K-Tino
Encyclopedia
K-Tino is a Cameroon
ian singer who shot to fame in her home country with her energetic bikutsi
music. This music from the central part of the country, around the capital Yaoundé
, became very popular in Cameroon during the 1980s and 1990s. As the political power basis shifted from the north to the south, a cultural renaissance of the Beti-Pahuin
people living in the south, i.e. the Ewondo, Beti and Bulu, occurred.
Bikutsi music is characterized by an up-tempo 6/8 rhythm
, danced with energetic pulsations of shoulders and/or pelvis. For more than ten years now, K-Tino (on earlier albums Catino) has been one of the main exponents of bikutsi. Her lyrics are quite explicit, although she herself denies that she is "vulgar
": "dire que ma musique est obscène, c'est dire que la langue ewondo est obscène" ("to say that my music is obscene, is like saying that the Ewondo language itself is obscene" ICCnet Cameroun, 2000). Song titles such as "Action 69", "Viagra", "Ascenseur" ("Elevator"), "Casse Bambou", "La queue de ma chatte" ("My pussy's tail") etc. can be interpreted as explicitly as you wish though.
She is undoubtedly one of the most consistent and exciting performers in modern Bikutsi. Bikutsi has always been known to push boundaries with its lyrics, and K-Tino is a modern day master of the genre. Her song, Condom, c'est bon, advocates the use of condom
s in the struggle against HIV/AIDS
in a light-hearted fashion.
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
ian singer who shot to fame in her home country with her energetic bikutsi
Bikutsi
Bikutsi is a musical genre from Cameroon. It developed from the traditional styles of the Beti, or Ewondo, people, who live around the city of Yaounde. It was popular in the middle of the 20th century in West Africa...
music. This music from the central part of the country, around the capital Yaoundé
Yaoundé
-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
, became very popular in Cameroon during the 1980s and 1990s. As the political power basis shifted from the north to the south, a cultural renaissance of the Beti-Pahuin
Beti-Pahuin
The Beti-Pahuin are a group of related peoples who inhabit the rain forest regions of Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Though they separate themselves into several individual ethnic groups, they all share a common history and culture. They were...
people living in the south, i.e. the Ewondo, Beti and Bulu, occurred.
Bikutsi music is characterized by an up-tempo 6/8 rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
, danced with energetic pulsations of shoulders and/or pelvis. For more than ten years now, K-Tino (on earlier albums Catino) has been one of the main exponents of bikutsi. Her lyrics are quite explicit, although she herself denies that she is "vulgar
VULGAR
Vulgar is the fourth studio album released by Dir En Grey on September 10, 2003 in Japan and on February 21, 2006 in Europe. A limited edition containing an additional DVD was also released. It featured the video of the song "Obscure", albeit a censored version...
": "dire que ma musique est obscène, c'est dire que la langue ewondo est obscène" ("to say that my music is obscene, is like saying that the Ewondo language itself is obscene" ICCnet Cameroun, 2000). Song titles such as "Action 69", "Viagra", "Ascenseur" ("Elevator"), "Casse Bambou", "La queue de ma chatte" ("My pussy's tail") etc. can be interpreted as explicitly as you wish though.
She is undoubtedly one of the most consistent and exciting performers in modern Bikutsi. Bikutsi has always been known to push boundaries with its lyrics, and K-Tino is a modern day master of the genre. Her song, Condom, c'est bon, advocates the use of condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
s in the struggle against HIV/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in a light-hearted fashion.