200 entries.
The writer traces how public discourse in Cameroon has become trapped in performative critique—where sounding superior matters more than add…
The post surveys the standard Western generational framework—from the Silent Generation through Generation Alpha—as a lens for understanding…
Poise's curated ranking of Cameroon's twenty most culturally resonant brands—from Total and MTN to Hysacam and Afriland—captures how brands …
This essay assembles seventeen colloquial and code-switched expressions that encode the unwritten rules of Cameroon—phrases that teach adapt…
The writer catalogs seventeen Cameroonian phrases and behavioral codes that reveal a society structured on navigational intelligence, relati…
The writer examines ten Cameroonian social expressions and proverbs—from comparative optimism to bureaucratic circumspection—as coded langua…
A humorous taxonomy of Cameroonian phrases and attitudes—'Le Cameroun c'est le Cameroun,' 'Man go do how?,' 'Si on t'explique le Cameroun'—t…
This essay traces Zambia's national football team from the devastating 1993 plane crash that killed 18 players and staff to their unlikely t…
The writer examines a controversy over Anglophone content creators allegedly excluded from FECAFOOT's AFCON promotional campaign, arguing th…
The piece examines the recurring complaint that Cameroonians do not support each other, particularly in creative industries, by sorting the …
The writer examines the paradox of African religiosity—the zeal with which imported faiths are practiced—and questions whether religion, esp…
The writer reflects on a troubling shift in Yaounde's urban landscape: newer buildings lack the cultural distinctiveness and durability of o…
Following Burna Boy's public criticism of Afrobeats as lacking substance, this piece defends the artist's right to hold the culture accounta…
Following Francis Ngannou's boxing loss to Tyson Fury, the writer reflects on the double standard applied to Black athletes—particularly Afr…
A review of Ko-C's album Genesis examines how the Cameroonian rapper moved past internal community debates about his commercial direction an…
Typecasting—the practice of repeatedly casting actors in similar roles—constrains both individual talent and the film industry's creative ra…
This piece examines the cancelled visit of a French LGBT ambassador to Cameroon as a mirror of the country's genuine homophobia, Western cul…
This essay catalogues twenty major Cameroonian brands—from Total and MTN to Guinness, Hysacam, and Afriland—as mirrors of national character…
Poise celebrates Francis Kere, a Burkinabe architect whose studio creates structures grounded in indigenous knowledge, local materials, and …
Father Nsaikila Wanyu Elvis Njong, known as Nsay Ki La, is a Roman Catholic priest and accomplished musician who creates liturgical and devo…
Examining the 2022 success of Krys M's 'Chacun sa chance' and Philbill's 'Bikossa,' the writer argues that Cameroon's biggest songs represen…
Examining the viral success of Krys M's 'Chacun sa Chance' and Philbill's 'Bikossa,' the writer argues that Cameroon's biggest songs are ret…
While Afrobeats has become a global phenomenon lifting Nigerian artists to unprecedented heights, the success has cast a shadow over music i…
The writer examines Mbole, a decade-old music genre rooted in Yaounde's neighbourhoods, and asks whether it possesses the structural and cul…
This essay examines the contradictions embedded in how Cameroonians demand 'authenticity' from their own artists—insisting on mother-tongue …
The writer examines the false opposition between cultural preservation and artistic innovation in Cameroon, arguing that culture is a living…
This reflection traces mbole music's emergence from funeral celebrations in Yaounde's poorer neighbourhoods to its recent mainstream recogni…
A factual survey of the African Cup of Nations from its founding in 1957 through the 2010s, tracing records and milestones across tournament…
A reflection on structural indifference in Cameroon, tracing a pattern of casual disregard for human dignity—from child bus attendants in Ya…
The writer argues that common Cameroonian colloquialisms—phrases like 'Le Cameroun c'est le Cameroun' and 'How man go do?'—encode defeatism …
A reflection on Kotto Bass, the Cameroonian bassist and vocalist who, despite a public career of only two years and two albums, became a mus…
The writer challenges the widespread assumption that Cameroon's entertainment ecosystem can replicate Nigeria's Big Brother success stories,…
Poise celebrates Kwoh Elonge's pivot from critic of Cameroonian comedy to practitioner, framing his success as vindication of principled cri…
