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On Wednesday, October 14, 2020, singer Wax Dey very warmly received by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Honourable Bidoung Mkpatt, and his cabinet, as well the media, at Cameroon’s Ministry of Arts and Culture.
The discussions centered on:
1. The upcoming Cameroon Urban Music Youth Conference (CUMYC) to be organized by Calabash Music, which will feature international experts from Nigeria and South Africa and focus on the export of Cameroonian music;
2. Feedback on an open letter addressed by urban artists to the President of the Republic asking that young artists be consulted and put at the centre of important decisions and structures around music in Cameroon.
The feedback has been very positive with a directive mandating that young artists be in managerial positions in all structures. The Minister and his Directors reassured us of this commitment and called on urban artists assume their place as cultural ambassadors of the country, to approach the Ministry, their home, whenever they have problems or blockages, including requesting for support for musical projects and events.
3. A tripartite collaboration between MINAC, Calabash Music, and UNESCO in promoting peacebuilding as well as the establishment of UNESCO’s ‘Caisse d’epargne’ for artists, a revolutionary social scheme for artists’ wellbeing.
This is following up from a recent meeting with the UNESCO’s Regional Director for Central Africa.
