3, 2018. This innovative event was organised by the Omenkart creative advertising agency. The aim is to make Douala Art Fair a place where artists, Cameroonians and the world can come together. We wanted to chat with its Art Director. More than 1,000 people attended the event to discover works by artists such as Barthélémy Toguo, Koko Komegne, Hervé Yamguen, Jean David Nkot, Ajarb Bernard, etc.

Indira Gandhi said that the satisfaction you get from a job well done is often more rewarding than a salary. This is entrepreneur Ange Frédérick Balma’s favourite quote, and is one that has without doubt guided him throughout his career.

Diane Audrey Ngako, young entrepreneur, journalist and blogger, tells us about her visit to the "Foire Internationale des Affaires et du Commerce in Douala" and the people she met there.

She’s one of those female African entrepreneurs for whom I have tremendous respect. She’s a fighter. She’s there at the helm as if driven by a mission, by one of her favourite quotes: “Where I am defeated will become the scene of my victory”… I’m talking about Patricia Zoundi. She’s 42 years old, married with two boys and has a degree in business law from Ouagadougou University in Burkina Faso, as well as from Stanford.

Diane Audrey Ngako, young entrepreneur, journalist and blogger, met Germaine Lonteu, dyer for 35 years in Cameroun. She presents this modern-day woman who defends traditional know-how.

Pamela Nkeng has been back home for more than five years now, and runs the Bak’s Engineering family business, which specialises in civil engineering and construction. “Returning to one’s country of birth isn’t always easy, because you have to readapt to the environment. And often when you’ve arrived from elsewhere people expect even more of you, you’re tested to see if you can cope”, she says.

If being demanding is a personality trait, then it perfectly suits Fabrice Piofret. This 39 year-old company boss is also very passionate and a loyal friend. Driven by his passion for his job as a media watchdog, by his deep connections with Africa and the bridge he represents with France, he is continually on the move to promote this collaboration.

The CardioPad is a touch screen tablet that reads the heart's physiological data and then sends it, via a mobile network, to a cardiologist in another location. No specific guidance is needed to use the device; even a person with basic training can handle the CardioPad.

Christelle Jackson Ndongou, age 27, is a young entrepreneur who created Sappgo.com, Cameroon's first online grocer. The home delivery service was launched by Christelle and her partner, a web developer, in September 2015.

The 35-year-old entrepreneur has embarked upon an adventure that might seem crazy in countries that give little thought to protecting the environment. Yaya co-founded the startup Coliba, which uses technology to recycle and reuse plastic waste via an online or mobile app or text message.