The Life and Times of a Cameroonian Icon: Tribute to Lapiro De Mbanga Ngata Man

Chapter 8 - Epilogue: Carton rouge de Lapiro à Paul Biya

153 Chapter 8 Epilogue: Carton rouge de Lapiro à Paul Biya There is no question that Lapiro’s latest single titled Démissionnez is a rap on President Paul Biya of Cameroon by a valiant dissident musician who views the Cameroonian leader as undeserving of the public office he holds. Lapiro de Mbanga wears the shoe and knows where it pinches. As this analysis indicates, he resorts to music not only as a medium for expressing his political militancy but also as a tool of resistance. He has been branded Cameroon’s version of Fela Anikulapo by friends and foes alike for his oralized dissidence. He has distinguished himself as one who is not afraid to tell those at the helm in Cameroon that they are messing up the country they purport to govern; that their modus operandi has brought more grief than bliss to the Cameroonian people. Shortly after his release from the New Bell maximum Security prison in Douala where he spent three years on bogus charges, the veteran musician composed a song titled Démissionnez or Step down in which he urges President Paul Biya to step down from his position as president. According to Lapiro de Mbanga, Biya has failed miserably as president of Cameroon for thirty years and should save face by relinquishing power without fuss. The following review of Démissionnez is an attempt at unraveling the leadership conundrum in Cameroon as expressed in Lapiro’s latest musical composition. Démissionnez is Lapiro’s last ditch battle with the Biya regime shortly before his death in the United States of America where he lived with his family. Like his mentor, Fela 154 Anikulapo Kuti, he comes out armed with a volley of aphorisms like this one: ‘Ce qui ne tue pas l’homme le rend plus fort/ Un animal blessé doit être achevé sinon gare à toi lorsqu’il va charger (the thing that does not kill you makes you stronger/ a wounded animal must be finished/otherwise woe betide you when he charges) This is probably Lapiro’s way of telling President Biya that every dog has its day. In other words, Biya may run but he cannot hide. It is important to underscore the fact that Démissionnez is a multi-vocalic piece featuring Valsero, and a bunch of other resilient Cameroonian budding musicians such as Awilo whose defiant voice you hear as follows: Lapiro be dong tok all, Jess no, yi must kale daso begin nye, Yi be dong tory wuna bible, Na chapter dis! [Lapiro had said it all, Right now he only has to sit and observe What he has written is the Gospel Here is a chapter culled from it!] What Awilo is saying is that Lapiro had said it all. Right now, all he has to do is sit down and watch events unfold. He claims that Lapiro speaks like the Bible and describes Démissionnez as a chapter taken out of the Bible according to St. Lapiro: “Na chapter dis!” In other words, this is a chapter culled from Lapiro’s Bible! In typical Mboko style, Démissionnez opens with a loud-sounding announcement of Lapiro de Mbanga’s return to the musical scene after three years of incarceration: 155 Ça c’est le grand retour de Lapiro de Mbanga! Le Ngata Man! Vous allez danser aaahhh! Ça s’annonce! According to the Bible, All man must youa ngata! According to the Church weh Yi dong be for dis world— Association des bandits! This is the big return of Lapiro de Mbanga! The Ngata man! You’re going to dance, aaahhh! This is the beginning! According to the Bible, Everyone must go to ngata! According to the Church which Which has been created in this world, Association of bandits!] Lapiro’s song is somewhat prophetic about the fate of the powers-that-be in Cameroon considering the fact that he predicts the eventuality of big shots, including the head of state, incarcerated in the not too distant future: “According to the Bible/All man must youa ngata!” This prophecy is coming true, what with the incarceration in Kondengui of Biya’s former ministers like Hamidou Marafa, Ephraim Inoni, Atangana Mebara and Titus Edzoa among others? We cannot gloss over the question of language choice in Lapiro de Mbanga’s recent musical composition. The Mboko-type Pidgin English he speaks in this song is remarkably germane with...