- country:Cameroon
- region:Central Africa
- style(s):Roots, Bantu
- label:Mutumbu
- type:Band, Solo, Composer/Songwriter, Quartet
- gender:male
- instrumentation:vocal, percussion, singer songwriter
- artist posted by:Mutumbu
Line up
- Akunchu Enoch (Keyboard)
- Emmanuel Ihinbru (Drums)
- Fonyuy Nsobunrika Leonard (Voice)
- Michel Nganso (Bass)
Links
Fonyuy Nsobunrika Leonard artistically known as Mr Leo who hails from the North West Region of Cameroon is an award-winning afro-fusion/Afropop singer/songwriter. Born and raised in the city of Buea, his music is a groovy melange of Cameroonian rhythms, with influences from makossa, blues, and hip-hop, sung in English, French & Lamnso, ranging from soulful inspiration to colorful love and feel-good dance tunes.
His father, a prison officer, indulged in DJing at local clubs and parties, exposing Mr Leo to music early. However, Leo only began to dive into music in a quest to woo a lady he admired in school who was part of the school choir. This led to him joining the choir “Breakthrough Voices” of Molyko in school, where he met Salatiel under whose mentorship his professional career evolved.
Mr Leo’s first release “E Go Better” (Alpha Better Records, 2014) tells the story of a young man who hopes for a better tomorrow for him and his girlfriend. He successfully touched the hearts of the Cameroonian youth who recognized themselves in him. This song found prominence on radio and TV airplay and clubs making Mr. Leo the new nugget to watch out for.
Growing up in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon as a minority in a majority french speaking country, Mr Leo found a problem to solve - engaging both English and French audiences in a multicultural country. He then began creating music that went beyond language, genre, culture, and several such barriers in a globalizing multilingual world. Mr Leo appreciates the support of strong women influences in his life such as his mother and dedicates most of his career to celebrating and empowering women, love, and family values.
He is a household name across French Speaking Africa and its diaspora with two albums, several awards, and recognitions, such as Knight of the Order of Merit (Cameroon), Afrima & Red Feather Notable of the Nso Tribe. He has over 2.5 million accumulated followers across social media platforms, and over 70 million accumulated views across streaming platforms. He has featured artists such as Hiro, Kerozen, Daphne, & Revolution, and headlined/performed at events such as Visa for Music (Morocco) & Rema (Burkina Faso) alongside artists like P Square, Dj Arafat, etc. and has featured in top global media like CNN African Voices & Music in Africa.
In 2018, he created Lionn Productions LTD an independent record label that has brought out talents such as Kameni, Gomez, and Mr Sympa, as well as championing the Lionn Initiative, an NGO with aim to help communities in need especially young people in the creative sector through the Lionn Academy for Arts and Entertainment.