This reflective essay examines the towering cultural dominance of Jean Miche Kankan in Cameroonian comedy during the 1980s and early 1990s, …
A analytical assessment of emerging Cameroonian artist Ulanda, who entered the music scene in December 2020 with the song 'One Day' and has …
Cameroon successfully hosted the 2022 African Cup of Nations despite widespread doubts about its readiness, previous loss of hosting rights …
This piece documents the compounded vulnerability of women and girls living with epilepsy in Cameroon, who face both medical stigma and syst…
When Valsero publicly criticized Cameroonian artists for their silence on a colleague's legal troubles, singling out their lack of solidarit…
The writer examines the public debate around a leaked intimate recording involving a prominent celebrity, arguing that the discourse around …
A critical reflection on the tendency to frame a celebrity sex tape scandal as an empowerment narrative, while ignoring the structural silen…
A reflection on a moment when musician Wax Dey challenged the appropriation of a Ndop blanket—a textile carrying deep ceremonial and hierarc…
A reflection on the controversy around Nigerian-born Noni White's prominence as a favorite to win Big Brother in Cameroon, using it as a len…
The writer examines the rigid expectations placed on Cameroonian artists and public figures to perform a narrow, prescribed version of 'Came…
A reflection on the decline of makossa music in contemporary Cameroon, tracing how generational change, globalization, and the rise of Afrop…
The writer argues that fear of social censure prevents honest dialogue on sensitive topics, and that movements like cancel culture, feminism…
The writer examines how narrow, prescriptive ideas of 'Cameroonian authenticity'—rooted in language, musical style, and cultural markers—sup…
The writer examines a pervasive social habit in Cameroon: the policing of artistic and personal expression against an unspoken standard of "…
A celebratory catalogue of transformative inventions created by women—from the dishwasher to Kevlar to Monopoly—many of whom were denied pat…
A young woman confronts the contradiction between the idealized image of the African man as protector and the reality of contemporary mascul…
A celebratory essay tracing women's gradual emergence from domestic confinement into visible leadership across politics, arts, and music. Th…
This essay recovers the story of three women—Marthe Nyobe, Marthe Moumie, and Marthe Ouandie—the wives of the UPC's legendary male leaders, …
A rebuttal to Poise's earlier critique of the silhouette challenge, arguing that the practice represents women's assertion of sexual autonom…
The writer examines the contradiction between Stanley Enow's public call for Cameroonian DJs to play more local music and his own career pat…
This piece asks whether Richard Bona—a world-class bassist and composer whose career spanned decades in near-obscurity before recent public …
A reflection on the brief but consequential career of bassist and vocalist Kotto Bass, who in just two years (1994–1996) created a distinct …
Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) is a rare but fatal condition that claims the lives of people with epilepsy, often during sleep…
The writer interrogates the oversimplified claim that clothing causes rape, arguing instead that rape is perpetrated by a spectrum of offend…
The writer reflects on a social media dispute over a non-Cameroonian's misuse of sacred Ndop cloth, arguing that dismissals of the offense r…
This post maps the internal administrative and territorial organization of the Douala people, cataloguing the six cantons and their constitu…
Following actor Chadwick Boseman's death from colon cancer at 43, a Cameroonian physician uses the moment to educate young men on warning si…
A reflection on DJ Arafat's role as architect and keeper of the coupé-décalé movement—a Ivorian music genre that became a vehicle for post-c…
A critical examination of a public dispute between comedian Cyril Inter and critic Kwoh Elonge over the merit of Cameroonian comedy. The wri…
The writer examines Bikutsi music—particularly K-Tino's explicitly sexual lyrics—as a form of sexual liberation rather than mere perversion.…
The writer celebrates the discovery of Rinyu, a Cameroonian musician signed to AKUMBA Music, whose fusion of Afropop and Afrojazz joins a li…
The writer examines how invocations of divine blessing have become ubiquitous in Afropop and social media culture—from rappers crediting God…
The writer traces the curious blending of sacred invocation and secular living across Cameroonian and broader African pop culture—from churc…
