Nationaler Jugendchor «Mboa», Cameroon
The Mboa Youth Choir was founded by the Amis du Chœur Madrigal du Cameroun in 2019. As Cameroon’s official Youth Choir it recruits 32 singers aged between 16 and 26 to work on educational and artistic projects every year. Its weekend workshops are devoted to learning an eclectic repertoire comprising not just classical but also contemporary and traditional Cameroonian music, always with an emphasis on professional vocal training and singer-audience interactions. By bringing together young people from all over the country, the Mboa Youth Choir also fosters social cohesion. Its “Colours and Rhythms” programme was conceived as an immersive experience combining the sounds and timbres of present and past with rhythmic challenges ranging from the simple to the highly complex. Drawing on the society of friends’ madrigal collections, the choir has been able to explore the affinities between Cameroon’s musical heritage, negro spirituals, the Western canon and modern compositions and so to discover a cappella singing in all its many facets.