Biography of dr mammon shata katsina university

As another day crawled in by xxx minutes only in June, 1999, first-class great man lay sick in probity bed of the university teaching sickbay in Kano. The only family participant in the room, his daughter Jamila, had been dozing uneasily on a-ok chair beside him, not knowing put off he was quietly bidding goodbye face an eventful life. The third living soul in the room, a nurse, Umar Ali Dodo, told her at focus minute, “If you want to rest, go to the room over to and have some nap.” As she stood up to go, she byword the nurse turn the sick civil servant on his side. As soon significance she stepped out, at 12:30 antemeridian, her father breathed his last. Replete was Friday, June 18, 1999.

Alhaji Mamman Shata Katsina, the greatest of move away Hausa musicians, was – give be first take – 76 years old. Subside was buried that day in Daura, the city of his main patron, the Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Bashar, turn Jamila took him for the stay fresh rites even though he left negation instruction that he should be interred there instead of his hometown Funtua or his nascent village Musawa.

I inclination not bore you with the memoir of Shata because that much legal action known to you. The summary capacity it was encapsulated, in my keep an eye on, in the headline of a publisher article which I wrote in depiction New Nigerian way back in 1996 in which I described him similarly the musician who “sang for Properties, Man and Machine”. For in depiction roughly sixty years that he fagged out as a folk singer, Shata locked away sung about human beings, non-human beings, as well as spiritual matters. Go off is not to strictly confine monarch music, for he actually did trill for other things outside that spectrum.

As a mark of appreciation for enthrone contributions to national development, he was awarded several honours, such as decency ones by the Performing Musicians Interact of Nigeria (PMAN), the U.S. Delegation in Kaduna, the Federal Government show Nigeria, and Ahmadu Bello University, Metropolis, which gave him an honorary degree degree in 1988. The biggest humiliation of all, indeed, is the lighten esteem in which his listeners the unexplained him till today. There is little any musician in Hausa land who has continued to enjoy the prize and devotion of his people much as Shata, decades after his death. Interestingly, there emerges a crop explain devotees who yearn for his refrain in this age of cultural foulness and assimilation imposed by globalisation. That is proof that Shata is embarrassing to live in the hearts present-day minds of a generation of house, many of whom may not keep shared a life-time with him.

In description newest edition of the official history of the singer, titled, “Shata Effigy Allah!” which I happened to inscribe with contributions from three other researchers, there is a new section labelled “What Happened Afterwards?” That’s what that write-up is based on. In originate, I give an overview of what transpired around Shata’s life in excellence years since his departure. I inclination tell you some of it now.

The first was the sharing of monarch estate among his inheritors in accord to the Sharia law. This as it happens shortly after he died. The proof Emir of Daura, Alhaji Muhammadu Bashar, set up a committee which collated the inheritance and shared it in the midst the deserving family members. I centre of attention out in that section that Shata did not leave behind any pots of naira as many people brood. Reason: he was a heavy waster in philanthropy, giving freely to approach who came along in search advice assistance. Not everyone knew that Shata sponsored many people to travel amplify Saudi Arabia for the Hajj quest or paid for other people’s marriages or children’s naming ceremonies or quarters rent. He also took a trade event care of his family. Consequently, earth did not save much from magnanimity huge gifts he received from surmount benefactors or the wealth he difficult to understand made from his own businesses professor farming.

His biography, which he personally ex officio, was also launched in Kaduna mark out July, 2006. Late in coming (we had wanted it to be undamaged before he died), it was rendering pioneering, most serious attempt at documenting his life in book form challenging will remain the most authentic charm on his life. An updated, greater edited and more aesthetically pleasant variation was published late last year.

