Amobé Mévégué, a journalist committed to African culture
Amobé Mévégué during the RFI concert on July 14, 2007 at the Bastille.
© Edmond Sadaka / RFI
Text by: Edmond Sadaka
5 mins
Our colleague and friend Amobé Mévégué died at the age of 52, a victim of devastating malaria.
Former RFI journalist and presenter on France 24, he knew how to convey his favorites and his passion like no one else.
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His smooth skull, his youthful appearance, his colorful clothes, his kindness will be missed.
Amobé Mévégué
- for those who knew him - he was above all an accessible boy, always smiling and often joking.
But he was also and above all a man of immense culture, and not only in the musical field.
He was curious about everything: cinema, literature, poetry.
This went well beyond the scope of music, a subject he obviously knew by heart.
His wise advice on the matter was also invaluable to us who worked in the same company.
From Tabala FM to France 24
Amobé knew the media world perfectly and for good reason: this boy from Cameroon who arrived in France at the age of 5 had in the 1980s been a pioneer by committing to the adventure of Tabala FM, first African radio station established in France. This is how his long radio and television career began. In 1994, then only 25 years old, he produced
the program Plein Sud
on RFI, which was
listened to by more than 45 million listeners. Two years later, in parallel, he co-produced Africa Musica, a hit parade of African music.
In 1998, with TV presenter Myriam Seurat, they developed the first talk show on MCM Africa, a diversity daily.
Amobé Mévégué was also TV5 Monde where he hosted the Acoustic program, and since 2010 France 24 where he was at the helm of the
cultural program À l'Affiche!
.
His talent was evident both on a television set and on the microphone.
In this rich career, we will also note the creation in 2000 of the magazine Afrobiz, he had also founded the pan-African television channel Ubiznews available in Africa on the satellite channel package, and in France on the cable.
He was therefore a hyperactive entrepreneur, always with a project in mind.
You had all the talents, Amobe.
Brotherhood was not the least.
Rest in peace.
pic.twitter.com/TD8I1XPuOm
- Mamane Gondwana (@mamaneshow) September 8, 2021
During all these years, Amobé has received the biggest stars of international music. Many of them expressed their sadness and shock at the news of his disappearance. Senegalese
Youssou N'Dour
evokes on RFI the loss of a friend, a brother. For him, the black diaspora has lost a man "
who gave the microphone to everyone
". "
This is sad news for Pan-Africanism
", regrets for his part and always on RFI the Senegalese rapper
Didier Awadi
, very close to Amobe Mevegué. He notes that our colleague "
fully understood the cultural issues of our time, we discussed a lot and had huge projects together
". As for the Ivorian singer
Tiken Jah Fakoly
, he keeps the image of a man "
who fought every day to give a positive image of the African continent.
[...] I am really in shock,
”adds the Ivorian reggaeman.
The African continent has just lost a great man of culture, a great journalist.
A nice, real, honest man.
A gentleman who really helped everyone, who gave everyone the opportunity to express themselves.
Reaction of journalist Mory Touré, working with Amobé Mévégué
Guillaume Thibault
I just wish we could succeed in filling the immense void he left.
The Burkinabè rapper Smockey looks back on the personality of Amobé Mévégué
Guillaume Thibault
Deep convictions
But beyond the journalist, Amobé Mévégué was also a man of convictions. He actively campaigned for the development of the continent and the black community in France. Twenty years ago, the one that listeners or viewers knew under the name of Alain Mévégué had thus decided to change his first name. From now on, it would be called Amobé. This was not a whim or a whim, but indeed a cultural and identity process. “
For me it's something important a name. It has an emotional charge and a historical charge
, ”he explained in an interview granted in 2004
to Afrik.com
. Even in his clothing, he wanted to promote African culture by often calling on African designers.
In private, he denounced the bad governance and the corruption which plagues the continent.
He dreamed of an Africa which corresponded to the ambitions of his youth… He also strongly castigated racism in Europe, fighting against the received ideas of which his community is a victim, particularly in Europe.
The disappearance of Amobé Mevegué was felt as a shock: a few days ago on August 21, he was in his native country Cameroon to attend the burial of his mother in the village of Nkolbogo, in the department of Lékié in the center of the country.
"
Infinite gratitude to you Madam
" Patriarch "
, for the absolute love you have given to ALL your children,
" he wrote
on his Facebook page
the day after this burial.
Amobé will be sadly missed, his beautiful face, his smile, his kindness will remain in our memories.
Almost 20 years ago, Amobé Mevegue, which presented the program “Plein Sud” produced by Nathalie Laporte, hosted a new column.
These were the first steps of “L'épopée des Musiques Noires” on RFI.
Amobé passed away today.
Deep sadness 😞 pic.twitter.com/ZwfTSn16xB
- The epic on RFI (@RFI_EPOPEE) September 8, 2021
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