Mr. Leo, otherwise known as Fonyuy
Leonard, is a super talented Cameroonian male singer who started singing in a choir known as “Breakthrough Voices” while in High School. His major breakthrough came in 2014/2015 with the release of “E Go Betta”, a single that took the Cameroonian and African music scene by storm. He recently launched a record label, Lionn Production, signing two exceptional artists, Gomez Jr Oshijirin (Gomez) & Ebude Kate Kameni (Kameni).
Jeéy is Mr Leo’s Mr Leo’s second studio album following ” love original ” which was launged in 2017. Jeéy the album is different amongst many other things thus giving more meaning to it’s tittle ( jeéy) which is the Nso word for ” Different “.
The artist shares his view on his new music journey in an interview.
” The music we make should make a difference in us and our listener base. As artists we need to make a difference in our own lives and in our society – our message has to be embellished in a sound that can command respect, so as to be heard. The African is many different beautiful things. Africa has many characteristics. But Africa is also ONE beautiful soul and philosophy. All of this needs to be felt in every note of my music. The message, sound, culture, visuals, and every other aspect of our work has to be associated with excellence, quality, dedication, and social change, and this is the journey I am on with this song and my upcoming album,” said Mr. Leo.”
The lion of Africa , a.k.a Mr Leo has once again dazzled us all but this time, in ways no one could imagine or anticipate .
The artist who was best known in the past for his ” lover boy ” reputation has taken us down another route of music.
Today, we expirience music like never before. He has transitioned from urban romance to purely spiritual and soulfull music. Digging deep into his roots and culture. His transition has been hard on some fans while others have embraced his new journey.
As is the case with every artist, transitioning is a hard process and artist are prune to loose fans along the line. Many are of the opinion that ” Jeey” is targeted at the Nso people and the older generation . But it is safe to say that, while the Lion of Africa might have lost a couple of fans, he’s also gained more fans and posibly an entire new market.
Talking about new markets, Mr Leo’s billboard was spotted live at New York city’s square which is like the ” marché central ” of New York. Controversial opinions say he targeted the wrong audience. But is there really any truth in that ? . As an artist, it is important to know how to postion yourself and your brand. Times Sqaure features millions of Celebrities daily and portraying Africa the way he did, is nothing but strategic international marketing. Well done team Leo.
The lion of Africa (jeéy ) the album features jeey as the thrid song on a list of 13. Jeéy unravels the story of a man on a journey . He walks his paths which are dry and desolate. He feeds on the gifts of nature . He is guided by his roots and he relies on nature for guidenace. He puts his trust in the sky and the birds who giude him to the moutain .where he drinks from a clay pot given to him by a priestest
and there on, the heavens pour out and the music switches to triumphant. We see the artist and companions dressed in Royal African fabircs , celebrating birth, earth , celebrating Africa.
The song is primarily in the Nso language but this doesn’t overshadow his intentionality about the message he intends to pass. The music video is clear and very intentional about sharing African stories.
The lion of Africa ( Jeéy) is not just an album as we have all come to realiase. It is infact a statement and a movement, to uplift and showcase the African tradition and culture. And to this, we all wait impatiently for future projects.