Music, Our Cultural Heritage After All!

Culture, commonly understood as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation, is by every means an identity of a people. Scholars are almost unanimous that culture is one of the main pillars of development and nourishment of communities and no society can progress in its absence. Simply put; culture is the distinctiveness where common values, attitudes, preferences and knowledge are attributed to a people and has a positive influence on social development.
How well Cameroonians value their culture and what they do with people who painstakingly toil to uphold the unique identity remains debatable. The country is increasingly experiencing an upsurge of hate speech in some public gatherings, traditional and social media networks. Tribalism and regionalism tendencies are also perceptible and represent a real obstacle to the culture of living together in which this once haven of peace, called Cameroon, was known for. As a matter of fact, people who are bound by time and space to live together as one are more and more drifting towards hate speech, identity shyness, manipulation and sheer exaggeration of their differences through recurrence of conflicts and criminal deviance. These vices are manifested differently by different people. This is regrettable, to say the least!
What happened to the concert of legendary music icon, Grace Decca, the other day in France is just disgraceful. Mobilising, like the apologists of the abroad-based Brigade anti-sardinards (B.A.S) did, to obstruct the fine musician from showcasing her excellence at the Palais de la Terrasse de Thillay in France on May 13, 2022 only demonstrated the bestiality of some misguided fellows against values that would have been embraced by all. More shameful is even the fact that they were pushed back by security agents and only saved by French forces.
These were Cameroonians trying to hinder another compatriot from telling the world what the country is made of. More so, touching on an indispensable cultural value like music. How could a people choose to paint a country this black and do all to show the world that nothing good can come out of it! It is a truism that Cameroon, like any country, has shortcomings but peace-loving citizens should strive to mend fences rather than rubbish everything being done. 
Music is a cultural value that should be upheld and musicians respected at least. It doesn’t require the services of a fortuneteller to understand that it is through the art of music that a person learns about life, expands his imagination, forms a commitment to his ancient and national traditions, and at the same time develop. The art of music educates people, encourages them to do good deeds both to themselves and others. It is through songs that peoples’ lives are sung, their way of life is reflected in various actions. Why then block it?
Grace Decca’s performance in France, like has been the case ever since the musical diva was initiated into the music world in 1983 by her elder brother, Ben Decca, thrilled the world. What turned out to be a plus for the artiste and the country at large would have been foiled by trouble-shooting BAS group simply because she was suspected to belong to what they call ‘Sardinard’ meaning a disciple of the New Deal Regime. Even if it were so, is it a crime to choose where to belong? Why stigmatise an international figure like Grace Decca simply out of suspicion! This was a misguided act, to say the least!
A concert which rather sought to pay homage to all those who worked hard to contain the devastating Covid-19 pandemic. Luckily as a unifier, the artiste surmounted the challenge posed by her detractors and announced, prior to the show that, “We're going to have a nice party, we're going to do something nice, something good. Because Claire and all those who are nurses and even us who are patients, we suffered a lot from Covid-19. So if we have to come and honour those who were at the forefront, I say yes, because I was born to love, I was born to serve.” A display of maturity in the midst of adversity and an attachment to morals!
It is this love for country and for one another that Cameroonians need to cultivate no matter what. The diabolic decision taken by some political parties and movements who feel they can accede to power using unorthodox means such as hate speech, regionalisation and creating rebel groups with the mission to attack State symbols abroad and tarnish the image of Cameroon, is detestable in a republic. Touching on the culture of a people and notably a vital soul-healer li...