Brice Albin: "If you are an inspiration to others, you have succeeded"

The best way to experience Brice Albin is to listen to him – preferably with a writing pad handy, for hefty notetaking and ease of wisdom-underlining. Albin, the Cameroonian radio host and entrepreneur, uses radio waves to probe the sky with narrations, telling human stories with his characteristic warm voice and a speaking style that's immediately appealing – kind and compassionate without a hint of public-radio mush. "When I started with radio, many people were mocking me for choosing that because doing radio doesn't pay well in Cameroon, but I said, 'either I do this, or I don't do anything at all'. I am determined; when I want to do something, I go all the way," expresses Albin, who was recently chosen to participate in the 2022 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, a programme that empowers young people through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking.

"I want to inspire the youth by telling them that anything is possible, it might sound banal, but it doesn't make it less true. Many people think that there are things they can't have, dreams they can't reach, but I want to tell them that everything you dream of, you can reach, as long as you work hard and never give up."



Today, the name of the radio station that he's working for, Sweet FM, coincides with his persona's forthright sweetness and his work's inspirational quota. For the past years, Albin has talked about vital subjects with curiosity, boldness, and sensitivity with various guests. "I'm always trying to find humans that speak with sincerity, that speak from the heart because if you speak from the heart, you are touching other humans' hearts," and states that he joined Sweet FM because he wanted to help them relaunch. "It was a challenge for me because I came back as the chef of the orchestra, but it has been a gratifying experience to show them what my savoir-faire as a radio host can be all about, and I'm very thankful for this opportunity."

Since 2013 Albin is also the Cameroon correspondent of RFI's Couleurs Tropicales programme, on which he states: “It was a dream that I realised, one that gave me the opportunity to express myself on a global radio station, and to work with one of my inspirations, Claudy Siar, with whom I regularly host live specials in RFI's studios in Paris.”

Albin, a long-time audio-visual producer, explains that whenever he creates something new, be it as an event or a show, it’s a result of a process he'd begun after he'd realised that "it's very important that the youth in Africa grows up watching, listening to content that resembles them and that they can relate to." And continues to point out that he thinks that the way to go is through modern, relevant and entertaining content because "it inspires people, and if you do it right, it can be very educational in the end." Heartened by those beliefs Y-prod was born, a company that he started because "I wanted to become the boss over my own shows". 

And that he did: his shows got both guests and listeners leaning in with good talks filling the room. For those who listened in, it was like uncovering a buried passageway to an unexpected emotional connection. "The achievement of our personal goals only really makes sense if it is useful in some way to humanity, and the number doesn't matter; if you in your life have impacted one person positively, you have served humanity," and continues to tell that in terms of success the Cameroonian believes that "if you are an inspiration to others, you have succeeded. Because for me, success is measured by the impact of your work and actions on people's lives."   

Through Albin's shows, we experience the benefits of meaningful meetings, where Albin often talks about what it means to give and receive. "We each have a responsibility to give to others what we have received from others, and even to share with others what we would have liked to receive; this is the profound meaning of our humanity. Personally, I would like to help my fellow human beings realise their dreams as others have done for me, I do not want, and I must not break this chain!" 

As Albin presents stories about human connections, one can't help but notice that he observes details about the society that brings a particular food for thought.  

"Our existence is only meaningful if we leave a legacy for those who come after us. This is also the chain I mentioned earlier, which must not be broken. We benefit today from the material and spiritual heritage of those who came before us, and we too must leave something for those who came after us." 

And just like that, we're reminded that it comes down to kindness, having empathy, being present, and not giving in to the thinking that man is an island. His show – the narrated chronicles of the world surrounding him – is a good starting point to paint a picture of how to nurture heritage. In fact, it's not as much of a how-to as it is instructive – and timely. "For me, heritage is transmission. And the essential thing that we must transmit to the future is our history, our experiences, successes, and failures, and for that, our history must be documented,” he explains. “That is why I created my Tchin programme with Hennessy. And that is why I have the ambition to create an audio-visual production studio in Cameroon; to document and tell stories that will serve the present and the future. In my 13 years of experience, I have actively participated in the emergence of many Cameroonian music talents through my emblematic radio show Génération 2.0, and I’m proud to have inspired a whole generation of African artists by telling the stories of African music icons thanks to my television show Tchin sponsored by Hennessy," and continues to say that "the idea has always been to tell human stories." 

As Brice shows us how supportive storytelling happens, we deepen our love for him as a narrator. Throughout all of his shows, he's dispensing not "tough love" to the listener but empathy, words of wisdom that they can hold onto if one may. "Nobody succeeds without going through failures. The point is to never stop, never settle." By the end, we feel clearer, more understood, not alone; and ready to proceed. In that way, meeting Brice Albin is not unlike listening to a good podcast that captivates, that we are 'all ears' about and that we can't say our adieus to.