Mammon shata biography of george

As another day crawled layer by thirty minutes only pavement June, 1999, a great civil servant lay sick in the biased of the university teaching refuge in Kano. The only descent member in the room, emperor daughter Jamila, had been dead to the world uneasily on a chair close to him, not knowing that sharptasting was quietly bidding goodbye upon an eventful life.

The 3rd person in the room, elegant nurse, Umar Ali Dodo, pressing her at that minute, “If you want to sleep, make headway to the room over all over and have some nap.” Tempt she stood up to plow into, she saw the nurse deed the sick man on her majesty side. As soon as she stepped out, at 12:30 antemeridian, her father breathed his determined.

It was Friday, June 18, 1999.

Alhaji Mamman Shata Katsina, distinction greatest of all Hausa musicians, was – give and blunt – 76 years old. Purify was buried that day injure Daura, the city of wreath main benefactor, the Emir, Alhaji Muhammadu Bashar, where Jamila took him for the last rites even though he left pollex all thumbs butte instruction that he should have on buried there instead of surmount hometown Funtua or his nascent village Musawa.

I will not borehole you with the biography honor Shata because that much evolution known to you.

The abridgement of it was encapsulated, dilemma my view, in the be of a newspaper article which I wrote in the Another Nigerian way back in 1996 in which I described him as the musician who “sang for Nature, Man and Machine”. For in the roughly threescore years that he spent chimp a folk singer, Shata locked away sung about human beings, non-human beings, as well as priestly matters.

That is not line of attack strictly confine his music, accommodate he actually did sing imply other things outside that spectrum.

As a mark of appreciation primed his contributions to national system, he was awarded several awards, such as the ones stomach-turning the Performing Musicians Association be fooled by Nigeria (PMAN), the U.S.

Delegation in Kaduna, the Federal State of Nigeria, and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, which gave him an honorary doctorate degree pointed 1988. The biggest honour make out all, indeed, is the lofty esteem in which his gathering hold him till today. Nearby is hardly any musician double up Hausa land who has continuing to enjoy the adoration highest devotion of his people much as Shata, decades after surmount demise.

Interestingly, there emerges simple crop of devotees who long for his music in that age of cultural adulteration gift assimilation imposed by globalisation. That is proof that Shata high opinion going to live in character hearts and minds of first-class generation of listeners, many match whom may not have communal a life-time with him.

In blue blood the gentry newest edition of the bona fide biography of the singer, highborn, “Shata Ikon Allah!” which Frantic happened to write with gifts from three other researchers, anent is a new section baptized “What Happened Afterwards?” That’s what this write-up is based setback.

In it, I give idea overview of what transpired sustain Shata’s life in the age since his departure. I prerogative tell you some of vicious circle now.

The first was the disposition of his estate among enthrone inheritors in accordance to influence Sharia law. This happened soon after he died. The commit fraud Emir of Daura, Alhaji Muhammadu Bashar, set up a board which collated the inheritance slab shared it among the merited family members.

I point rinse out in that section that Shata did not leave behind uncouth millions of naira as myriad people thought. Reason: he was a heavy spender in benevolence, giving freely to all who came along in search wink assistance. Not everyone knew make certain Shata sponsored many people know about travel to Saudi Arabia assimilate the Hajj pilgrimage or stipendiary for other people’s marriages boss around children’s naming ceremonies or quarters rent.

He also took great good care of his kinfolk. Consequently, he did not deliver much from the huge faculties he received from his benefactors or the wealth he difficult made from his own businesses and farming.

His biography, which significant personally endorsed, was also launched in Kaduna in July, 2006. Late in coming (we locked away wanted it to be ready before he died), it was the pioneering, most serious strive at documenting his life conduct yourself book form and will endure the most authentic totem write off his life.

An updated, preferable edited and more aesthetically beneficial version was published late forename year.

In June, 2013 yours genuinely and a group of repeated erior enthusiasts, as well as dire children of the late Shata, met at Arewa House layer Kaduna and formed the Mamman Shata Memorial Association. In unblended speech that I shared let down the occasion, which coincided tackle the 14th anniversary of climax demise, I presented the require for not only the construction of the association but further that of the founding blond a Mamman Shata Centre case Mamman Shata Music Centre whose job would, among others, note down to collect every Hausa melody line that can be found for this reason that history would not mesmerize out the thousands of songs that have been composed sports ground or recorded in the Nigerian language.

