Life

23, February 2023

Mamfe District Hospital Fire: More people are dying ⁰

You never know what you have until you lose it and this aptly applies to the people of Mamfe, indeed, the entire Manyu Division following the burning of the Division’s lone hospital.

It is almost one year since some God-forsaken arsonists set the Mamfe District Hospital on fire and for one year, the population of Manyu Division has been dealing with a challenging situation as the people are passing through tough health challenges.

Although the government promptly relocated the services which were provided by the Mamfe District Hospital to the preventive health facility in Mamfe, the services at the hospital’s new location leave much to be desired, as health staffs are now bound to treat through guesswork instead by running tests because there are no pieces of medical equipment.

The equipment at the Mamfe District Hospital was damaged alongside the infrastructure when the arsonists set the hospital ablaze.

Many people are dropping dead like flies in Mamfe due to the lack of equipment to properly diagnose their diseases with a view to providing much-needed treatment.

This was the case of a nurse who worked at the Mamfe District Hospital before the heartless arsonists sent an entire people into a state of medical uncertainty.

Mbi Semoh, a native of Ndekwai, a village some four miles from the Mamfe District Hospital, spent a good part of her life helping the sick at that hospital before the hospital was burned down to ashes. Nobody ever thought that the very first victims of this unfortunate situation would be health workers who had spent their entire lives helping others.

Ms. Mbi last week lost her battle against an unknown illness which had attacked her just a few days earlier.

The absence of state-of- the-art equipment implied Ms. Mbi would take medication without knowing exactly what was ailing her.

The time of voodoo medicine has long gone, but Manyu Division, one of the Divisions in the country with many intellectuals, has been rolled back into the dark ages when demon-possessed arsonists set a modern health facility on fire one year ago.

Ms. Mbi’s case is not isolated. Children, women and the old are dropping dead in Mamfe and it seems nothing can be done to stem this tide of death which is sending many sons and daughters of Manyu to an early grave.

The Mamfe District Hospital is a government health facility and government matters are usually painfully slow.

Nobody knows if there is a budget for the reconstruction of the Mamfe District Hospital which has stood the people of Manyu in good stead for decades.

While things appear to be gloomy, there is however a silver lining on the dark ominous clouds which have been hanging over Manyu for a year.

Manyu sons and daughters around the world are concerned about the family members they have left behind.

No true son or daughter of Manyu forgets his people, even when he or she has been away from home for decades. Putting smiles on the faces of his or her relatives is the hallmark of the Manyu man and woman, and this explains why there were spontaneous reactions when news that the lone hospital in Manyu Division had been burned down.

In the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, women associations, especially MOHWA, immediately sprang into action to mobilize resources for the equipment of the hospital once the government completes the reconstruction. There are CFAF millions sitting in Banks in the West waiting for the right moment for them to migrate to Cameroon.

MECA Toronto in Canada also has a running fundraiser and many people have already sent in their modest contributions though there will still be a massive fundraiser for the hospital in the summer of 2023.

Back home, the Division’s political authorities led by the Minister in Charge of Special Duties at the Presidency, Victor Mengot Arrey, have also raised money for the Mamfe District Hospital and they too are frustrated with the long wait as they are aware that death is hanging over their people like the Sword of Damocles.

A source close to the government has revealed that Manyu Members of Parliament have been in touch with the Minister of Public Health about this hospital.

The source added that a Manyu MP even asked questions during a parliamentary plenary session in November 2022 to the Minister of Public Health about the burned down hospital.

The source also added that Minister Mengot had been active, stressing that he had contacted the Reconstruction Program when Minister Tassong was the Coordinator and something concerning the Mamfe District Hospital is in the pipeline.

Despite these efforts, the people of Manyu Division will have to continue to wait, though death is threatening to claim more lives. The desperation in Manyu has driven many people into the waiting hands of false prophets who are doing their best to offer false consolation in a situation which clearly needs vivid medical solutions.

Due to the uncertainty, many Manyu sons and daughters around the world are calling on those responsible for fundraisers abroad to purchase equipment and send home with whatever is available.

They are calling on MOHWA and Ekpe to step up to the plate and provide much-needed leadership during these trying moments. EKPE USA, in particular, is expected to come up with a clear plan on how more money can be raised for state-of-the- art equipment to be purchased and sent home.

