ISSUE NO.004 - JULY 2018
SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 1
2 SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 3 PEN ART by NDOUMBE ARMAND
ISSUE NO.004 - JUNE 2018
TABLE OF CONTENT
COVER LOOK Photographer: Javohn Oddie Styled by: Lola Babe
ISSUE NO.004 - JUNE 2018
03
Editor’s Note
06
China’s MakeUp Tips
12
A Story of a Woman: Sahndra FON DUFE
20
FOCUS ON: VIDAL
08
Anonymous fingers
24
THE UPCOMER: MIHNEY
10
Life of a Returnee
28
KIM KAY’s CLOSET
F
or my everyday makeup look, I usually don’t go too bold. I just put my foundation, do my brows, lashes, mascara, lip gloss and my powders for my contouring. When I want to look more fancy I go with eye shadows and the truth about eye shadows is that you can make them as bold as you want but your lips should determine the whole outcome of your look. For the evening it doesn’t really matter if you go with bold eyes and bold lips. Your outfit too counts a lot and the occasion you are going to counts a lot too. You can go bold if the colors of your outfit are quite pale.
A
Certified Makeup Artist from Maybelline Nigeria gives us some makeup tips and what an everyday makeup look should look like.
Makeup Tips
We know makeup is an art so it demands the right dose of COLORS to make all the beauty pop out. When i say COLORS i mean the right shade of foundation, interesting choice of eye shadows, lipstick and all the rest. I will share a few tips with you depending on the type of look you are trying to achieve.
6
T
nother important aspect is how flawless your makeup should look on your skin and for that you need to properly take care of your skin using different face masks, exfoliate your face too and then add few techniques so it can last longer or look better on you. What I usually do before makeup is cleaning/washing my face with my daily scrub from Clear & Clean then hydrate it with their face oil. When i apply my primer, i usually mix my Milk of Magnesia with the pore-less gel primer from Benefits. This makes your skin super matte and to make it even more matte, i add a translucent powder on top before applying my foundation. These are my small tricks to make my skin super matte.
he last thing I will add is on the choice of your foundation. It is not always about the price of the foundation because we all have different skins and skin issues. I have met so many ladies who don’t really get a foundation because it fits them but because it is expensive. It might be expensive but not for you as it might be a drugstore foundation but not meant for you. When choosing a foundation make sure it matches with your neck. It is super important! I’d rather use something darker than my shade than use something lighter and later adjust it with contouring.
I think I have shared some of my makeup secrets and hopefully it helps who ever will be reading this to achieve a better makeup look. China Sukally Certidied MUA Contact: akonchina@yahoo.fr
SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 7
S U O M Y N O AN . S R E FING dia—to engage in harassing, unsolicited, or non-consensual sexual interactions. It can leave the person on the other end feeling manipulated, unsafe, and exposed, like when someone forwards a text, photo, or “sext” intended only for the original recipient. Make way for the fingers lol...
L
et’s just pick up from where we left off last time. We will ONLY focus on sexual harassment faced by women in this isuue since it is getting more and more intense and unbelievable! SMH
We previously talked about how sexual harassment and assault don’t suddenly happen in colleges or in the workplace anymore right? Wuna want hear funny thing? Yes, funny smh. About 30% of perpetrators of sexual assault are family members. Females don suffer! They occur because perpetrators hone these behaviors in little children, making them the training ground for sexual harassment and assault which you would think occurred only more in adults in colleges and the workplaces. Despite the magnitude of the problem; female students are unknowingly at risk of becoming a statistic, having their education derailed, or suffering severe trauma or suicide. According to a 2015 study, nearly half of all middle and high school students report being sexually harassed. More than 10 percent of high school girls report having been physically forced to have sexual intercourse. LGBTQ students are at even the greatest risks. What a world we live in! And they would want to silence us? Nah! Teens may also experience sexual harassment or other unwanted behaviors through technology and online interactions. Some people use technology—such as digital photos, videos, apps, and social me8
US WOMEN (ESPECIALLY) NEED TO SHINE OUR EYES. NOT EVERYONE HAS YOUR BEST INTEREST. Many women never report harassment because of the cultural context they are stepping into, one in which, there’s a knowledge of and tolerance of sexual harassment, that makes women’s journeys through public space always a little bit hazardous. I think the people who talk about this stuff as if it’s nothing forget how heartbreakingly sorrowful we feel about that and how ashamed. PLEASE, if you are a victim of such, contact your local police department, family, friends, counselor and even health physician. It’s time WE STAND UP AND LET THIS END! Never forget you are a QUEEN, so wear your crown gracefully. It’s no news the Anonymous Fingers is a WOMAN.
SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 9
a f o Life ! e e n r u t e R
D
ating in Douala is as stressful as threading a needle while driving on one of its bad roads. The dating reality in this town if you are a single woman is;
You will find men who have a girlfriend. You will find men who are married. You will find men who have a girlfriend and a side chick. You will find men who are married and have mistresses. You will find men who want to be in “situationships” (friends with benefits). You will find men who just want to have sex with you, just once. You will find gigolos. You will find single fathers. You will find single men who are looking for a serious relationship (the rare 0.5%) As you can see you have to be ready to defy your principles, test the waters or be patient when it comes to dating in Douala. In my case, I was “testing the waters” and boy, what an experience! I am going to highlight the top three dates from hell lool. Just when I had come back (to Cameroon), a childhood friend, let’s call him Richard, had come into the country and he hit me up. I had not seen the kid in years and I was excited. My friend, let’s call her Tessa, had asked me if he was cute etc and I was like “nah, last time I saw him, which was like 8 – 10 years ago, he was aight”. Tessa and I went to this event and Richard hit me up that night asking where I was. I told him about the event and he said he was going to the same one so we will meet there and I was like sure. At the event I’m talking to Tessa and this man walks up to me like “Eva, hey how are you?” and I’m like “Richard??” … That man was FINE!! The “glo up” was real…a full beard, muscle, he grew taller, his voice got deeper… the guy was fine and I was shocked for a good 2 minutes. Then Tessa whispers, “I thought you said he was aight, he is cute!” We went on a couple of dates and hit it off and one day he asked me to come visit him at his place, let’s watch movies etc. I was like “oh yeah, I will be there.” I got there, watched movies, had popcorn, we laughed, it was fun. He tried to kiss me but I wasn’t down for it plus his mother was upstairs and to me that was very disrespectful to her. So he went upstairs to tell his mother that I was there and he is a man so he has the right to receive guests at the house. I just thought that was a very bad look for me and he was a complete momma’s
10
“... I’m like “c’est pas bon?” while pointing at the bill and she says “non madame, c’est n’est pas bon.” My head hot!! I looked at this man at the door like seriously??!” - Eva Ndumbe
boy. I called a cab and left, haven’t spoken to him since. Did I like him? YES. Was I going to be a holiday situation? NO. I just walked away from that whole situation. Then I met this other guy at a restaurant. He insisted on taking my number with the classic lines “Tu es belle, tu m’intrigues” etc etc. So I gave him my number and this guy called me at least eight times a day. I just don’t like phone calls, you know. The creepy part about his phone calls was the timing. I started getting a little scared when he called me one afternoon as I was driving to work asking me where I was going to. I was like “what do you mean?”. He said he just saw my car around Bali ( this is in Douala) and I was like, “okay well I am going to work.” Same day, he calls me asking why my car was at the General Hospital, “are you sick?” And I was like “no I’m fine. How do you know that my car is there?” He said he was around the corner. Hmm I said okay. This one time, my friend was getting married in Buea and we were leaving Douala at like 8pm but first we did a quick stop at Zepol (a popular bakery in Douala). This guy calls me and asks me where I am, he wants to see me. I said I’m busy with my family at Zepol and I’m on my way to Buea. I SWEAR as I hung up, 5 mins later this boy appeared at Zepol. I was in the car and he knocked on my car window. I was like okay this is creepy! One day he calls me like “what are you doing at home?” And I am like “how do you know that I am home?” He said he knew where I lived and he can also track me from my phone number. I was PISSED!! I told him to fuck off and stop being a bloody stalker and he should delete my number. I blocked