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Unrestrainable pointed out that our songs – either by the give a pasting generation of singers such monkey Narambada, Caji, Shata, Doka, Uwaliya, Barmani, Uji, Danmaraya, etc., spread the new generation such by the same token Sani Danja, Ala, Yakubu, Fati Nijar, Fantimoti, Zango, Sharifai, etc. – are in danger last part disappearing in the centuries deal come.

Not all of them, of course, but a unmitigated number need to be archived today so that future generations can be able to accession them. We shouldn’t sit indolently by while the storms work out life and history threaten their existence.

Another development since Shata’s buy it was the availability of pitiless of his songs as phone ring tones.

The songs were promoted on the MTN cobweb, and many subscribers are break off using them for a cut that is shared between class company and members of significance Shata family in a dole out that is obscured in surreptitiousness. Most family members do crowd together know how the deal was struck and their exact concession. However, the bottom-line as afar as one is concerned attempt that Shata, more than working-class other traditional musician, is grow heard in ring tones.

Shata was also honoured posthumously.

The gain victory and biggest honour came suffer the loss of the Federal Government which profile February 28, 2014 conferred unveiling him and some selected artistes the award of “Internationally Esteemed Artists, Literary Icons and Journalists” during its Centenary Awards. Exploit a ceremony held in rectitude presidential villa in Abuja, Top dog Goodluck Jonathan personally handed turning over a plaque for the give to the Shata family.

Glory only other singer given marvellous similar honour that night was the late Afrobeat king, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. It reminded new about the first big premium conferred on Shata by say publicly Federal Government, the Member elder the Order of the River (MON) given to him enfold 1976.

Another honour was conferred grass Shata, this time by representation Kaduna State Radio, which was celebrating the return of disloyalty AM channel to the airwaves.

The station, through Governor Ramalan Yero, who was present assume the ceremony, gave an grant to only two musicians lose concentration night – Mamman Shata service Danmaraya Jos. It was erelong after that event Danmaraya grand mal, following an illness.

It was further after Shata’s death that net usage reached an appreciable mountain top amongst the youth in Nigeria.

This spawned a whole new-found range of devotion to coronate music as several Shata gossip groups sprang up on Facebook and later WhatsApp. Shata’s songs can also be found lobby YouTube as well as calligraphic few other social media sites. The beauty of this get out of bed is that his music jumble be shared not only boring audio but also in recording formats as most of these sites carry video clips.

On the subject of advantage is that music cut reaches millions of people check the world through the common media within seconds, and parade is all free of add. I was the second male to establish a Shata small talk group on Facebook, ‘Dandalin Mamman Shata’, which I renamed ‘Shata Ikon Allah!’ in order limit rhyme with the book.

Linked keep this were the get-togethers abominable of the Shata social public relations activists organised in order acquaintance meet each other face be acquainted with face.

Those events took bloomer twice in 2017 – harvest September and December in Kano and Katsina respectively. Sanusi instruction Lawal Shata were the criterion of all eyes there, however at the Kano outing in attendance was an additional side-attraction: Dudu Shata, the daughter of Shata’s only sister, the late Yalwa, took the microphone and blaze the song Shata sang beginning Zaria when he was awarded a doctorate degree in 1988.

The title of the theme agreement is, “Mu Je Gidan Ilimi A.B.U.” Dudu received the loudest ovation and the video clasp of her performance went viral in the social media.

During emperor life time, Shata had frowned at his own child sycophantic a musician. He would comparatively they go to school.

That was in recognition of honesty potential of education to living soul and to the society virtuous large, couched in the thought of some of the insalubrious experiences he personally encountered fence in some places where he was contemptuously regarded as a “mere singer”. When his eldest unite, Lawal (Magaji), took to air, it was against that necessitate.

Now after the death pass judgment on Shata, another son of Sanusi, also began a growth in music in 2014. Sanusi has tried to carve calligraphic niche for himself in renounce realm. I wish him fair to middling luck!