The writer examines the prevalence of manufactured hardship narratives in contemporary urban music across West Africa and Cameroon—artists f…
A Poise contributor examines the controversy around a fashion brand's use of 'Oluwa,' a Yoruba word for God, owned by co-founder Tino Foy. T…
The writer defends a Cameroonian brand's adoption of a Nigerian Yoruba term, arguing that cultural exchange strengthens rather than weakens …
The writer reflects on the public controversy surrounding Tembu Daniel, a Cameroonian entertainer, and the Association of Anglophone Comedia…
Written on the occasion of Nguea Laroute's death, this reflection traces the decline of makossa music—once Cameroon's cultural ambassador to…
A reflection on the generational collision reshaping marriage and partnership in Cameroon, where millennial women—educated, independent, and…
The writer argues that while advocacy for the girl child is necessary and important, a parallel neglect of the boy child—particularly vulner…
The writer reflects on how gendered expectations—particularly the assumption that women will subordinate careers to family—shape girls' aspi…
A critical reflection on a Cameroonian musician's inflammatory social media remarks about a fellow public figure, examining the gap between …
A public health worker reflects on fieldwork with persons with epilepsy in Cameroon, documenting the severe social stigma—particularly again…
A medical professional and epilepsy advocate examines the gap between the neurological reality of epilepsy and the social stigma that surrou…
The writer surveys five emerging genres of Lamnso-language music—Afropop, Traditional, Hip-Hop, Afro-Folk, and Afro-Alternative—and argues t…
The writer reflects on Cameroon's propensity to replicate successful ventures without innovation—from twerking livestreams to entertainment …
A reflection on the musician Chili Wawaye and her role as a custodian of Nso cultural heritage through music deeply rooted in Lamnso languag…
The writer recommends the 1992 film Quartier Mozart as essential viewing for Cameroonians—particularly filmmakers—for its unflinching social…
The writer examines how Cameroon's cultural and political systems privilege material gift-giving over substantive contribution, using Manu D…
Following Manu Dibango's death in March 2020, musician Richard Bona proposed renaming Douala Airport after the legendary saxophonist. When c…
A physician's essay on infertility—its medical realities, its prevalence, and the social cruelty of intrusive questioning. The piece uses a …
A direct, anatomically grounded refutation of the myth that frequent sexual activity causes vaginal looseness. The piece provides baseline f…
The writer reflects on how social media shaming around women's clothing choices has become reflexive and counterproductive. Rather than refo…
This essay explores okep, a traditional enema practice central to Manyu and Bayangi culture in Cameroon, administered across the lifespan fr…
A direct examination of mental health's absence from Cameroon's public health conversation, showing how cultural explanations—witchcraft, ge…
This piece examines how patriarchy persists not through male coercion alone, but through women who have internalized sexist norms and pass t…
A personal essay challenging the widespread practice of skin bleaching among young African women, framed as a failure of self-esteem rather …
The writer argues that beauty pageants, particularly Miss Cameroon, enforce narrow and exclusionary standards of feminine appearance while u…
A reflection on the writer's four-year natural hair journey, sparked by reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's *Americanah*, and a broader medit…
The writer reflects on how social and cultural pressure undermine formal equality for women, tracing this pattern through a formative school…
A celebratory portrait of womanhood that moves beyond the stereotype of female complexity to honor the multifaceted strength, generosity, an…
This essay examines the chronic dysfunction of English-language education in Cameroon's francophone schools, tracing the phenomenon beyond d…
A reflective essay traces how Koppo's 2003 album, built on Camfranglais rather than the French or English dominating rap at the time, fundam…
The writer examines how Cameroon's rigid expectations of cultural authenticity—what it means to 'sound' or 'be' Cameroonian—drives away tale…
A personal essay tracing the discovery and legacy of Bantou Po-Si, a Cameroonian rap group that emerged in 2001 with the single 'Nikeles' an…
This analytical piece examines the psychological and social mechanisms that prevent onlookers from offering assistance during emergencies—fr…
