Drums, trumpets and the voice of the praise-singer

Music is part of public life in Hausa towns, at weddings, naming ceremonies, farming seasons, royal events and market days. Its most distinctive form is the praise-song, performed by professional singers and drummers (maroka, see the chapter on society) who name a patron’s ancestors, generosity and deeds. The singer improvises around a known frame, adds the names of people present and is rewarded on the spot.

Instruments tend to be linked to rank and occasion. The long metal trumpet (kakaki) belongs to the court and announces the emir. The talking drum (kalangu) can imitate the tones of speech, which is why it works so well with praise-singing. Salamone, in the study of Islamic practice and local custom, also records that drumming and dancing at the kalangu on market days has become controversial in some communities, with some girls no longer being allowed to take part. The one-stringed fiddle (goge) is linked to Bori ceremonies and to some praise-singers.

One of the best-known twentieth-century singers was Mamman Shata (1923–1999) of Katsina. He sang in Hausa for over fifty years, improvised on subjects from farming to politics, recorded for commercial labels and was honoured with national and university awards. Since the 1990s Hausa pop and hip-hop have joined the older forms, and are spread through cassettes, radio and the internet.