him!! A friend of mine kept complaining about me being single and being a third wheel so he hooked me up with his friend. Let’s call him, Hakeem. So Hakeem hit me up and we started talking and I swear we clicked. He just got back from Germany, he spoke four languages, he loved hip hop like me, he looked okay and he was giving me the right dose of attention. We talked for like a week about everything and anything and then Hakeem asked me out on a date. I was like okay. I had asked him where and he said I should choose so we decided to meet at my favourite cocktail bar, Bubble Bar, right around my house. So I get to Bubble Bar and he is late. It was his first time there so I had to give him directions. I go outside and I see this guy with baggy jeans, button up shirt tucked in and dress shoes. I was like “what the f***? Are we in 1998?” Total Backstreet Boys/N’SYNC/
Blackstreet Boys swag. HILARIOUS!! And I’m like “okay Eva. Don’t worry, you can fix this. You have fixed many, this will be easy.” We go into the bar, order drinks, talking, laughing and then there is a power outage. So we switch bars. We order drinks and keep talking. The waitress comes and tells us that they close in a couple of minutes so she needs to close our tab. He’s like okay and she brings the bill. Then he goes, “why do they always rush people when they are about to close?” I was like “it’s normal they are closing.” I finish my drink and he is like, “no take your time” and I am like I’m ready to bounce. Meantime waitress comes thrice to check the bill and we haven’t paid. I notice her and I put my hand in my purse like I was going to pay and this negro didn’t say anything. Ha!! I remove my hand seh this one now so na badluck lool. When he finishes his drink, he picks up the bill and I’m like okay okay and I focus on my phone. We stand up to leave, he walks to the door of the bar and stands there while I was packing my purse. Waitress comes back and is staring at me. I’m like “c’est pas bon?” while pointing at the bill and she says “non madame, c’est n’est pas bon.” My head hot!! I looked at this man at the door like seriously??! And I paid. Walking out of the bar, he was like “that dress is beautiful on you. You are wearing the dress; the dress isn’t wearing you.” I just kept walking, got into my car and locked the doors. He tried to get in and I just reversed and drove off. When I got home, I sent a long a** paragraph to my friend warning him to never hook me up again and I blocked Hakeem’s number. I’m still single and I haven’t been on dates after all these madness. There are so many things you will have to put up with in this 237 dating game and I’m not ready for it. Am I getting older? YES. Do I want to get married? YES. Do I want kids and a family? YES. Am I ready to start fighting with baby mothers and main chicks and be a concubine? NO. Am I trying to eat right, build a career, drink a lot of water, grow out my edges, go on vacations, be more spiritual, make my skin glow, experience an amazing young adult “glo up”? YES. I believe it will come when the time is right. God’s time is the best! Right now I’m just focused on dealing with my career and being the best at what I do. Just wait till I tell you about the life of a working young adult in Cameroon. TO BE CONTINUED... Eva Ndumbe OAP Sweet FM 88.7 Email: endumbe@gmail.com
SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 11
“
“I also live to inspire women and children all over the world to have a reason to believe that they can be super heroes if they do something to change their lives and others.” - Sahndra Fon Dufe
i
A Story For Every Woman S
ahndra Fon Dufe was born on October 28th 1989, in Bamenda - Cameroon and lived in several Cameroonian cities including Douala, Buea, Garoua, Bafoussam, and Yaoundé. Prior to acting, Sahndra attended PNEU School in Bamenda, Cameroon, graduated from Lourdes College and received a Law Degree from the University of Buea. She eventually became a sorority president (LESA, Buea) and a professional dancer for a francophone Dance Group called Black LM in Cameroon. After graduating from Law School, she persuaded her parents to let her travel to Los Angeles, California to attend the New York Film Academy.