A clear-eyed breakdown of common misconceptions among young Cameroonians about emergency contraception, distinguishing between folk methods …
The writer reflects on the discomfort of watching a provocative article spark predictable ideological reactions, and uses this moment to que…
A personal testament to the artistry of Sharone Konfor (Share'On), a Cameroonian vocalist whose technical mastery and emotional depth place …
Poise meets with musician and activist Bonzyz to discuss the role of conscious music in addressing Cameroon's social malaise. The piece argu…
A reflection on a Cameroonian actress's refreshingly honest social media post about her red-carpet look, in which she disclosed the modest c…
A humorous exploration of penis captivus—the rare physical phenomenon in which penile engorgement and involuntary vaginal muscle contraction…
This essay dismantles the widespread Cameroonian belief that bleeding during first intercourse proves virginity, drawing on anatomical fact …
The writer traces how Molyko, a university district in Buea, became the incubator for Cameroon's modern entertainment industry through the f…
A reflective essay prompted by an overheard remark about a young woman's expensive car. The writer examines why Cameroonian society—particul…
The writer reflects on the commodification of a viral internet personality—a 65-year-old welder—into a music performer, reading his elevatio…
A medical explainer examines the health effects of holding in urine and flatulence, moving from the serious (urinary tract infections, kidne…
A writer observes the Saving Mbango film premiere—a carefully produced event with a stated dress code of 'native chic'—and critiques musicia…
A reflection on the paradoxical success of Cameroonian musician Zinnia, whose song
The writer examines the epidemic of child sexual abuse in Cameroonian society, prompted by X Maleya's graphically explicit music video addre…
A Darassa origin myth recounts how women held sole dominion in the early days—as rulers, officials, and elite—while men performed domestic l…
The writer examines a social-media phenomenon in Cameroon's hip-hop culture—the 'Mboko Gang,' devoted followers of rapper Jovi—as a case stu…
A reflection on a low-budget hotel advertisement in Yaoundé that, despite its technical shortcomings, succeeds by rooting itself in recognis…
The writer examines the Toghu, a traditional garment from Cameroon's Grassfields, not as mere decorated cloth but as a visual language encod…
The writer recalls two encounters with Miriam Makeba during her visits to Cameroon in the 1970s—first at a Red Cross ball in 1974, and later…
The writer proposes a practical business model for producing and distributing cartoons based on African oral traditions—specifically fables …
A reflective essay on the life and cultural significance of DJ Arafat, tracing his role in the coupé-décalé movement that emerged from post-…
The writer reflects on the absence of African fictional heroes in his own imagination, shaped by Western comic pantheons, and discovers in H…
The writer examines the generational collision between millennial women who have built independent careers and lives, and millennial men sha…
A Cameroonian writer traces how the 90s generation—nostalgic for their parents' world of clear gender roles—now faces a different reality: w…
The writer examines the hollowness of "support your own" rhetoric in Cameroon's music industry, arguing it functions chiefly as emotional ma…
A critical examination of Ko-C's popular song, which frames an unwanted pregnancy as moral failure. The writer argues that the song, while a…
This post examines the cultural belief that bleeding during first intercourse proves virginity, establishing through medical fact that the h…
This analytical piece examines body shaming as a social practice in Cameroon, presenting arguments on both sides of whether it is harmful or…
Kahina Dihya was a Berber warrior queen who led indigenous resistance to the Arab Islamic conquest of the Maghreb in the late seventh centur…
A portrait of the last Lingeer (queen) of Waalo in 19th-century Senegal, who inherited power through a matriarchal system where royal women …
This essay traces the legendary journey of Queen Pokou, an 18th-century Asante noblewoman who refused to join her uncle Osei Tutu I's confed…
A portrait of Yaa Asantewaa, the Asante queen mother who in 1900 publicly called her people to armed resistance against British colonial dem…
The writer profiles Queen Nzinga Mbande (c. 1583–1663), ruler of the Angolan kingdoms of Matamba and Ndongo, tracing her diplomatic missions…
The writer examines whether Cameroonian rap maintains its foundational commitment to intellectual engagement and socio-political consciousne…