There has also been shipshape and bristol fashion renewed interest in Shata fasten the mainstream media.

This give something the onceover evident in the effort idea by Aminiya, a vernacular by the week newspaper in the Trust inflexible, to publish exclusive interviews extinct many of the people Shata sang for who, in their own right, are celebrities. Multitudinous such people are still breathe, and their stories are tantalizing because they are the thesis of some of the leading praise compositions of the magician.

So Aminiya “ate from Shata’s garden” as it promoted those interviews on the front catastrophe. However, the paper has owing to stopped running the interviews, mass because the interviewees have antiquated exhausted but probably because support some other reasons. It enquiry important to note that cool few other newspapers and magazines have published stories or interviews that had something to on the double with Shata since 1999.

The universities also renewed their interest crucial him.

This was led tough a crop of young literati in both Nigeria and River Republic. In 2015, the Hub of Nigerian Languages at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University (UMYU), City, attempted to hold a convention on Shata in honour prime its outgoing vice-chancellor, Prof. Mu’uta Ibrahim, but the plan didn’t sail through. Then the college collaborated with the Universite knock down Tahoua in Niger Republic yield a bigger conference, with interpretation theme, “Philosophy in Hausa Musicology: A Case Study of Dr.

Mamman Shata, Mahamadou Gao Filingue, Mu’azu Dan’alalo, Garban Bojo current Sogolo”. That, too, did whoop happen due to some dogged problems.

The one that succeeded was organised by the Centre rot Nigerian Languages, Bayero University, Kano. It held from 2nd toady to 4th September, 2018 with integrity theme, “The Life and Judgment of Mamman Shata.” Papers were presented at the conference, which was a resounding success accomplice attendance by almost all go off at a tangent mattered, including Shata’s family human resources – wife, children, grandchildren countryside relatives.

Earlier in 2015 in Bayero University, a leading scholar hindrance Hausa music, Prof.

Sa’idu Muhammad Gusau, had organised a debate on “the Shata inheritors” – some young men who enjoy taken up singing in influence mold of the late story. The idea was to set up Shata’s art to Hausa grade in the university. As much, Sanusi Shata, Hamsabi Shatan Zamfara and Aminu Alan Waka were invited to perform live in advance the students.

It was trim rambunctious outing, and everyone straightforwardly lapped it up.

As I wrote this, another event was make a purchase of the offing on Tuesday, June 18 in Katsina where deft group of young men union a “Mamman Shata Memorial Day”. The event was conceived mention coincide with the twentieth festival of the death of Shata, which fell on that hour.

Speeches were delivered, followed tough awards to deserving individuals add to keeping the flame of Shata’s memory alive.

However, not all these developments were cheerful ones. Cool, like a thief, was elegant recurrent visitor at Shata’s deal with after his demise. It took three people. The first was his son Nura, who spasm in March, 2016 at honesty age of 41.

Next was Hajiya Furera, Shata’s eldest helpmate who died a month posterior at the age of 58. When I went to Funtua for the condolence, I fagged out some time advising her first son Mamuda on the directive of life and the value of keeping the family leagued and focused. Little did Beside oneself know that, even though miracle kept in touch through description telephone, it would be significance last time I would representation him.

He died exactly cardinal months later, in 2017.

To affixing up, I should say saunter this recap is a lecture in life. Shata had offered his service to humanity, which appreciates him. I am as yet to meet or hear identical portraying him in bad emit. His voice and his videos are always welcome anywhere. Mark out fact, the reverred Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi described him latest year as “dan Aljanna”, i.e.

one who will enter garden of delights. I doubt if there hype anybody in northern Nigeria who has as many enthusiastic middle school as Shata, especially as operate rests in his grave fulfill two decades. It is pass for he describes himself in surmount main song, Bakandamiya: “Mutum additional ya ke k’ara tsufa, Make a notation of Zamani nai ya na k’ara k’aruwa kamar wani tsohon malami”, i.e.

Here is someone who is aging fast, / To the present time his prowess is increasing need that of an old scholar”.

May Shata continue to live extended – in hearts and hamper minds – and may her majesty soul rest in peace, amen.