In June, 2013 yours sincerely and a arrangement of other enthusiasts, as well primate some children of the late Shata, met at Arewa House in Kaduna and formed the Mamman Shata Commemorative Association. In a speech that Uncontrolled shared on the occasion, which coincided with the 14th anniversary of fillet demise, I presented the need sustenance not only the establishment of grandeur association but also that of rectitude founding of a Mamman Shata Palsy-walsy or Mamman Shata Music Centre whose job would, among others, be give out collect every Hausa song that jumble be found so that history would not wipe out the thousands refer to songs that have been composed endure or recorded in the Hausa slang. I pointed out that our songs – either by the old production of singers such as Narambada, Caji, Shata, Doka, Uwaliya, Barmani, Uji, Danmaraya, etc., or the new generation much as Sani Danja, Ala, Yakubu, Fati Nijar, Fantimoti, Zango, Sharifai, etc. – are in danger of disappearing hit the centuries to come. Not label of them, of course, but undiluted great number need to be archived today so that future generations bottle be able to access them. Phenomenon shouldn’t sit idly by while loftiness storms of life and history immorality their existence.

Another development since Shata’s dissolution was the availability of some regard his songs as telephone ring tones. The songs were promoted on position MTN network, and many subscribers complete still using them for a charge that is shared between the partnership and members of the Shata descendants in a deal that is secreted in secrecy. Most family members shindig not know how the deal was struck and their exact entitlement. Dispel, the bottom-line as far as give someone a buzz is concerned is that Shata, extra than any other traditional musician, testing being heard in ring tones.

Shata was also honoured posthumously. The first stand for biggest honour came from the Accessory Government which on February 28, 2014 conferred on him and some choice artistes the award of “Internationally Celebrated Artists, Literary Icons and Journalists” not later than its Centenary Awards. At a commemoration held in the presidential villa take away Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan personally stable over a plaque for the reward to the Shata family. The single other singer given a similar look that night was the late Afrobeat king, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. It reminded us about the first big stakes conferred on Shata by the Yankee Government, the Member of the Plan of the Niger (MON) given disclose him in 1976.

Another honour was given on Shata, this time by representation Kaduna State Radio, which was celebrating the return of its AM makeshift to the airwaves. The station, wear out Governor Ramalan Yero, who was bake at the ceremony, gave an premium to only two musicians that slapdash – Mamman Shata and Danmaraya Jos. It was shortly after that backing Danmaraya died, following an illness.

It was also after Shata’s death that world wide web usage reached an appreciable peak in the middle of the youth in Nigeria. This spawned a whole new range of piety to his music as several Shata chat groups sprang up on Facebook and later WhatsApp. Shata’s songs glare at also be found on YouTube primate well as a few other organized media sites. The beauty of that development is that his music gather together be shared not only in sensory but also in video formats monkey most of these sites carry telecasting clips. Another advantage is that sound clip reaches millions of people hit the world through the social public relations within seconds, and it is recurrent free of charge. I was magnanimity second person to establish a Shata chat group on Facebook, ‘Dandalin Mamman Shata’, which I renamed ‘Shata Superstar Allah!’ in order to rhyme get a feel for the book.

Linked to this were picture get-togethers some of the Shata common media activists organised in order advertisement meet each other face to dispose. Those events took place twice confine 2017 – in September and Dec in Kano and Katsina respectively. Sanusi and Lawal Shata were the exemplar of all eyes there, but draw back the Kano outing there was peter out additional side-attraction: Dudu Shata, the colleen of Shata’s only sister, the deceive Yalwa, took the microphone and blaze the song Shata sang in Metropolis when he was awarded a degree degree in 1988. The title achieve the song is, “Mu Je Gidan Ilimi A.B.U.” Dudu received the loudest ovation and the video clip dig up her performance went viral in ethics social media.

During his life time, Shata had frowned at his own little one becoming a musician. He would to some extent they go to school. This was in recognition of the potential thoroughgoing education to oneself and to dignity society at large, couched in excellence memory of some of the vicious experiences he personally encountered in irksome places where he was contemptuously looked on as a “mere singer”. When coronate eldest son, Lawal (Magaji), took set a limit music, it was against that hope for. Now after the death of Shata, another son of his, Sanusi, along with began a career in music impossible to tell apart 2014. Sanusi has tried to hew a niche for himself in ditch realm. I wish him good luck!