The writer examines eleven colloquial expressions endemic to Cameroonian speech—from 'Le Cameroun c'est le Cameroun' to 'Tu crois que tu sou…
The writer celebrates Monique Ntumngia, founder of Green Girls' Organisation, who won the VISA Everywhere Initiative Women's Global Edition …
A humorous inventory of how ordinary Cameroonians repurpose waste materials—from plastic bottles to old slippers—turning refuse into everyda…
A meditation on Chili Wawaye, a Nso musician who sings almost exclusively in Lamnso and preserves traditional grassfield music through conte…
The writer argues that rap music has drifted from its origins as a pedagogical and political force into a culture of empty materialism and s…
The writer reclaims the term "Tontinard"—originally deployed as an ethnic slur against Bamileke people and political opponents—as a badge of…
A reflection on the social ridicule that arose when a Cameroonian musician operated a food business during a hiatus, and the deeper cultural…
A radio personality's plea for Cameroonians to play traditional music at weddings sparked online mockery rather than serious debate. The wri…
The writer examines the structural deceptions embedded in the weight-loss industry, identifying three hallmarks of fraudulent products: prom…
Drawing on pharmacology and Cameroonian folk wisdom, the writer examines whether bitter kola and alcohol—particularly Guinness—can delay eja…
A medical doctor addresses widespread misconceptions among young Cameroonians about emergency contraception, distinguishing folk remedies an…
Written in the wake of the deaths of two prominent makossa musicians, this reflection asks whether the genre that opened Cameroon to Africa …
The writer responds to widespread social ridicule of feminism in Cameroon by reclaiming the term's basic definition—the advocacy of gender e…
The writer examines two interconnected cultural phenomena in Cameroon: weak corporate cultures that fail to invest employees in their compan…
The writer reflects on what it means to speak French as an Anglophone Cameroonian, prompted by a controversy around musician Daphne's accept…
A retrospective on how Koppo's early-2000s decision to rap in Camfranglais—a language mixing French, English, and Pidgin—fundamentally alter…
The writer argues that feminist critique of gender discrimination often mischaracterizes historical customs as deliberately malicious rather…
A reflection on singer Daphne's awards victory at the 2019 Canal 2'OR ceremony, celebrating not just her musical achievement but her public …
The writer examines the backlash against musician Daphne Njie over her appearance and aesthetic choices, using her case to reflect on how yo…
A reflection on the sudden viral celebrity of Nyangono Du Sud, a Cameroonian musician whose work the writer dismisses as musically poor, yet…
A Cameroonian writer reflects on her experience of linguistic and ethnic divisiveness in daily life and contemporary politics, arguing that …
A reflection on the public's relentless commentary on musician Mr. Leo's fashion choices—particularly his leather pants—and the larger quest…
This post honours Marthe Moumie, a founding editor of Femme Camerounaise and militant for Cameroonian independence alongside her husband Fel…
The writer celebrates the emergence of a youth-led cultural renaissance in Cameroon—from music to fashion to digital media—while issuing a c…
A sharp-eyed, comedic monologue set inside a Cameroonian church during Sunday mass, narrated by a congregant whose attention drifts freely f…
Written in Cameroonian Pidgin English, this poem catalogs the hollow counsel and baseless gossip that surrounds ordinary people trying to im…
The writer examines the 2018 controversy surrounding Dencia's skin-lightening cream promotion and asks whether admiration for entrepreneuria…
A Facebook exchange reveals Cameroonian jazz musician Richard Bona publicly refusing a charity concert invitation and defending his politica…
A critical examination of the Cameroonian musician Maahlox's claim that his provocative, sexually explicit music serves as social commentary…
This essay examines why socially conscious music campaigns succeed or fail, arguing that musicians must demonstrate genuine, consistent comm…
A close reading of two female rappers—Askia and Otang—as rare keepers of authentic hip-hop craft in Cameroon, even as male peers abandon the…
A meditation on discovering neo-soul in Cameroon through a young artist named Amatula and her debut single "Wake Up, My Love." The writer tr…
This piece critiques Cameroonian celebrity culture for moral evasion during a moment of national crisis, specifically targeting the 2018 son…