12
SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 13
Fon Dufe started her professional acting career in local Cameroonian movies while she was studying Law at the University of Buea in Cameroon. Without her parents’ knowledge, she starred in two local movies as a supporting character. Even though these films didn’t make it internationally, US-based film producer and owner of AkwaStar Studios, Mako Namme, eventually noticed her and offered Fon Dufe a supporting role in the movie Two Princes. Although this movie also never made it out of Cameroon, but the young actress’ personality was noticed by prolific producers from neighbouring Nigeria, home to the world’s second largest film industry, Nollywood. In December 2010, barely a week after her graduation from Law School, Sahndra left for the United States where she started training as an actor at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. The year was barely over when Sahndra booked the role of Zena in “Lost In Abroad”, a Nigerian movie about confused African immigrants which was filmed in Texas, USA. That same year, she appeared on a Dove body wash Times Square billboard, and modelled for the Los Angeles Fashion Minga. Impressing, isn’t it?! The following year, she shot an inspirational international PSA in French and English which was directed by the award-winning female Chinese director Xandria Anyaene. The road to living her dreams was never rosy either. In 2013, Sahndra booked a national commercial for the American Cancer Society alongside American actress Jeri Ryan. Soon after, Ghanaian producer Koby Maxwell hired her for his movie “One Night In Vegas” starring Jimmy Jean Louis, Sarodj Bertin, Yvonne Nelson, John Dumelo, Van Vicker, and Michael Blackson. The movie was nominated nine times at the 2013 African Oscars and won five awards, including best picture. The movie was highly acclaimed by many critics which in turn made this Cameroonian beauty a household name. Sahndra went on to star in a series of movies with great roles and performances. Sahndra is not only a prolific actress, she’s also an avid writer and novelist. She’s author of the infamous YEFON: The Red Necklace and at the age of five, she even wrote ten handwritten unpublished books. At the age of 15, Fon Dufe wrote a poem “Dear Mamma” that was acknowledged by the Common Wealth of Nations. Sahndra Fon Dufe is an author, actress, humanitarian, business mogul and above all else, a woman on a mission and her story is a story for every woman!
“
I think that,God gives everyone something. Everyone has their thing. 14
SMM: Hello Sahndra. Thank you so much for accepting to be the cover girl for this issue. You inspire a lot of young Cameroonian women. So tell us, who exactly is Sahndra Fon Dufe? Behind the fame what would you say people don’t know about you? SAHNDRA: Hi Yvonne. Thank you very much for the interview. Thank you for taking the time to uhhh, you know, reach out and get me for your magazine. I’m definitely grateful. As you may already know i am a writer but i’ll like to refer to myself as a storyteller. I see things in colors and shapes. When i see a concept i see the end and it’s quite vivid for me so I’m definitely a storyteller in every shape or form. I’m also an actress even though in the most recent years writing and activism have taken a bigger, should I say a bigger place in my life. It doesn’t mean that acting is gone. It’s not! Writing has just kinda taken a bigger place. What would I say people don’t know about me? Uhhh... maybe the pictures that they’re about to see (in the magazine) i’m not wearing makeup, i have fake lashes in them but that’s it. And it was quite important for me to not wear makeup to my photoshoot (of the magazine) because i really wanted that to be a thing. That’s one thing that they don’t know, the rest i think they will find out with time. SMM: We noticed you’re such a devoted activist now. Tell us more about that path in your life. SAHNDRA: I think that, you know, God gives everyone something. Everyone has their thing. For me, you know, I’m a Scorpio woman and i feel things very deeply. If i see someone going through something and you know, I know i can help in some way if i can i would definitely do the best i can to the best of my ability. So in the past couple of years i have been getting a deeper calling to, you know, work with people, help them out, just give them a touch of what I’d like to say “God”. Like when people meet me it’s important for me that they feel what God is, and not necessarily what we were taught when we growing up but i feel that God is love, God is that agape love, that unconditional, beautiful. I think that’s God’s way that he touched me and my way to touch the people i meet. I think it might be important to know how my activism started. Uhh... Valentine’s Day (February 14th) used to be a very important day for me. It was an anniversary for a very important relationship in my life and when it broke some years ago, just before Valentine’s Day i was devastated! I did not know what to do and i remember thinking on Valentine’s Day like, okay this is our anniversary. What am i gonna do with myself? And i just remembered that i wanted to see love, i wanted to be somewhere where it will just be love and no heartbreak and i said who can make me feel this way and i was like, Ha! Children! And so i went to an orphanage and hung out with these kids and it was a wonderful day. That’s how this world of activism started! SMM: Insteresting story! Your book “YEFON”. Amazing work there!!! Let’s talk about “YEFON”.