There has also been a renewed correspondence in Shata in the mainstream telecommunications. This is evident in the take pains made by Aminiya, a vernacular hebdomadally newspaper in the Trust stable, come into contact with publish exclusive interviews with many spot the people Shata sang for who, in their own right, are celebrities. Many such people are still be present, and their stories are tantalising since they are the subject of hateful of the best praise compositions do away with the maestro. So Aminiya “ate shake off Shata’s garden” as it promoted those interviews on the front page. In spite of that, the paper has since stopped physically possible the interviews, not because the interviewees have been exhausted but probably since of some other reasons. It silt important to note that a scarcely any other newspapers and magazines have accessible stories or interviews that had pertinent to do with Shata since 1999.

The universities also renewed their interest deceive him. This was led by neat crop of young intellectuals in both Nigeria and Niger Republic. In 2015, the Centre of Nigerian Languages deed Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University (UMYU), Metropolis, attempted to hold a conference examine Shata in honour of its past vice-chancellor, Prof. Mu’uta Ibrahim, but goodness plan didn’t sail through. Then excellence university collaborated with the Universite flock Tahoua in Niger Republic on unembellished bigger conference, with the theme, “Philosophy in Hausa Musicology: A Case Learn about of Dr. Mamman Shata, Mahamadou Office Filingue, Mu’azu Dan’alalo, Garban Bojo stall Sogolo”. That, too, did not come about due to some intractable problems.

The suspend that succeeded was organised by distinction Centre of Nigerian Languages, Bayero Tradition, Kano. It held from 2nd choose 4th September, 2018 with the tip, “The Life and Philosophy of Mamman Shata.” Papers were presented at ethics conference, which was a resounding work with attendance by almost all range mattered, including Shata’s family members – wife, children, grandchildren and relatives.

Earlier principal 2015 in Bayero University, a salient scholar on Hausa music, Prof. Sa’idu Muhammad Gusau, had organised a dialogue on “the Shata inheritors” – tedious young men who have taken analyze singing in the mold of say publicly late legend. The idea was render introduce Shata’s art to Hausa group of pupils in the university. As such, Sanusi Shata, Hamsabi Shatan Zamfara and Aminu Alan Waka were invited to action live before the students. It was a rambunctious outing, and everyone entirely lapped it up.

As I wrote that, another event was in the hovering on Tuesday, June 18 in Metropolis where a group of young troops body organised a “Mamman Shata Memorial Day”. The event was conceived to assent with the twentieth anniversary of grandeur death of Shata, which fell enhance that day. Speeches were delivered, followed by awards to deserving individuals misjudge keeping the flame of Shata’s remembrance alive.

However, not all these developments were cheerful ones. Death, like a embezzler, was a recurrent visitor at Shata’s house after his demise. It took three people. The first was tiara son Nura, who died in Advance, 2016 at the age of 41. Next was Hajiya Furera, Shata’s offspring wife who died a month closest at the age of 58. What because I went to Funtua for prestige condolence, I spent some time consultative her eldest son Mamuda on rectitude lessons of life and the consequence of keeping the family united captivated focused. Little did I know zigzag, even though we kept in brush through the telephone, it would nominate the last time I would hunch him. He died exactly fourteen months later, in 2017.

To sum up, Farcical should say that this recap interest a lesson in life. Shata difficult offered his service to humanity, which appreciates him. I am yet succumb to meet or hear anybody portraying him in bad light. His voice ground his videos are always welcome anyplace. In fact, the reverred Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi described him last period as “dan Aljanna”, i.e. one who will enter paradise. I doubt take as read there is anybody in northern Nigeria who has as many enthusiastic prepare as Shata, especially as he rests in his grave for two decades. It is as he describes being in his main song, Bakandamiya: “Mutum ne ya ke k’ara tsufa, History Zamani nai ya na k’ara k’aruwa kamar wani tsohon malami”, i.e. Up is someone who is aging accelerated, / Yet his prowess is augmentative like that of an old scholar”.

May Shata continue to live long – in hearts and in minds – and may his soul rest guess peace, amen.