By Dr. Joachim Arrey

21, February 2023

Yaoundé: University students bear the brunt of surging food prices ⁰

When the 2022-23 school year resumed in Cameroon’s universities in October 2022, Rose Amandy, a second-year law student at the University of Yaounde 11, Soa, was surprised at the sharp increase in the prices of basic commodities in the local market near campus. This has made life perilous, she said because, unfortunately, the food allowance her parents provided for the semester remained the same.

“The prices of some basic food items have increased by over 50% and this is making life hard for students who depend on our parents. Unfortunately, my allowance from my parents has not changed and this makes it difficult. My semester allowance that was meant to last three months cannot support me for a month,” she complained.

“A tray of eggs that used to sell at XAF1,000 (Central African franc, equal to US$1.62) has gone up to XAF1,500 (US$2.43), while a kilo of rice increased from XAF400 (US$0.65) in 2021 to XAF650 (about US$1) in 2022,” she said.

Like Amandy, University students in the major cities in Cameroon say they are going without food to pay the higher transport fees to school and foregoing social activities in a bid to continue their education in a tough economic environment.

Inflationary pressures on food products have intensified in Cameroon since the start of the Ukraine war.

Difficult global economy

According to the Minister of Trade Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, the increase in the prices of mostly imported food items is the consequence of a perilous global economy triggered by the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The increase in prices of basic food items is not an isolated situation in Cameroon. It is the consequence of a difficult global economy,” the minister told the press at the end of 2022 to justify the increase in prices.

According to the Cameroon National Institute of Statistics, the country had a general inflation rate of 6.61% in August 2022, which is above the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) zone inflation threshold of 3%. Compared with the same month in 2021, general inflation in August 2022 increased by 7.4% in Yaoundé and 6.6% in Douala, driven by a 14.5% to 14.9% increase in food prices – in particular oils and fats, bread and cereals, and meats. During this period, prices of locally produced food products in these cities also rose by 13.3% to 14.4%.

Benson Agbor, an economics student at the University of Yaounde 1, says he can barely buy food. “Now I am obliged to draw up a scale of preference when shopping as prices for commodities and services continue to rise,” he said.

Students suffer due to high prices

Students who live off campus had to deal with an increase in urban transport fares from XAF250 to XAF300 (about US$0.35). At the beginning of February 2023, the government, after conferring with the urban transport union, increased taxi fares following an increase in fuel prices from XAF650 to XAF750 a litre.

At the universities of Bamenda and Buea in the Northwest and Southwest regions where armed conflict between government regular soldiers and Anglophone rebels fighting for independence continues, the increase in staple food prices has exacerbated an already challenging situation for university students.

“Access to food has been difficult here for the past five years since the Anglophone crisis began. Now, with inflation characterised by hikes in food prices, we are going to die of hunger,” said Akuro Jane, a student in the faculty of education at the University of Bamenda.

The scarcity in food supply has continued to increase following global and internal crises, experts say.

According to the World Food Programme 2022 report, the onset of the war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 saw price hikes globally on key commodities exported by both Ukraine and Russia, such as wheat, maize, and also fuel and fertiliser. This has had major implications for food security on the African continent, including in Cameroon, where food commodity prices have been on the rise.

Cameroon should become more independent

Despite proving resilient to shocks, including multiple crises in the northern part of the country, the north-west and south-west regions, Cameroon’s economic growth continues to be hampered by structural factors, including the over-reliance on oil, high debt levels, and limited investment in job-creating sectors, especially agriculture. As a result, Cameroon failed to reach its objective of achieving an average 5.5% annual growth during the 2010-20 time frame of its Growth and Employment Strategy Paper, experts say.

“Cameroon needs to depart from over-reliance on imports and adopt the policy of encouraging local production, especially the transformation of its primary agricultural products,” said Dieudonné Essomba, economist and former director in the ministry of the economy.

Finance Minister Louis-Paul Motaze, however, said the government is not folding its arms in the face of the crises. The government aims to keep public debt below 50% of GDP during the current fiscal year, despite the CEMAC target threshold of about 70%.

Plans to lower prices for students

The government has also announced the intensification of price controls in 2023 on some consumer products, including alcohol, margarine, sugar, refined vegetable oils, pasta and soap, in addition to some goods used in the construction industry, such as cement, tiles, electric cabling and paint.

Following complaints by university authorities, the ministry of commerce has announced a move to bring food items to university communities at lower prices.

“We are seeking to organise some temporal measures with mobile markets through shopping vans around university vicinities, with goods sold at wholesale market prices,” the minister of trade announced recently.