SAHNDRA: I started working on “YEFON” when i was about 21 years old and had just moved here (Uinted States) and remember feeling like the kinda roles that i saw were not things that i can see myself really playing and i really wanted to created something that would not only give me a great role to play but give other women that are just like me; where are all the powerful women, the positive narratives that belong to Africa, i mean where are all those women? And i knew at the time that if i started it somehow God will catch me halfway. I won’t be on my own so i started it. What i found so interesting when i started working on “YEFON” was at the time her name was going to be “Amina” and the very first title was “The Face Of God” because her ID was what i just explained before; meeting a person and feeling God. But then eventually i figured out “YEFON” is a better name and i loved the meaning.
“
... when people meet me it’s important for me that they feel what God is, and not necessarily what we were taught when we growing up ... SMM: “Where are all the powerful women, the positive narratives that belong to Africa, i mean where are all those women?” This is exactly what our magazine is trying to showcase. Thank you Sahndra! So where can people find “YEFON” & your other books too, especially in Cameroon? SAHNDRA: I just wanna say first of all thank you for this question, i think it’s a great question! “YEFON: The Red Necklace” which is the original book, is published in Cameroon by SOBECAM and in the 10 different regions of Cameroon they have outlets where they distribute the materials and if you live in the diaspora you can order “YEFON” and my other books from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I also think this is a great question because people always ask ; “how do you support writers?”. You buy our books, read it and/or buy as a gift to someone or you recommend it. SMM: What made you want to become a published author? Growing up African (especially Cameroonian) I know your family might not have been supportive of that. Or were they?
SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 15
SAHNDRA: Ahhh NO, they were not actually. I did not always start off wanting to be a published author. I have written all my life like since i was five i’ve always written but i did not expect it to become a thing you know, i just loved to do it. Knowing myself well now, i would say that none of these careers were random. I was a very unusual girl, when i was little girl i wanted to be an astronaut. I mean to be an Africa girl and wanting to be an astronaut (haha) like what are you talking about? As time went on i was excelling better in the Arts subjects so i started to fancy journalism and then eventually my family convinced that i should do
writing (poetry or not), you know, narrative, i try to use language to show the non-verbal side of things. SMM: Before we proceed, you’re also a actress! An established one that is. How did it feel when you got casted for the popular Nigerian action drama “Black November” starring Hollywood big names such as Vivica Fox and Wyclef Jean? SAHNDRA: Ummm... I don’t say this to sound any kind of way, but i don’t consider myself an established actress you know. Lupita Nyong’o is an established actress! Let’s come to Africa, uhhh... Mercy Johnson, Yvonne Nelson, those are
Law because I’m a good storyteller. Just to answer your question specifically, writing wasn’t a thing that i always imagined to be a thing but writing is now my therapy and my baby and now i feel honored to be called to do that. SMM: What role does poetry play in your life and in the stories you write? SAHDRA: I mean it’s hard for me to answer this question because i’ve never really considered myself a poet. Poetry or language is not the the most important form of communication, you know, non-verbal communication is even more powerful so what i try to achieve in my
consider it very negative and always have these things to say but it’s that concept that to be a feminist means you hate men or you’re a disrespectful woman. Wrong! But coming back to the second part of the question; it’s gonna be a very cliché thing but it’s my mother to be honest. From growing up my mother has always excelled in everything that she did and i watched that from being a little girl. I saw a woman who knew how to stand up for us and herself and it’s very important because that inspired my feminism. SMM: Most young actors often move to Los Angeles in order to open more doors for their careers. Being that you are based there, would you say that has been the same for you? SAHNDRA: Yes of course! One thing people don’t tell you before you move to Los Angeles, is it kinda takes the average actor here about 10 years. It takes people a long time to build relationships, who you’re hanging out with and the connections. It’s not easy! You have to work, meet people, build those connections but what many people of our time have is we are very gifted and we know how to grasp things to go further. But our weakness is, we’re very entitled. We all want something that we are not willing
established actresses. I might be talented but not established yet. SMM: Being that you have worked for the Nigerian, Ghanaian and American movie industries, why would you say the Cameroonian movie industry is not progressing as much as Nollywood or other African movie industries? SAHNDRA: These kinda ques-
16
tions i really don’t like to answer because i don’t think i have experience and it’s not my place to say that. I can just say what i think i know. But, to the best of my limited knowledge, we don’t yet have established actresses in Cameroon at the moment and there’s nothing wrong with that. We are at an infant stage of the industry, and we are going to get to an intermediary stage and to an advanced stage just like Nigeria did but we are not yet there and it’s okay. SMM: You make perfect sense. Who are the women that inspire the feminism in you? SAHNDRA: Before i answer this question I’ll to take a moment to explain feminism. People always seem to be confused about what feminism is. They
SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 17
to put the blood and sweat into, you know.
