Cameroonian teenage musician called Jato Sonita, signed under Forest Music, has been trending for days, after her manager was being accused by former protégé Clement Toh.
WHAT HAPPENED?
About a week ago, Cameroonian blogger and influencer Clement Toh raised what could be one of the most controversial topics in the Anglophone media space in 2024, involving teenage musician Jato Sonita.
Clement, alleged that Jato Sonita’s manager – Bayong Emmanuel Che, had gotten the teenager pregnant under his care, and confirmed that the singer had a kid in 2014, an information that was kept unanimously private, from the media since 2021 by her team and her family.
After the spark by Clement, Jato Sonita’s team, lead by her manager- organized a Press Conference, which eventually took place in the capital city of Yaounde, Cameroon, precisely in Bastos. The meeting saw Jato sonita’s manager, and other children signed under his record label, Forest Music, show up there to clarify themselves. The attendees, also involved Jato’s parents and media men from traditional to social media, as they briefed, regarding this delicate situation.
Clement alleged that Jato Sonita’s manager, Bayong Emmanuel Che, had gotten the teenager pregnant under his care, and confirmed that the singer had a child in 2014 – information that had been kept private by her team and family since 2021.
Following Clement’s allegations, Jato Sonita’s team, led by her manager, organized a press conference, which took place in the capital city of Yaoundé, Cameroon, specifically in Bastos. The meeting saw Jato Sonita’s manager and other young artists signed to his record label, Forest Music, come forward to clarify the situation. The attendees included Jato’s parents and media professionals from both traditional and social media, who were briefed on this delicate matter.
The Press Conference started at exactly 2.00 PM Central African Time. Jato broke into tears, as she went on to explain her ordeal, admitting that she had gotten pregnant at age 13/14, after she was being ræped by unidentified men who abducted her while she and her friends were swimming at a stream in Bambili, Bamenda, a town and the capital of the Northwest Region of Cameroon.
The press conference began at 2:00 PM Central African Time. Jato broke into tears as she explained her ordeal, admitting that she had gotten pregnant at the age of 13 or 14, after being abducted by unidentified men while she and her friends were swimming in a stream in Bambili, Bamenda, the capital of the Northwest Region of Cameroon.
Jato admitted that she had a one-year-old son but firmly debunked rumors that her manager was the father. Instead, she explained that her manager only found out about her pregnancy after seven months. She was immediately taken to a private clinic, where they began monitoring her health to ensure everything was fine. She eventually gave birth at 14, and the child was welcomed by the 16-year-old (at the time of this article), while she resumed her music career, performing across the country as if nothing had happened.
As a star musician, popular beyond Cameroon’s borders, the press conference sent shockwaves through social media. While many applauded Clement Toh for raising the alarm publicly, many others criticized the UK-based influencer, calling him “reckless” and “unprofessional,” accusing him of using Jato Sonita’s situation for clout. Some also speculated that Clement’s troubled history with Jato’s manager might have been the reason why Clement falsely confirmed Bayong as the father of the child.
WHY CLEMENT TOH AND BAYONG EMMANUEL FELL OUT
For the record, Clement worked with Bayong Emmanuel as a Public Relations officer under the Kids’ Hall of Talents Foundation (KHOT), which helped bring the youngest rapper in the country, Kowan, into the spotlight back in 2018. They were not only close friends but also business partners who went above and beyond to discover, nurture, and promote talent – a mission they executed with ease. Together, they helped develop strong young artists like Kowan, Kelly Nangah, and many others.
The young rapper quickly rose to prominence, thanks to the hard work invested in him. He won the 237Showbiz music competition in 2018. Clement and Bayong toured Cameroon, taking Kowan to major stages such as the Samuel Eto’o Music Show and the Sports Complex in Yaoundé, where he performed before dignitaries.
Their relationship seemed strong at first, but things began to sour when they couldn’t reach an agreement on issues concerning Kowan. As a result, Bayong, the founder of KHOT and Kowan’s manager, severed ties with both the young artist and Clement, along with other partners.
These events took a toll on their relationship, with Bayong even going as far as confiscating Kowan’s social media accounts. He also attempted to take control of his Facebook page, though Clement, being vigilant, managed to reclaim it, according to his account. It should be noted that Kowan had already released an album, but it was later removed from all online stores by his manager when things fell apart.
With Kowan no longer under his management, Bayong shifted focus to Jato Sonita and other young talents. Jato, who had been introduced in 2019 as a public speaker, transitioned into a full-time musician. Bayong developed a new concept for her, and she quickly gained popularity as the music industry welcomed the young star.
Clement, 26, asserts that during his time working with Bayong under the Kids’ Hall of Talents Foundation, Kowan had been exploited by his manager. After rescuing the young artist, he couldn’t bear to see the same thing happen to another child. This is why, when Jato Sonita’s uncle reached out to him and revealed the truth about Jato’s pregnancy – alleging that it was her manager, Baying, who was responsible – Clement felt he couldn’t keep it to himself, especially since it involved a minor.
The press conference, which took place on Wednesday, August 28th, seems to have reopened old wounds. It cleared Jato’s manager of any wrongdoing while confirming that the singer is indeed a mother. However, the press conference has also raised more questions, as the situation continues to evolve with each passing day.
Further investigations are expected, with legal battles likely to follow. This is because many people still find some of the statements made during the press conference unconvincing. Whether or not the information was persuasive, Jato’s manager has been exonerated of all allegations by Jato Sonita and her family, who all confirmed that her fiancé was not the father of the child.
