Old Northern Hausa Praise Singing by Taguimba

The Hausa (or Haoussa) are a people based in Northern Nigeria and Niger, but are present in many parts of sahelian Africa, with sizable communities present in Ghana, Burkina Faso, the northern halves of Benin and Togo, Chad, Sudan and smaller urban communities in Central and North Africa. The westernmost Hausa communities are present in the Haoussa and Ansongo regions of eastern Mali. Historically, Hausa-speaking communities were also present in the Timbuktu/Tombouctou region, where the village of Guezou Haoussa exists to this day. The northernmost Hausa communities present in Africa are based around the Saharan city of Agadez in northern Niger.

The Hausa language is widely used as a lingua-franca between West African Muslims east of Ghana and Burkina Faso (further west, Dioula / Bambara is used instead), and a market language in areas stretching from Ghana to Sudan. It is possible to traverse the region from the Sahara to the coast, or travel the 4300 kilometres between west and northeastern Africa, and encounter predominantly Hausa-speaking communities throughout.

This is an old clip taken from Nigerien TV of a well known Nigerien singer Taguimba from Dogondoutchi town in Arewa region, Niger, (she passed away recently). She belonged to the Bori cult (a minority cult that mixed Islam with traditional cult beliefs) singing deep northern Hausa traditional praise songs (Kirari).

As the Hausa are a predominantly Muslim peoples, praises would usually start off with those of Allah and the Prophet. Thereafter, patrons from among the audience then may literally "shower" money gifts upon the Maka'da or Maroka (griot praise singers) and in return get their praises sung (as seen in this video). The amount of money depends on the amount of praise, and commonly whole songs are dedicated to patrons who had given large donations of money (Politicians, Emirs, Traditional Chiefs (Sarki/Shugaba), Islamic clerics and scholars (Imams, Mallams, Sheikhs, etc). The use of hyperbole is tantamount to Hausa praise poems/songs.

A wealth of various ensembles exist based on differing social groups in society or serve different occasions. The Bori ensemble of fiddles, shakers and calabashes, reflect the fact that all the performers are of the Bori faith.

Other ensembles used for praise music include the somber all-male ensembles of the Courts, singing long memorised complex verses between a lead and chorus, using the highest register of literary Hausa. This music, known as KIRARI, is based on the kotso and/or kalangu (various hourglass-shaped talking drums); exemplified by griots such as Alhaji Musa dan Kwairo (Dankwairo), Aliyu dan Dawo (Dandawo). and Alhaji Muhamman Shata (Mamman Shata).

Other ensembles incorporate different instruments and are for different purposes:

* The algaita (Shawm/reed instrument) and Ganga (kettle drums) associated with military exploits and public celebrations.

* Flutes + fiddle and molo ensembles (associated with Hausas of Fulani heritage);

* Ensembles aimed at merrymaking and dancing incorporate the kuntigi (mini lute), kalangu, gurmi (long necked lute) and goge.

* Calabash ensembles of all-female griot groups.

Praise-singing or panegyric music is one of the oldest genres of sung music in the world and has a long recorded-history in ancient Greece, parts of Asia and Africa. It should be noted that although the Hausa are a predominantly Muslim people, musical traditions, as well as instruments, are purely indigenous to the region.

Instruments:
GOGE: Traditional fiddle
TSIRIKI: Traditional flute
KWARYA: Calabash bowl
SHANTU / GINDAMA: Gourd Shaker

Category:

Music

Tags:

• taguimba
• hausa
• singing
• griot
• bori
• boorii
• maguzawa
• west
• africa
• niger
• nigeria
• ghana
• mali
• cameroun
• burkina
• benin
• sudan
• chad
• togo
• cote
• d'ivoire
• makada
• haoussa
• music
• african

[VraiDiouf]

Is this in Nigeria or Niger?

[anak1]

This is in Niger :)

[VraiDiouf]

Wow you're great man. I agree with this....What happened to real Hausa music???? All this Indian/Pakistani influenced junk upsets me. We need people like Harouna Goje, we need real Hausa Music.

[delminus1]

We need to show case more proper traditional Hausa Songs on You Tube.most of this music videos we see now are corrupted by the influence of Indian & Pakistani music.Sabida Allah yan war, please post some REAL traditional wakokin Hausawa for us and give the world our best!!!

[aqu1r3]

put some dan maraya on!! it brings back memories of my dad :)

[Fkkoff]

this song sounds like ethiopian music from gonder...lol minus the rythm

youtube.com/watch?v=EYjFn2qedo­Y damn just listen

[bassass22]

so interesant.... you can downlod more about boorii culture music... you know so many thinks about.... congratulationjs ... nice work.!!!!

[kemetianqueen7]

@ daanyboy...this is some of our spiritual and gospel influences Hausa, Fulani,

Ashanti, Akan

Yoruba, Igbo, Ife, and Angola just to name a few...at least this is in the Gullah/Geeche families to which I belong in South Carolina on the Islands and some inland in America

[Dannyboy855]

this is crazy....you can totally hear this musics influence on the early slave music of american blacks

[fingertips09]

DAN ANACHE also pls.

[KRISHNARAJIYENGAR]

Salaam Ahmed. Lovely video. For how much do you get a Gonjey fiddle? I really love the sound!

[leaderofnow]

This is very nice music, take me back to my roots. Here is new Hausa music I am the future and it is old music like this that paved the way for me and everyone else. Enjoy !!! Leave feedback

[delminus1]

Blessing for you!