Eriko (Njombos)

In 2006, Aladji Toure organised his "Master Class" for upcoming musical talent for the first time. One of the winners of the first edition was a promising young singer called Eriko. When Toure was asked in an interview what qualities caught his eye when he heard this new talent, he replied, " Eriko is someone who sings really well, who has something about the colour of his voice. It is the voice of the future. He's got it all and he's good physically. He's a complete artist and he's a good musician too, (besides being a good singer, Eriko is also a creditable guitarist and pianist DM) which means that regardless of how well he sings he has a really good ear approach and it plays a lot."

The following year, Eriko recorded his first album titled 'Yondo' under the direction of Aladji Toure. The album became an instant success in all bars, cabarets and nightclubs in 2008. Eriko is the new makoss star appearing in the firmament and is in demand everywhere.

♫ Video Clip: 2007 - Eriko – Yondo 6:09

But then disaster struck on Friday, August 1. Just when his popularity had peaked, Eric Josué Kouoh was the victim of a terrible road accident as he was coming from Douala just about to drive into Yaoundé. His artistic manager Benoit Eso. h Sonne did not survive the accident and Eriko was also soon rumoured to have died. As it turned out later, this was not the case but he appeared to have been transported to hospital in a comatose condition. 

Some time later, he was transferred to Europe, where he recovered somewhat after months of treatment. Almost everyone around him was convinced at the time that Eriko would never be able to sing and play music again. But miracles are not yet out of the world. 

It is Toto Guillaume who manages to bring Eriko back to life musically. In 2011, the renowned composer, arranger and guitarist set to work with Eriko, who had not sung for three years. The result was a breathtaking five-song mini-album titled 'Baby palaba.' After the album was released, Eriko performed two major shows in Douala and Yaoundé in which he was welcomed by his fans as a returned prodigal son. Unfortunately, it ended with this one-off return.

♫ Video Clip: 2011 - Aïcha 5:33

♫ Video Clip: 2011 – Inondé (Ndolo) 6:15

In the long, rich history of makossa, there have been several occasions when the careers of promising musicians have been cut short prematurely due to unexpected misfortune. I'm thinking of legends like Bebey Black and Kotto Bass who lost us far too early. Fortunately, Eriko is still among us, but even in his case, we can only guess what successes this versatile musician and fantastic singer could have achieved had he not been the victim of this tragic accident on 1 August 2008. Although his final output was limited to just two albums, many people agree that Eriko was one of the best singers, if not the best makossa singer the current millennium has brought us so far.

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