way and that it’s my place to use those things t
SMM: Please tell us more about the “March Against Slavery” campaign you did earlier this year in Los Angeles. SAHNDRA: I thank you very much for this question! But before i explained what i am doing or was doing concerning this march, some people when they saw me doing it they were like they wished i would do this in Cameroon and i said to them (i mean to myself), how classic is it of people to always think that they know what you should do?! The reason why i got into the “March Against Slavery” is because people don’t understand that when you talk about slavery it’s all
“
I find confidence from the knowingness that I am a special unique being just the way I am and that there’s a reason why i was programmed to be this way things trafficking, you’re talking 40 million plus of people all over the world including Cameroon who are being used against their will. Then you have people who are leaving their countries because they have nothing. The government has failed them. So what did my partner and I decide? We looked at everything and did a bunch of interviews. I was in London and met with a few organizations there, trying to understand how to work with these things and we understood something. It’s one thing to go and march, we are making a statement but that won’t fix anything. That’s not enough. You have to go back and fight the factors causing this migration. How can i really make a change? You understand? SMM: Yes, i get your point. So Sahndra, what are the major highlights of your career? How do you stay focused? SAHNDRA: For the first part, I don’t really know s
18
hat i have to make this world better than when i met it. SMM: What is the most important advice you can give to a young woman looking up to you that hasn’t quite found herself yet? SAHNDRA: I would say mama it’s okay, don’t kill yourself because you see light cannot exist where there is darkness and vice versa. Cut people out. Your energy might be very diluted, I know this because i know this myself. I don’t know who you’re sleeping with (forgive my French because sometimes people act like they don’t have sex which is very funny to me but okay let’s pretend that you don’t have sex) I don’t know who you hang out with, but by constantly sharing your space with people, you give out your energy. It’s not what happens to you, it’s your attitude about it. Don’t let people ride you, do what you want to do. It’s okay. SMM:Any upcoming exciting future projects for Sahndra? Especially in Cameroon? SAHNDRA: I would say follow me on my instagram @sanhdrafondufe and i should be posting things. There’s nothing i wanna talk about yet, it’s still too early. And if you read this interview and something spoke to you please drop me a comment on my instagram. Thank you guys so much for the interview. Thank you. SMM: It was our pleasure. Thank you too. You can connect with Sahndra Fon Dufe on all her social media platforms here: Facebook: Sahndra FON DUFE Instagram: sahndrafondufe Twitter: @sahndrafondufe
19
FOCUS ON
O
ur FOCUS ON column is to highlight any Cameroonian (artist, actor, entrepreneur,etc) who never relented their efforts to follow their dreams or passions. Someone who carries pride in representing Cameroon through their amazing work. In this issue, we will FOCUS ON Vidal Kenmoe, a 29 year old Cameroonian who’s an Aerospace Engineer by profession and a shoemaker by passion. Vidal is also a former Combat Infantryman (Machine Gun Platoon) of the Mercian Regiment of the British Army. Yes! So many credentials but Vidal Kenmoe wanted to follow his passion for shoemaking so bad and now his brand Shoes By Vidal is fast becoming a huge brand in Cameroon. Shoes By Vidal is a shoe brand Vidal put together by the Grace of God a couple of years ago in Douala, Cameroon. Vidal is very passionate about shoes and it’s a craft he learned as part of his “Resettlement Program” within the Army back in 2013. It started as a passion and Shoes By Vidal is now a growing business with 4 permanent staff on the roaster. We did a little interview with Vidal so as to get an insight into his daily life as a shoemaker now.
