Elle aurait certainement pu être dentiste si elle n’avait pas été piquée par le venin de la musique. Une passion qui fait aujourd’hui d’Eva Ndumbe une personnalité influente dans l’univers du show biz musical au Cameroun. Très discrète, elle a pourtant su gagner le respect et la confiance de certaines structures avec lesquelles elle travaille, notamment la maison de production Sony Music dont elle est la représentante au Cameroun, Audiomack aussi pour ne que les citer. Elle a également élargi son champ d’action dans l’industrie musical avec sa casquette de manager d’artistes.
Dans cet interview accordé à jeunesse du Mboa, la promotrice culturelle parle sans langue de bois.
Bonjour Eva Ndumbe ! Merci déjà d’avoir accepté notre interview. Avant de poursuivre cet entretien avec vous, on aimerait dans un premier temps que vous nous parliez un peu de vous en quelques mots ?
Thank you JDM for having me. I am Eva Ndumbe known as Eva Sobila on social media. I am a media personality, artist manager, country representative of Sony Music Entertainment in Cameroon, host of the web show « Dope Music » and Audiomack ambassador.
Parlons la musique. Alors s’il fallait choisir entre la célébration de la journée de la musique camerounaise en lieu et place de la fête de la musique comme beaucoup le pensent. Votre choix se portera sur quoi ?
Great question. Before anything else I am Cameroonian, so I will always put my country in the fore front however music is universal. We are able to sing songs in languages we don’t understand and the celebration of music should be universal. Now what we can do is celebrate Cameroonian music while celebrating music with the rest of the world.
Chaque année la célébration de la Fête de la musique au Cameroun se passe toujours dans un climat de revendications des artistes sur leur statut. Selon vous, est-ce que c’est le moment opportun ?
I am sure that those who protest the celebration of World Music Day believe it will have more impact but I disagree. If anyone is going to protest for a cause, it should be year round. Choosing a particular day or month doesn’t yield the results like expected.
La véritable raison derrière tous ces mouvements d’humeur qu’on observe ,concerne les droits d’auteur. À quel niveau ça bloque selon vous ?
We have seen our music legends post insignificant amounts of their royalties over the years and it’s extremely sad and discouraging for artists of the younger generation. According to me, the issue is at the copyrights company – who may have some issues of their own. Hopefully, the relationship between media and the copyrights company gets better.
Est-ce que le problème des artistes camerounais ne se situe pas aussi sur la qualité de leurs œuvres ?
If there is one thing we need to agree on, it is the fact that good music is the foundation and the base of a successful artist. With that said, Cameroonian artists have created quality songs, over the years, that have recieved international recognition like « Coller La Petite » nd many more. The problem is not the quality of the music, the issue in my opinion is the lack of structure.
Pourquoi certains artistes ont peur de solliciter une personne pour les proposer des textes ?
Some artists think having ghost writers or buying songs makes them appear to have no talent but that’s false. That’s the music business. A songwriter is as valuable or respected as a producer so having someone write your songs is normal. If Beyoncé can sing songs written by others, what makes you different?
Cette approche peut- elle améliorer le niveau de la musique camerounaise selon vous ?
Oh yes. It will change a lot within the music industry. Those who have been open about songs that were written for them like Mimie did with Magasco when he wrote « Ten Ten’ for her comeback, have shown us that a song written by someone else could or can be a huge hit.
Pensez-vous que le Streaming dont on vante les mérites peut-il vraiment aider les artistes camerounais à vivre de leur art ?
Definitely!! Streaming platforms are one of the most effective ways an artist makes money. It’s straight to the point and actually lucrative. Despite the setbacks we may have here like slow data connection for streaming or lack of mode of payment, artists are still able to make money off of streaming…ask Jovi.
Si c’est le cas, pensez-vous que le marché camerounais est-il favorable pour la commercialisation de ce type de contenus ?
Yes, it is. You have initiatives like Colorfull, Auxplay, Jengu and many other made in Cameroon streaming platforms that are compatible with the different mobile money forms. That’s already a great step towards educating the artists and fans on streaming platforms.
Vous êtes représentante de l’un des majors les plus puissants dans l’industrie musicale, quel est le plus que vous apportez aux artistes camerounais ?
The idea of signing with a major is to expand and export the artist’s career to higher horizons.
Signer en major pour un artiste camerounais est-ce bénéfique pour sa carrière ?
Signing with a major is good for any artist. How the artists handle their negotiations determine the outcome of their time with a major.
Pourquoi certains labels au Cameroun n’arrivent pas à construire véritablement la carrière d’un artiste ?
I don’t agree with this statement because many artists have captured the attention of the world from being signed and developed by Cameroonian record labels like Jovi under New Bell Music, Locko under Big Dreams Entertainment, Mr Leo / Salatiel under Alpha Betta Records, Daphne under Stevens ME, Magasco under Empire Company and many others.
Parmi vos nombreuses casquettes, il y a celle de manager d’artiste. C’est par passion pour la musique que vous vous êtes lancés dans cette activité ?
When I started doing TV in 2005, it just so happened that I started managing an artist and fellow media personality called Nabil IV Real and Jack Napier. At that same period, Patricia « Panie » Bowen was Koppo’s manager and it was strange seeing a woman being an artist manager and she was great at her job. That’s where the love for being a manager came in.
Quels sont vos critères pour collaborer avec un artiste ?
Talent, discipline, humility, willingness to learn and the hunger to succeed.
Quels conseils donneriez-vous aux jeunes qui aspirent à devenir manager d’artistes ?
Sign contracts, educate yourself on the business of show business and be very very patient.
Pensez-vous aujourd’hui que la musique camerounaise actuelle connaisse son apogée ?
Not at all, we still have a long way to go to conquer the whole world. Where we are now is just above average and the artists are working towards a global takeover.
Thanks you for your time
Charles Binelli
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