Source: University World News

21, February 2023

Queen of the Rosary College Okoyong- Mamfe, Celebrates a year after the Arson Attack ⁰

Staff and students of Queen of the Rosary college Okoyong, the first girls school in Cameroon, met and reflected on the progress of their school, a year after an arson attack which many thought would lead to the closing of the school.

The ceremony which took place on February 12, started with a thanksgiving mass in the college chapel and was presided over by the school chaplain.

After mass, the staff, students and guests gathered in the Rosary Hall where activities such as singing, dancing and drama took place. The event was also marked by the sharing of food and drinks.

Speaking during the event, the Principal, Rev. Sr Rosemary Arrah, said that the occasion was to thank God Almighty for keeping the students safe and to also thank the staff and parents for their continuous support in ensuring that the school keeps growing despite all odds.

Created in 1956 in Okoyong, a small village four miles away from Mamfe in Manyu Division, Queen of the Rosary College has been home to many young girls and women who travel from far and wide in pursuit of formal education.

The college started experiencing a decline in enrollment at the start of the armed conflict with the rise in insecurity in the area, just after celebrating its sixtieth anniversary.

It should be recalled that, on the night of February 10, 2022, unknown gunmen attacked the campus and set two dormitories ablaze. This caused fear and panic amongst students and parents, who did not hesitate to rush and check on their children after getting the news.

To the surprise of many, their enrollment doubled the following academic year despite the incident which had occurred.

The event was, indeed, colourful as students from the four different houses were seen with their brightly coloured uniforms.

By Cecilia Manjang

18, February 2023

Biya regime bans corporal punishment in schools following teacher’s flogging incident ⁰

Cameroon’s Minister of Secondary Education, Prof Pauline Nalova Lyonga, has announced a ban on corporal punishment in schools following a recent incident where a teacher was caught on video flogging students.

Despite being illegal, corporal punishment is still widespread in some schools, with more than 50% of children from state schools reporting that they have received such punishment.

Flogging is one of the most common forms of punishment given to students, often for minor errors, which has led many children to abandon school. Other forms of punishment in schools include forcing students to stand in various positions for extended periods or publicly flogging them, an act that the Minister of Secondary Education has condemned.

The minister insists that any teacher who wants to sanction a student in school must do so in strict compliance with the terms of article V of the 1998 law of the country, which prescribes the respect of the child’s dignity.

Schools caught inflicting pain on students will be severely sanctioned, and any teacher caught punishing a student will also face serious consequences.

The decision to ban corporal punishment in schools is a positive step towards creating a safe and positive learning environment for all students. It is essential that the government and school authorities ensure that the ban is enforced, and alternative measures are taken to maintain discipline while respecting the rights and dignity of the children.

Source: MandyNews

16, February 2023

Incurable Ebola-like virus spreads to Cameroon after killing several people in Equatorial Guinea ⁰

New cases of a deadly hemorrhagic fever have been detected in Cameroon, after a deadly outbreak was declared in neighbouring Equatorial Guinea.

Cameroonian authorities detected two suspected cases of Marburg disease in Olamze, a border commune, the public health delegate for the region, Robert Mathurin Bidjang, said on Tuesday.

Equatorial Guinea officially declared its first outbreak of Marburg, an illness similar to Ebola, on Monday. It quarantined more than 200 people and restricted movement last week in its Kie-Ntem province, where the fever was first detected.

The Marburg virus causes a highly infectious disease that can have a fatality rate of up to 88 per cent, according to the WHO. There are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments to treat it.

The small Central African country has so far reported nine deaths as well as 16 suspected cases of the disease which causes fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomit and diarrhoea, according to the WHO.

The World Health Organisation said earlier it was increasing its epidemiological surveillance in Equatorial Guinea and re-deploying COVID-19 teams to the area.

“Surveillance in the field has been intensified,” said George Ameh, WHO’s country representative in Equatorial Guinea.

“Contact tracing, as you know, is a cornerstone of the response. We have […] redeployed the COVID-19 teams that were there for contact tracing and quickly retrofitted them to really help us out.”

“We’re working on a 30-day response plan where we should be able to quantify what are the exact measures and quantify what are the exact needs,” Ameh said.

Neighbouring Cameroon had restricted movement along the border to avoid contagion.

“On the 13 of February, we had two suspected cases. These are two 16-year-old children, a boy and a girl, who have no previous travel history to the affected areas in Equatorial Guinea,” Bidjang said at a meeting in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde.

Forty-two people who came into contact with the two children have been identified and contact tracing was ongoing, he added.

