Cameroonian artist Orion Jaeb has disclosed that he hopes his music will highlight Africa’s cultural richness and its role in global unification.
The musician made this known during a press conference with journalists from across Africa a few weeks ago to discuss his forthcoming new EP, Les Chroniques du Clair de Lune.
Orion—the songwriter, composer, and performer behind the well-received single Petit Prince—comes from a lineage of respected musicians and has been in the industry for about 10 years.
Comprising seven songs, Les Chroniques du Clair de Lune blends rock, pop, and electro with traditional Cameroonian music. Thematically, it explores self-esteem, toxic love, and self-perception and encourages listeners to be kind to themselves, embrace vulnerability, and realise they are not alone.
“For 10 years now, I have worked on my music, my lyrics, my singing, and my voice,” he said. “My journey is not complete, but I am now able to present a project that I believe will be appreciated by many.”
The EP’s title translates to Chronicles of Moonlight. “The moon is important for me because it creates a universe where people need to be connected to themselves,” he explained. “The journey starts with self-questioning, moves to understanding oneself with others, and ultimately reaches a state of unity—the equinox.”
Orion also acknowledged the importance of paying tribute to his lineage through his compositions. “I honour my family members and the musicians who came before me,” he said. He highlighted tracks like ‘Sad Love’ and ‘Elders’, which are dedicated to ancestors’ wisdom. “It is important for me to pay homage—not just in lyrics but in the sound and structure of my music.”
According to him, he remains mindful of how his work represents his home country, particularly in light of the recent renaissance of African music globally.
“People assume that if you’re African, you can only do Afrobeats,” he noted. “At award shows, they box you into a category. But why can’t a Cameroonian artist make rock music? Why can’t we mix our traditional sounds with pop or electro? In this project, I wanted to show that African musicians can do anything.”
Orion added that with this new collection, he hopes to showcase Africa’s role in cultural unification, with Cameroonian music playing a key part.
“We need to take what we have and present it to the world on our terms,” he said. “Not what they expect, but what we truly are.”
The EP’s first single arrived on 1 March.
Written by Gabriel Myers Hansen
The author is a music journalist and pop critic from Accra, Ghana.
