Flashmag this month made a discovery rich in color falling haphazardly on the album of an artist whose talent is real, Jafa Junior based in Africa made us understand that the mother continent can also realize master pieces. In this second installment in his career, he walks the audience through an album of 14 songs entitled “Mfiè " a richly inspired opus of Afro jazz roots music and folk from the deepest Africa and Cameroon in particular. In the following lines he tells us more about him and his art.

- Hi, Jafa Junior we are happy to have you as the guest star this month. The time of this interview, the gallery is yours now tell us who is Jafa Junior, what's your background?

- Jafa Junior: Hi, I am very delighted to be the star of Flashmag this month. It all began in 1984 at the minor seminary of St. Teresa Mvolyé, located in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, with the meeting of Professor Jacques Philippe Tsala Tsala, with whom I made my debut, the late Reverend Father Engelbert Mveng in 1990 with whom I worked for the production of the work culture of Pygmy polyphony, I also work with Sita Bella and Professor Marcien Towa musicologist on Balafon and the French stylistic in 1997. I signed with Alizées Equateur label in 2008 and this will be the first album “Prends-moi tel quel (Take me as I am) In October the same year is the nomination to the price RFI discovery 2009, I spray all local scenes. I receive a certificate from the International Exhibition of African Music in 2013 (SIMA 2013). In April 2015 it’s the release of the second album "Mfiè" and in June 2015, it’s the signature with the Baka House Music label for the digital distribution of music on platforms

- Why did you choose to go that way? What was your motivation to adopt this profession?

- Jafa Junior: It is the passion that animated me and whose flame is still alive.

- In your career what are the artists who inspired you most?

- Jafa Junior: Artists who have inspired me are among other Bebey, Bob Marley and Miles Davis and generally French song.

- If you had to define your style of music what would you say?

- Jafa Junior: If my music had to be defined… I class my genre in the world music category.

- You are at your second album that took you seven years of toil, why such a long wait?

- Jafa Junior: A long wait is justified by the passion, the desire for perfection and thoroughness.

- Making in the Afro Jazz when we know that African musical world is often rooted in folklore, you didn’t have the feeling that some would tax your music, intellectual music?

- Jafa Junior: It's just music.

- To return to the new album " Mfiè " in Beti language means "Light" have you chosen to put the spotlight on a style that we tend to overlook or simply this tittle represents the philosophy of this album?

- Jafa Junior: Yes these times, the world is sick and needs therapy in all respects ...

- In this album you use several idioms of Cameroonian languages ​​including Beti, Bassa, Douala which are combined with French and English was it to get your message out to the greater number, or simply certain tittle were mingling better with some languages?

- Jafa Junior: Rather languages ​​used are Beti (Ewondo, Bulu, Eton, Manguissa), Italian, Malagasy, French, English and Bakoko to reach a greater number of music lovers.

- You are part of the new generation of African musicians. What do you think of the place of African musicians on the chessboard of world music today?

- Jafa Junior: I will try to answer this delicate but pertinent question: The African musician validly has its place. The diversity is also what makes the world.

- When you look at the last MTV Africa Music Awards we realize that there is a gap which seems to increasingly widen between Francophone and Anglophone African musicians. anglophones musicians seem to have more opportunities, do you have any clue about?

- Jafa Junior: We are in the 21st century, the world is changing, things change and it reinforces my thesis stated above , there is room for everyone and long live to the African music.

- To return to your Album what are your goals, both from the point of view of its distribution and the message it carries?

- Jafa Junior: This album crosses oceans to the ends of the earth and why not touch the hearts afflicted by bandaging them.

- Before closing this interview do you have a special word for the public ? Where is the album available? Are you planning a tour to help your music to be known better?

- Junior Jafa "Mfiè" is available now at Café of the French Institute of Yaoundé Cameroon, in Afritude store in Cameroon. It’s will also be available around the world by digital markets online with (Believe Digital starting July 27th 2015. http://www.believedigital.co.uk/ it’s also now available on soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/jafa-junior

Jafa Junior, flashmag and its readership say thanks for talking to us, good luck for !

Video Tu ne mourras pas

Interview by Hubert Marlin