Meet Duprie Rising Cameroonian Star of Afro-pop Music

Over the years, several youngsters have sprung up and dominated the industry with a twist through freshly packed lyrics synced with harmonious melodies to soothe the hungry musical mind. Every year, new talented artistes deliver these tunes with ease. Cameroonian Afro-pop/ RnB singer and songwriter, Duprie, is one of them.

Duprie, whose real name is Damen Priestley Dume, is the new voice in town that everyone should watch out for. First, he is known for his ability to navigate between the Afropop and R&B genres. Duprie’s romance with music began at a young age which massaged his passion into soulful rhythm. He expressed: “Be it writing, singing, or performing, music is something that comes to me easily.”

The artiste further reminisced about how he performed at talent shows while in secondary school. However, during his university days he was convinced that his passion for music goes beyond impersonating Michael Jackson. “I was already writing music that was getting positive feedback from my local community. I think my genuine love for music also made the decision an easy one.”

Now while Duprie taps inspiration from a host of musicians from different eras and genres, his core inspiration and musical interest was influenced by Michael Jackson. “As a kid growing up in Cameroon I was significantly influenced by Michael Jackson, R. Kelly and Richard Bona.

However, with several other artistes carving a niche for themselves in the music industry in Africa and across the world names like Locko, Charlotte Dipanda, Stanley Enow, Blanche Bailey, Flavour, WizKid, Banky W, Maleek Berry, Rude Boy, Yemi Alade, King Promise, Mr Eazi, Dadju, Chris Brown, Usher, and Trey Songz have won Duprie over.

Speaking on his creative process, the Afro singer enthused that creating good music has never been a hassle for him, as spontaneity has always been the key and inspiration. “It is very spontaneous. I just let my mood, state of mind or whatever is happening around me determine my vibe.

“It is only in very rare circumstances that I go to the studio, knowing what I was going to record. I generally just let loose and let my emotions speak. Once I have a theme and baseline of the lyrics, the rest is easy.”

Duprie is not your regular singer. He has a compelling blend of talent, depth, strength, and energy, especially versatility. Duprie continues to give quality music with banger sounds. “My musical style is unique in that not only do I make music in both the Afrobeats and RnB genres, but I can also effectively fuse these genres together to create a unique sound that is neither afro beats nor R&B. All the songs I have released are of different genres. I have singles in Afropop and Afro swing and R&B.

He has got his EP scheduled for November. This single is certainly a glimpse of the level of versatility that is to be anticipated in his upcoming EP.