Latest news with #Happi
The Guardian
02-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
On the right track: the record label reaching out to Cameroon's street talent
It does not take long for a crowd to gather when the Jail Time Records van pulls up to the kerb and starts blasting music in Cameroon's port city, Douala. Set up not just to play music but as a mobile recording studio, too, the van passes through the city's poorer neighbourhoods, offering the microphone to Douala's aspiring but unguided young musicians. The goal is to scout for new talent while also helping out young people in areas plagued by drugs and crime. 'We go to the ghettos with the mobile recording studio, start blasting the music and open the mic up for freestylers. More and more young people start gathering and freestyling. They want to be part of it,' says Steve Happi, co-founder of Jail Time Records – a label that started in Cameroon's prisons. Since 2019, Jail Time Records has been operating in Cameroon's toughest prison, helping inmates to find a creative outlet and even launch a career in music. The project's success has meant the authorities in Burkina Faso are also allowing the label to operate a music project from Ouagadougou's prison there but the team wanted to expand what they do in Cameroon by reaching some young people before they end up in prison. Happi says: 'The reality is the only older brother figures they have to look up to from the ghetto are mostly the drug dealers, so they are growing up in the hands of criminals. Our goal with this project is to put up a hand and say we can go in another direction too.' Many of the young people disappear down the backstreets soon after their freestyling, never seen by Happi again, but occasionally they come across a talent that they can bring back to the studio. In time, they hope to release an album of songs from the street sessions. Happi's task is not easy – some of the young people are difficult to track down because they do not have phones or they have sold them because they need money. He is also tussling for influence with the negative forces in the city, especially the phenomenon of 'microbes' – gangs of dozens of youths who often mob parts of the city, attacking people and stealing. It is an issue that has got worse with the rising influence of drugs and gangs in Douala, he says. Sign up to Global Dispatch Get a different world view with a roundup of the best news, features and pictures, curated by our global development team after newsletter promotion But for young people such as one 21-year-old who records under the name Diblaq, this is the opportunity they have been waiting for. 'The street freestyles allowed me to develop my music in a new way. My environment isn't really favourable to my growth but I used to struggle to save up some money and then head straight to the studio,' says Diblaq. 'Now, with Jail Time Records, I have access to a recording studio for free. Creating music gives me a certain freedom, allows me to express myself and share my feelings with those around me.' Happi knows there is talent in the neglected corners of Douala but that when recording costs are too much for most, talented young people can have their lives derailed by small mistakes, such as drug possession, which can lead to harsh prison sentences. It is in jail that many pick up far worse habits. The aim of the project is to start helping young people at every stage, by giving them guidance and hope before they end up in jail, in addition to the work they were doing with those already in prison and those who have been released. That work has helped people such as KMB, who came across Jail Time Records when imprisoned as a child but now, aged 21 and out of jail, is trying to use music to steer clear of prison. 'It's difficult in this environment to find work and stay out of trouble because I grew up in a poor area and have been involved in criminal activities,' says KMB. 'The project helps me to record my music and pursue my passion and avoid going back to my old demons.'
The Star
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Store expansions set to buoy Focus Point
PETALING JAYA: Despite the ongoing challenges in retail sentiment, Focus Point Holdings Bhd remains optimistic of its prospects, supported by resilient demand for vision care services, increasing contributions from its expanding corporate client base, and aggressive store openings across the country. President and chief executive officer Datuk Liaw Choon Liang said the optical business remains to be an essential business. He noted that the group has quite an 'aggressive' store expansion plan this year, particularly for its optical segment. Liaw said the company may even surpass its previously guided target of eight to 10 new optical outlets. 'In the last five months, we have already opened about five new optical outlets. There are a few more in the pipeline this year,' Liaw told the media following the group's annual general meeting last Friday. Focus Point also aims to expand its optical retail presence in East Malaysia by opening its first Focus Point Concept Store in Bintulu and a new outlet in Miri. 'We are quite focused in East Malaysia now. We see a huge untapped market in Sarawak and Sabah,' Liaw said. The optical and food and beverage (F&B) operator opened its 200th optical store earlier this month. On the optical segment, Liaw shared that while the retail division still contributes the bulk of revenue, corporate sales have been growing steadily. The group currently serves over 700 corporate clients under its optical programme. 'In the last three years, we have seen significant growth in the optical corporate segment. We registered a very strong double-digit growth in 2024 compared with 2023. 'Currently, the optical corporate segment contributes less than 20% of our total revenue, but there is a big opportunity for further growth. 'We continue to see the number of participating companies increase every month,' he said. Under its F&B segment, Focus Point operates its homegrown premium Japanese bakery brand, Komugi. Recently, the group also introduced Happi, a new concept focusing on frozen yogurt. The first Happi outlet opened at Mid Valley Megamall in early 2024. Liaw said the group targets to open two to three stores for its F&B division this year. 'Unlike our optical business, which allows us to expand more aggressively and flexibly, F&B growth requires more careful planning,' he said. On the Happi business, Liaw said the current store has yet to meet their expectations and there is still much room for improvement, particularly in terms of concept quality and marketing efforts. 'Since we only have one store, we have not achieved the economies of scale in purchasing and procurement. We are still monitoring this business and will approach expansion cautiously,' he said. Focus Point operates two central kitchens in Kota Damansara. While the first central kitchen is fully utilised, there is still some capacity available in the second central kitchen. On this note, Liaw said the group is actively engaging in talks with new corporate clients apart from existing ones like Family Mart and Aeon Co (M) Bhd. 'We are also exploring opportunities with new operators, particularly coffee chains,' he said. Last year, the group had a capital expenditure (capex) of RM16mil to RM20mil. While Liaw did not disclose the exact capex planned for this year, he said it would be 'quite close' to last year's figures. 'Our capex is mainly used to open new outlets and refurbish existing ones,' he said. Liaw said the company will refurbish and also rebrand some of the stores every year. With rebranding, some outlets may be transformed from Focus Point stores into Optometris Anggun outlets, while others may be converted to Focus Point Signature stores. 'We found that after refurbishing or rebranding our stores, sometimes those outlets can grow by another 20% to 30%, even if they were previously very old stores,' he said. This year, Focus Point has identified six to eight outlets for refurbishment. Speaking about US tariffs, Liaw said it may play to the group's advantage, by boosting its bargaining power with suppliers from China and South Korea, who are still grappling with export restrictions. 'These manufacturers may dump their excess stock soon, allowing us to leverage our volume for better deals,' he said.