20
... SMM: Hello Vidal. Thank you so much for accepting to be our FOCUS ON of this issue. How are you? So we hear you worked for the Cameroon Armed Forces or (BIR). How did you decide to get a side hustle? We know BIRs have no rest whatsoever. It must be hectic! VIDAL: I am good. Thanks for having me. Yes I worked for the B.I.R-GIRAM (Groupement d’Intervention Rapide AeroMobile) as a consultant-aicraft Engineer. This trade allows me the space and time for other activities. It gets hectic but with a good timetable I manage to be on top of it all.
Focus On:
This is where we focus on any Cameroonian (entrepreneur, actor, model, etc) at the prime of their art who needs more focus on.
SMM: We also learned you studied engineering or something close to that in the UK. What made you move back to Cameroon to work for the Armed Forces? VIDAL: I studied Aerospace Engineering at both Coventry and Cranfield Universities in the UK. I decided to move back to Cameroon to take on the Entrepreneur’s adventure. I was not feeling whole doing just Army. I knew there was something missing. Which I later found in Cameroon in Shoes By Vidal.
“
I am trying to build a legacy. Not just a product.
SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 21
SMM: That’s a brave step! Being that the fashion industry is so hard to break into, how did you come to the realization that your shoes had the perfect ingredients to go as far as it is now? VIDAL: I had to implement some of the Army values and standards (such as discipline, integrity, courage, loyalty...) in order to thrive in this industry. Creativity also helped. I’m a good student. I listen to my customers, friends and critics and try to improve daily. SMM: Apparently you also partner with people to make their own shoe collections. What are the criteria you look for before doing these partnerships? Someone out there might wanna contact you đ&#x;˜Š VIDAL: When it comes to partnership the main eligibility/selection criteria is the second party’s values (work ethic, reputation, beliefs...). I am very keen on the character of the person (beyond shoes design or production quantity). Shoes do last long (they’re made of leather) so if I am to associate myself (and/ or my brand) with anybody they must be of good integrity. I am try-
“
Being able to meet customers’ expectations down to the letter was the blueprint for great success within this challenging field.
ing to build a legacy (not just a product). SMM: “I am trying to build a legacy (not just a product)� This sums it all up! And by the way your customized shoes are everything! How long does it take for a customized piece to be made? VIDAL: Thank you. The production time varies
very much. It depends on the design, the pattern, the size, the mould required to get the right shape, the material used. But on average, a customized pair of shoes is made within 10 working/business days. SMM: Since most of your products are home-based, are your products selling or do people still prefer more westernized shoe designers? VIDAL: I have got a very good selling record so far. I believe with good reviews people are getting more and more educated on the difference between a handmade (to measures) pair of shoes and its industrial counterparts. Shoes By Vidal is doing very well so far. A massive thank you to all our customers and people who help promote the brand like you Sa MajestÊ. SMM: It’s our pleasure to promote the brand. It’s really dope! Please tell us where people can get your shoes. Either online or at a store. VIDAL: You can get a Shoes By Vidal shoe strictly online (at the moment) by simply visiting www.shoesbyvidal.com and/or our pages on all social media outlets @shoesbyvidal or by contacting +(237)695658595 (WhatsApp) Thank you for having me Sa MajestÊ. It is a pleasure.
22
SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 23
N
ji Bihmimihney Nelly aka MIHNEY is a young, very talented and hardworking Cameroonian artist who was born in Bamenda, specifically in Mbatu on the of August 27th in the late 90s. Mihney grew up in Douala and actually started music as a choir rapper/singer in school and in church as early as at the age 12 and then fully got into music in her mid 20s. When we asked Mihney how her highschool education looked like, she replied: “In highschool i was in a music group called “Heroes now” and i went by the name “Nelly White”. I used to do music back then just for fun until when I came to Buea for my university studies where i met the artist Yung Time and he taught me the game so i could start a career professionally.” Mihney dropped her first official single “Depuis Quand” in February 2015 and it was so well received by the public that it landed her a record deal with Fast Money Records. Working with them did not actually go well so she quit the label and signed with a new record label, a Gabonese label named Eben Entertainment owned by Eric Benquet. Recently, Mihney dropped her second but first single under Eben Entertainment titled “Pandemie”. “Pandemie” literally let us wake up and stop sleeping on this young artist. She was even featured on Trace Urban’s ZOOM as artist of the week. I personally consider Mihney the “Cardi B” of 237. Watch out for Mihney! Having introduced you (for those still living under a rock) to the impeccable Mihney, we came up with some random questions just to try and know her more outside her music journey.