Source: Reuters

16, February 2023

Mamfe District Hospital: Tales of agony ⁰

It is almost one year since the Manyu District hospital was burned down to ashes. The Mamfe District Hospital was the best in the Division and it did, indeed, stand the population in good stead for more than four decades.

No one could have suspected that such a health facility could be razed, but the war which has pitted Cameroon’s English-speaking minority against the country’s government has brought out the worst in human beings.

The devil seem to have found work for many idle hands in the two English-speaking regions of the country and the anger and frustration triggered by years of marginalization and lack of opportunities have made destruction and wickedness fashionable in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions.

The burning of the Mamfe District Hospital in 2022 is one of those tragedies of war which many will never be forgotten. Since the burning of the hospital, it has not been easy for the population of Mamfe town, indeed, the entire Division which depended on the hospital for its health-care needs.

The population is desperate and though the government had moved critical services to the preventive health facility in Mamfe town, the population is still suffering and holds that the services offered leave much to be desired.

The staffs of the health facility, for their part, are finding it challenging to meet up with the public’s health demands. Due to this unfortunate situation, the death rate in the town has gone up by at least 30% with women and children being the hardest hit.

The Mamfe preventive health-care facility was never designed to deal with intensive care and delivery cases. It has never been endowed with the capacity to deal with heart problems, asthma, kidney failure and other critical illnesses but following the burning of the district hospital, this poorly equipped preventive health facility is now charged with the duty of handling very challenging situations though it is bereft of the proper equipment.

According to a medical officer at the health facility who elected anonymity, preventive medicine and curative medicine are different and tasking the preventive health-care facility with such a challenging task without the proper tools and equipment is one tough job which may result in many deaths.

The health official further explained that with the recent influx of IDPs from neighbouring Akwaya Sub-division where multiple inter-ethnic wars are playing out, the health situation in the Manyu Divisional headquarters has gotten worse.

The IDPs are not only flooding the town, they are also flooding the lone preventive health facility in the town as many of them come with diseases like miseales, scabbies, smallpox, typhoid and other diseases which are hard to handle by the medical staff.

The increasing population is also a source of stress for staff who are required to work without equipment. Their unfriendly working conditions have been compounded by an acute shortage of well-trained government paid staff and a lack of much-needed medications.

Speaking to the only medical doctor at the health facility, our correspondent in Mamfe learned that the challenges waiting to be addressed include a lack of proper medical infrastructure, the absence of a modern intensive care unit, the non-existence of a neo-natal unit and a Tuberclosis (TB) unit. A shortage of wards and maternity beds is robbing the health workers at the facility of a good night’s sleep.

The medical expert also advised that the makeshift health facility was in a dire need of delivery beds, stethoscopes, emergency vans, ambulances, laboratory equipment, x-ray machines, electrocardiograms and essential medications like anagelsics and antibiotics.

The government had promised to take appropriate measures to ensure residents of Mamfe got the care they needed but it is yet to match actions with words.

Manyu citizens in the USA, UK and Canada have been raising funds and they are looking forward to the government creating the appropriate environment for the money raised to be wired to the appropriate quarters for the rebuilding of the destroyed hospital.

It is in this context that Manyu Toronto, Canada, will be organizing a massive fundraiser in the summer to acquire modern equipment for the hospital. Manyu Toronto will be pleased to receive assistance from well-wishers across the globe.

By Dr Joachim Arrey with correspondent reports from Mamfe

12, February 2023

UB Official Says Leaders World University a Blessing to Kumba ⁰

On an inspection visit to the campus of Leaders World University (LWU) in Kumba this February 8, 2023, Professor Chief Nol Alembong, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Buea (UB) its potential mentor, praised the initiative and said the nascent varsity comes as a blessing to Kumba.

“[Leaders World University] is most welcome as Kumba has been without a university,” said Alembong to reporters at the end of the visit.

He was on an infrastructure inspection mission on behalf of the Ministry of Higher Education, the authorizing ministry.

Alembong was accompanied by senior officials of UB from faculties and schools with competence over academic programmes offered by LWU. The UB inspection team was received by senior officials of LWU, including its Provost, Dr Theophilus Mukete, who presented the programmes LWU is offering: Medical and Biomedical Sciences, Computer Engineering, Agriculture and Food Sciences and Business. Finance and Management for a start.

