Rodrigue Ndzana

AboutRodrigue Ndzana

Rodrigue Ndzana, aka r’N, is a Cameroonian writer and, most importantly, a virtuoso of spoken word poetry whose notoriety transcends the country’s borders. A former national spoken word champion, he is the founder of Nda slam, and is one of the leaders of several spoken word poetry collectives, such as 237 paroles and Grand Slam National Cameroun. He has garnered a number of awards in the art of oratory. Winner of theCoca-Cola Slam Academy and of the African Spoken Word contest, finalist (and second runner-up in the judges’ classification) of the 2014 “Le rĂȘveafricain” international contest, and 2016 champion of Cameroon’s Grand slam national,he also represented his country at the 2016 editions of the Grand Poetry Slam and the Jeux de la Francophonie (in the “poetry slam” category). As an artist,RodrigueNdzana has gained acclaim through stage performances and participation in many projects. He is co-organiser of Festival International Slameroun, ambassador of the Africa Cup of Slam Poetry (CASP) and, in Cameroon, notably participated in the conception of the anthem for the fiftieth anniversary of the Cameroon Red Cross Society, and penned “La fin d’un train train”, a tribute performed during the national day of mourning dedicated to the lives lost in the 2016 Esekatrain accident. r’N is renowned for his technique, as much as for the depth of his texts, his various initiatives, the Africanity of his approach, and hisactivism. His watchwords are love, success and prosperity. RodrigueNdzana’s album project is an explosive cocktail of often “modernised”traditional sounds cradling mature lyrics typically tinged with a touch of humour. The project is designed to be both popular and international. As main themes, the work explores autonomy and entrepreneurship amongst the young and in Africa, love, as well as solutions against issues that plague our daily lives (AIDS, responsible parenting, promotion of our culture, etc.).