On stage, fans call him Mr. Shyne. In the studio, he is the “hit master”. Within the family circle, he is addressed as Joël Fotso. He is a mystery. On his own, he learned to be a singer, pianist, drummer, beat maker and song arranger. With songs like “A cause de toi”, and “A jamais”, Mr. Shyne became the new urban music “love charm”. For the native of the West Region, the best is yet to come.
To many, the 28-year-old singer is a mystery and a shy person. This description gave birth to the artist name “Myster (Mr) Shyne”. “Myster” makes reference to the mystery surrounding his art while “Shyne” represents his timid and shy character traits. Tchatchouang Henock Joël Fotso (real name) did not attend a specialised outfit to become a singer, composer, pianist, drummer, beat maker, and song arranger.
The indigene of Bafang and Bagou in the West Region learned those skills on his own. As a budding artist in 2009, he made sound beats that saw musicians scramble to own it for a symbolic fee. When he composed and released “A Cause de toi”, his debut single, “Charlotte Dipanda fell in love with the song and requested for duo with me”, he told “Nyanga” Magazine.
“A jamais” was the fruit of that collaboration that turned out to be a hit. “3.2 million viewers on youtube as of early February 2020,” the spotspoken singer noted. In 11 years of music, with four video clips and two audio tunes to his credit, Mr. Shyne has successfully raised love emotions and won the hearts of fans (“Shynists”) at home and abroad.
“The notoriety I enjoy and love from a fastgrowing fan-base, to me, is an immense salary. Money and other material gains will follow with time. I’m not in a haste,” the “Hit Master”, as he fondly calls himself in his tunes, remarked.
HIS LOVE
While waiting for that dream to become reality, Mr. Shyne has multiplied music collaborations with several artists on the African and European continents. Another hit Single featuring Mr. Shyne and Charlotte Dipanda will soon be released, he confided to this reporter.
As “Hit Master,” his services have been solicited by scores of renowned singers. He fine-tuned the works of X-Maleya, Mr. Leo, Locko, Franko, Sonya Kay, Michael Kiessou and many others. My Shyne’s songs and handsome look are enough to charm ladies.
He is single, but he has plans to marry before the age of 32. What qualities would he be looking for in that wife to be? “She should respect me, love my profession, and be ready to forgive me when I err,” the author of “Yemalé” revealed. With this said, damsels can launch a hunt for him.
HIS ROOTS
Joël Fotso, fourth child of Ludovic Fotso and Fotso Flore, was born in Bafang. The son of a legal expert at the Littoral Court of Appeal (father), and a nurse (mother) put a pause to formal education after two years of law studies in the University of Douala to pursue his passion. Besides music, Mr. Shyne is a designer.
On a football pitch, he is an attacker, with goalscoring skills. A severe knee injury sent him off the field for ten months. When it comes to video games, one of his hobbies, he is an unbeaten master. Eating “garri and okro” soup reminds him of his roots. Whenever Mr. Shyne goes beyond his alcohol intake dose, he goes mute. His dreadlocks is an attempt to change from an angelic to a “bad boy” look. Love, peace, forgiveness, loyalty, and unity are values he treasures. Be ready to discover these themes in his subsequent opuses.