UB’s Alembong (right) speaking to LWU’s Mukete (left, in suit)

Mukete said LWU will engage in food transformation to respond to the food needs of Cameroonians abroad. He later gave the visiting UB officials a tour of LWU infrastructure including a demonstration ward for the medical and biomedical programmes, structures for medical and agriculture laboratories, land for an agriculture demonstration farm and the computer laboratory.

The inspection team said they will submit their report to the minister of state and subsequently come again for an academic inspection.

LWU is the initiative of US-based Dr Ralph Ayuk, its President, CEO, Chancellor and Chairman of its Board of Governors.

Its topnotch staff include Professor Cornelius Lambi (former UB VC) as its Pro-Chancellor, Professor Gilbert Eyabi as Vice Chancellor and Mrs Susan Etchu as Deputy VC in charge of Teaching, Professional Development and Student Life.

By Franklin Sone Bayen

12, February 2023

Yaoundé restricts Equatorial Guinea border activity over fever deaths ⁰

Cameroon has restricted movement along its border with Equatorial Guinea following “several unexplained deaths” from an unknown illness that causes hemorrhagic fever, Minister of Public Health Malachie Manaouda said on Friday.

The restrictions were imposed in view of “the high risk of importation of this disease and in order to detect and respond to any cases at an early stage”, he said in a statement.

Investigations are under way and epidemiological surveillance has been strengthened with the support of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“At the current stage … there is no reason to be worried,” Malachie said.

Equatorial Guinea said in a statement on Wednesday that it had registered an “unusual epidemiological situation” over the past weeks in its Nsok Nsomo district, Kie-Ntem province, that caused nine deaths in two adjacent communities over a short space of time.

A crisis commission set up by the health ministry reported a tenth death on Thursday.

The symptoms observed were fever, weakness, vomiting blood and diarrhoea. A team was sent to isolate contact cases and take samples that were sent to a regional WHO lab for testing. A woman and her two children were taken to hospital, where they recovered after receiving mild treatment, the statement added.

A WHO spokesperson said the agency was supporting the testing of samples to identify what has caused the deaths and should get results within the coming days.

Cameroon said approximately 20 deaths had been recorded on Wednesday in villages in Equatorial Guinea’s Kie-Ntem province, which borders Cameroon’s Olamze district.

The symptoms of the “non-identified illness” were nose bleeds, fever, joint pain and other ailments that caused death within a few hours, the head of health for the district, Ngu Fankam Roland, said in a statement.

Source: Al Jazeera

10, February 2023

All About Dr Michael Bisong’s Book I need access to my children ⁰

A US publishing house has released a book I NEED ACCESS TO MY CHILDREN: A father’s guide to regaining access to his children after a separation.

The book is described as a frank and thoughtful key to understanding how dads can get access to their kids after a divorce.

Born in Cameroon, Dr Michael Bisong a former football player and Indomitable Lions of Cameroon hero is also the CEO of Bisong Foundation.

Here’s the full synopsis from the publishers:

Help! I need access to my children

Did you know that according to the National Center for Fathering, about 24.7million children (33%) live in the absence of their biological father? This is challenging for many fathers, as building a family is the most fulfilling experience for most men. It is almost impossible for a man to think of what happens if they denied him access to his children.

For most men, accessing their children after a separation is often a challenge. This often leads to desperation that may even aggravate situations. Across the world today, many men are on the verge of losing access to their children because of one reason or the other. I have been there, and I was also opportune to regain access to my children.

The strategies shared in this book have helped many other fathers regain access to their children after a separation. It gives a step-by-step guide that will help you do the right thing and provide adequate support to your child throughout their development.

Don’t waste another moment of investing your money and effort in the wrong direction. The solution you need is in this book.

6, February 2023

Beyoncé breaks record for the most Grammy wins ever ⁰

Beyoncé stands alone on her Grammy throne: With her fourth win Sunday night, she has become the most decorated artist in the show’s history surpassing the 26-year-old record once held by the late Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti.

The superstar singer has now collected 32 awards after she won for best R&B song for “Cuff It,” dance-electric music recording for “Break My Soul,” traditional R&B performance for “Plastic Off the Sofa” and dance-electric music for her seventh studio album “Renaissance,” which is also nominated for album of the year.

Beyoncé missed the milestone of her tying Solti’s record, which stood since 1997. Host Trevor Noah said she was on her way to the ceremony but blamed Los Angeles traffic for not being in person to accept it.

The song was written by several writers including Beyonce, The-Dream, Nile Rodgers and Raphael Saadiq.