The writer makes a bold wager that Dready Christ, a multifaceted Cameroonian urban artist, will become one of the continent's biggest acts. …
This essay traces the life and legacy of Kahina Dihya, a seventh-century Berber warrior queen who led indigenous resistance against Arab Isl…
A portrait of the last Lingeer (queen) of Waalo in 19th-century Senegal, Ndate Yalla Mbodj led resistance against French colonial incursion …
This essay traces the life and legacy of Queen Pokou Awura, an Asante noblewoman who, refusing integration into the Asante Confederacy, led …
Yaa Asantewaa, Queen Mother of Ejisu in the Asante Empire, led armed resistance against British colonial demands in 1900, most notably when …
This essay introduces Queen Nzinga Mbande, the 17th-century ruler of the Kingdoms of Matamba and Ndongo (present-day Angola), who resisted P…
A profile of Laetitia Tamka, a Yaoundé-born musician performing under the name Vagabon, who taught herself guitar and moved between engineer…
Poise examines a viral hotel advertisement from Yaoundé that drew laughs across Francophone Africa by depicting three archetypal figures of …
This piece presents a curated selection of proverbs and idioms from Fufulde, the language of the Fulani people of West and Central Africa, o…
The writer defends the right of public figures to speak controversial opinions, even when wrong, arguing that bullying artists into silence …
Reflecting on the global resonance of the Black Panther film, the writer argues that while the movie's cultural significance is real, the de…
A critical examination of the Miss UBa 2018 'popularity contest,' which allowed direct vote-buying, prompting reflection on whether monetize…
Poise celebrates Nelly Mihney, a Cameroonian artist who ranked highly in the publication's October ranking of female artists, particularly f…
The writer examines a prominent Cameroonian artist's shift toward generic pop music, arguing that audiences bear primary responsibility for …
A reflective essay on Jovi's foundational role in revitalizing Cameroon's urban music scene and the complicated legacy of an artist who gave…
A wry account of how ordinary Cameroonians have become inadvertent recyclers, repurposing everything from plastic bottles to cement bags and…
This essay examines the Cameroonian rapper Wan Shey's album 'Status Update' as a work of cultural and pedagogical intervention, arguing that…
A sardonic inventory of how ordinary Cameroonians repurpose waste materials out of necessity and ingenuity, even as the state fails to enfor…
The writer reflects on a moment of casual misogyny—overhearing men attribute a young woman's Mercedes to sexual favours—and traces the deepe…
The writer examines how Cameroonian nationals engaged in international financial fraud are reshaping global perceptions of Cameroonians abro…
A sharp critique of Cameroon's proliferation of beauty pageants—from Miss Cameroon to product-branded contests—which the writer argues celeb…
The writer observes a recurring scene at a local secondhand shop where cars are dangerously offloaded using makeshift wooden ramps, when a p…
The writer identifies six colloquial Cameroonian phrases—from
The writer critiques how Cameroon's emerging entertainment industry has become obsessed with superficial "branding"—fake luxury goods, manuf…
A celebration of Cameroonian youth who have seized creative and entrepreneurial agency—from music and fashion to digital media—despite syste…
Poise presents a comparative assessment of nine Cameroonian female entertainers across seven dimensions—vocal quality, physical attractivene…
The writer articulates a sustained critique of beauty pageants in Cameroon, arguing they celebrate appearance over achievement and reduce wo…
The writer argues that Cameroon's declining connection to its musical heritage—particularly Makossa and Bikutsi—is not a failure of youth bu…
This piece asks whether there is genuine space for socially conscious music in Cameroon and globally, examining the tension between public a…
A meditation on Pascal, an Anglophone Cameroonian rapper whose gift for narrative craft sets him apart in a hip-hop landscape often dominate…
A reflection on Cameroonian music's loss of cultural identity as a new generation gravitates toward Nigerian and pan-African influences at t…
The writer examines a boycott campaign against rapper Tzy Panchak's tour in the DMV (Washington DC area), arguing it was likely a publicity …
The writer distinguishes between entertainers—who follow public emotion and demand passive consumption—and artists as true innovators who de…
A sharp critique of African dependence on Western validation and media coverage of continental crises, arguing that Africans must take owner…