Hot on the heels of featuring on US superstar Beyonce’s latest album, the Gift: a love letter to Africa, Cameroonian musician Salatiel is back in the studio doing what he does best – making music.
Salatiel is among several African artists, including Nigeria’s Tiwa Savage and Burna Boy, handpicked by Beyonce to feature on a special album, inspired by the new Disney remake of the Lion King.
Salatiel collaborated on the song” Water” with Beyonce and Pharell.
The 32-year-old musician said he could not believe it when Beyonce’s team reached out to him for a collaboration, let alone finding out that Beyonce knew who he was.
“African music is the future of music in the whole world. African music in general, I wouldn’t say Afrobeat because Afrobeat is just one style of African music but African music is becoming, it’s going mainstream. And for me, it’s Beyonce you know, singing in the same song with Beyonce and Pharell Williams it means many more people are going to look. Many more people are going to look on to Salatiel the artist, who is he and how come he is on this album. Why is he on this album?” he said.
Salatiel first came on the Cameroonian music scene 10 years ago, but it was his song Toi et Moi (You and Me) in 2017 that cemented his status as a hit maker.
Salatiel who writes, produces and sings his own songs, says that it is about time that the world got more acquainted with African music and this is only the beginning for him.
“I have been waiting for an opportunity to be able to show the world what I can really do because giving the market constraints you will feel sometimes like you are tight up and you are tight, and you have to fit into the market. Now, right now the market is the world and then we can actually feel free to do whatever we wanna do, whatever we love to do as musicians and for me right now is Africa represented the album that is coming.” he added.
Nabile, a local radio personality says Salatiel’s recognition on such a global scale will give a boost to the Cameroonian music industry.
“The truth about it is that unfortunately we are a bilingual country and we are considered in certain networks as a Francophone country. So we are not permitted to participate in certain activities around English speaking Africa and that is a handicap for English speaking Cameroonians, you understand. I think what we’ve always being trying to do is just look for a platform because we are a unique breed and it’s just the beginning, they have not seen anything yet.”
“I mean after Salatiel there is Mr Leo, there is Gasha, there is Daphne, there is Tzy Panchark. I mean there are artists out of Cameroon that people need to go and check out because you might not find them in your usually English speaking network but we are out there and really talented. I think Salatiel is ready to show the world what Cameroon is made of,” said Nabile.
With his new-found success, Salatiel hopes that his next album African represented, due to be released soon, will garner him even more fans globally.