Once Beyonce finally arrived, Noah presented her with the best R&B song award at her table which included her husband Jay-Z and The-Dream. In that category, she extended her record as the artist with most wins in the category with five wins.

Bad Bunny opened the Grammy Awards with a festive, high-energy performance that brought many of the audience including Taylor Swift who rose to her feet and danced near her table at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.

Noah introduced Bunny calling him a “global force” who is the most streamed and listened to artist in the world.

By the time the show started on CBS, Beyoncé had already won two Grammys. Beyoncé entered Sunday’s ceremony as the leading nominee including album, song and record of the year.

If she wins in any of those major categories, it’ll be her first since since she received the song of the year honor for “Single Ladies” in 2010.

Styles won the main telecast’s first award for best pop vocal album for “Harry’s House.”

The singer said recording the song was one of the “greatest experiences of my life. It’s been my greatest joy.”

Sam Smith and Kim Petras won best pop duo-group performance for their song “Unholy.”

Petras said Smith wanted Petras to make the acceptance speech because “I’m the first transgender woman to win this award.”

“I want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight,” said Petras, who made a reference to friend and Grammy-nominated musician Sophie, who died after an accidental fall in Athens, Greece in 2021.

“You told me this would happen. I always believed in me. Thank you so much for your inspiration, Sophie. I adore you, and your inspiration will forever be in my music.”

Petras thanked Madonna for being a tremendous supporter of LGBTQ rights.

“I don’t think I could be here without Madonna,” Petras said. “My mother, I grew up next to a highway in nowhere Germany. And my mother believed me that I was a girl. I wouldn’t be here without her and her support.”

During the in memoriam segment, the Grammys recognized the lives of Loretta Lynn, Migos rapper Takeoff and Christine McVie with several star-studded performers paying them homage.

The touching performances included Kacey Musgraves singing “Coal Miner’s Daughter” in tribute to Lynn; Quavo and the Maverick City Music hit the stage to honor his nephew Takeoff with the song “Without You;” and Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt performed “Songbird” to remember McVie.

Kendrick Lamar won sixth career trophy for best rap performance for “The Heart Part 5” and also won best rap album for his studio offering, “Mr. Morales & The Big Steppers.”

“You know, as entertainers, we say things to provoke thoughts and feelings and emotions,” he said. “So making this record is one of my toughest. … I would like to thank the culture for allowing me to evolve in order to make this. I finally found imperfection with this album.”

Viola Davis emerged from Sunday’s show an EGOT — a term for those who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — after her win for best audio book, narration and storytelling recording.

The actor gave an emotional speech and emphatically said “I just EGOT” after she marched on stage to collect her award.

“Oh, my God,” she said. “I wrote this book to honor the 6-year-old Viola, to honor her, her life, her joy, her trauma, everything,” Davis said. “It has just been such a journey.”

Tattered streetwear, T-shirts and denim mixed with blinged-out couture, wild patterns and plenty of skin on the Grammys carpet.

Lizzo wowed in a bright orange Dolce & Gabbana robe adorned with flowers and a huge hood while Taylor Swift wore a long two-piece sparkly skirt with a high-neck and long-sleeve crop top in midnight blue.

Brandi Carlile made a rare appearance during the pre-telecast for a major artist. The singer showed up after her song “Broke Horses” won for best rock performance and best rock song, a songwriter’s award, and best Americana album.

“It’s rock ‘n’ roll, man,” said a smiling Carlile, who jogged on stage with a couple of her band members. “I cannot tell you how much this means to us. We’re born and raised in Seattle.

When I met these guys 22 years ago we decided to get into a band.” Carlile co-wrote “Broken Horses” with twin brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth.

There could be many other firsts during the ceremony: If Bad Bunny wins album of the year for “Un Verano Sin Ti,” it would be the first time a Spanish-language album has taken home the top honor.

Taylor Swift, whose latest album “Midnights” wasn’t eligible for this year’s Grammys, could win her first song of the year trophy for “All Too Well.”

An Adele win for song of the year for her track “Easy on Me” would make her the most decorated artist in the category with three wins, the others coming for her megahits “Hello” and “Rolling in the Deep.”

This year’s Grammys have also introduced several new categories, including one for video game music composition, which went to the soundtrack for “Assassins Creed: Valhalla.”

This year’s show marks a return to Los Angeles after the pandemic first delayed, then forced the Grammys to move to Las Vegas last year. Noah hosted the ceremony as well, which saw Jon Batiste take home album of the year.

Source: AP