To reach the final, Bélo, Patrick Ruffino and the group Lang’i had had to beat off stiff competition from hundreds of other hot new talents from Africa and the Caribbean. Ruffino, a gifted bassist who honed his guitar skills as an accompanist before turning solo, impressed the judges as did Lang’i, a vibrant group from Brazzaville with their catchy fusion sound. But it was Belo’s upbeat mix of ragga, reggae and other Caribbean sounds that stole the show.

The jury, presided over this year by Meiway, the zoblazo virtuoso from Ivory Coast, got together at St John Plazza in downtown Douala on Thursday night and watched all three candidates perform short showcases. The finalists’ nerves, the jury’s long drawn-out discussions and the organisers’ last-minute buzzing around added to the traditional excitement associated with the “Découvertes” as everyone awaited the verdict with bated breath. The music prize seemed all the more significant this year, given that this was the 25^th anniversary of the “Découvertes.” A poignant tribute was also paid to the award’s creator, Françoise Ligier, who died recently.

Several teams of reporters and staff from RFI music programmes, including Claudy Siar’s show “Couleurs Tropicales”, were on hand in Douala to promote the finalists, giving extra coverage to this year’s award. Bélo, Patrick Ruffino and Lang’i were all invited onto Siar’s show, putting their music to the test in front of an international audience of listeners.

Meanwhile, in the run-up to the live performances at St John Plazza on Thursday night, a special press conference was organised on Thursday afternoon to promote the event to the media in Cameroon and local journalists from Douala. The “Découvertes” award not only put Bélo, Patrick Ruffino and Lang’i in the spotlight on that all-important night, but hopefully will serve as an important stepping-stone in their careers, particularly Belo’s. Previous winners of the award, who include Rokia Traoré and Ivorian reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly, have all gone on to greater things. Let’s hope young Bélo will now follow in their footsteps and take his talent to wider audiences around the world.