“
Somebody out of the country believes in what I do and wants to invest and offers a very fair contract, I Gotta sign!
SMM: Yeah, the gap teeth looks good on you. What’s your favorite Cameroonian food? MIHNEY: Mbongo Tchobi lol
24
THE UPCOMER.
MIHNEY
SMM: Hello Mihney. Nice having you. What is a talent people don’t know you have?
SMM: Haha okay. So tell us, what do you do on your free time?
MIHNEY: Thanks a lot for having me. I will say... acting and drawing.
MIHNEY: Free time is a luxury for me. If i don’t have school or studio time, i clean up my crib and then play some soft music while I sleep.
SMM: What’s your favorite body part? And why? MIHNEY: My gap teeth. I think it looks cute and it’s not common.
SMM: Do you have any bad qualities? What are they? MIHNEY: Yes i do. I easily move on from situations and
25
SMM: If they had to produce a movie of your life, what will it be named? MIHNEY: Mission Impossible haha. SMM: lol okay. Good one! I personally feel like you’re the Cardi B of 237. You’re actually the breakout star of 2018. How do you feel about that? MIHNEY: I also get that a lot! Though personally i think i am kinda different from Cardi B. It is true that i express myself as a real nigga, give no fuck, and Cardi does same but I blame it more on coincidence and that’s the trait people say i have in common with her. I also have identifying common traits with her but that’s more on the level of her personality but not her style of music. I appreciate that people recognize and appreciate what i do and that’s what keeps me going. But i would love for them to know me for me and not relate me to Cardi B. SMM: Understandable. So who are your Cameroonian music inspirations? MIHNEY: TENOR gives me chills!!! SMM: TENOR is pretty dope no lie. Your favorite Cameroonian song at the moment. Any? MIHNEY: Yes! MAGASCO “Sokoto.” SMM: Good choice there too lol. So let’s play a little game. Who would you rather Date, Marry, Pass or Kill? - Jovi, Magasco, Mr Leo and Yung Time. MIHNEY: hahah! Jovi - Date, because he is a dope rapper and i could cop some of that dopeness. Yung Time - Pass, because i already dated him. Magasco and Mr Leo - Marry, because they’ve been bagging a lotta shows recently I know they are very rich right now lol Kill - None. SMM: Question Of The Day: why did you choose to sign with a Gabonese record label instead of
26
a Cameroonian one? MIHNEY: Somebody out of the country believes in what I do and wants to invest and offers a very fair contract, i gotta sign! That’s something no other label in Cameroon came to me with. Anyways the main reason was because it was a good deal, a wayyy better deal than any other at that moment. SMM: Yea that’s understandable. They have been amazing with you to be honest. Any final words for your fans? MIHNEY: Yeah. I just wanna thank them for their love and support and to assure them I am gonna be present for them for a very long time. SMM: Thank you Mihney for this. We appreciate and God bless your hustle. We hope you inspire a young woman somewhere reading this. MIHNEY: My pleasure. And thanks for having me.
Photography by Nji Asonganyi Studios
very fast too. I am a “fuck this I’m out” kind of person, I dozn’t like stress so I don’t give a fuck about a lot of things.
You can get to learn more about Mihney on her following social media platforms below: Facebook: MIHNEY Instagram: @mihney_nelly Twitter: Mihney_Nelly Snapchat: nmihney Email: nmihney@gmail.com
“
I appreciate that people recognize and appreciate what I do and that’s what keeps me going. But I would love for them to know me for me and not relate me to Cardi B. SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 27
28
SAMAJESTE MAGAZINE 29
STREAM ON YOUTUBE; EMANCIPATE YOURSELF
30