KANO MUSIC FESTIVAL 2008 (KAMFEST 2008)

[*~MuDa~*]

Programme Of Events

Friday, 25th January – Day One

7:00 PM    Onpening and Get together (Cocktail)
8:00 PM   1st Music Concert   Traditional Hausa Group (Nasiru Garba Sufa)
9:00 PM   2nd Music Concert   Music from Cabo Verde (Tcheka)

Saturday 26th January – Day Two
3:00 PM   On Stage:      French “Café-Concerts”
      On the Floor      Stands for traditional arts and crafts
               Refreshment with local foods
8:00 PM   1st Musical Concert   French Classic Guitarist (Thibault CAUVIN)
9:00 PM   2nd Musical Concert   Hausa Hip-Hop (Eedris Abdulkareem)

Sunday 27th January – Day Three

7:00 PM   On Stage:      French “Café-Concerts”
      On The Floor      Stands for traditional arts and crafts
               Refreshment with local foods
7:00 PM   Best wishes Drink Closure
8:00 PM   1st Show      Hausa Traditional Music (Shantu)
9:00 PM   2nd Show      French Jazz Concert (Mezcal Jazz Unit)

All events to hold at:
Alliance francais Of Kano,
22 Magajin Rumfa road, 
Nassarawa,
Kano

Hope to see you there

[Abdalla]

Oh, thank you very much, Mudan, for this post! You have saved me a lot of typing! I was not aware of this until Ali Bature of the Kano State History and Culture Bureau phoned to request my presence -- but essentially to meet some French Big Wigs. So off I trudled to Magajin Rumfa with my 10 year in tow. I did meet the Big Wigs, and stayed for the first performance (Supa, Super!), but had to leave soon after because it was really freezing cold (and Munzir, being the unripe Fulani that he is, was also shivering).

I am really impressed by the set up and lineup -- and dig those REAL LIVE instruments on stage, no synthesizer in sight! Just like the old days of El Cados and Super Ants (Allah Ya jikan Khalifa Baba Ahmed, who really promoted those bands in the 1970s).

It is interesting, but not surprising, that Eedris Abdulkarim was chosen as the "Hausa rapper". For one thing, he is really good, and tranethnic enough to pass for Hausa (born in Osun and raised in Fagge, Kano).  He is also an international star and would have the World Music appeal to the French. I just wished, though, they had sorta sprinkled the performance with our Kano-based boys. That is why I try, no matter how little, to see that our boys get exposure. They are not megastars, and certainly not polished or professional (I am still winching at the performance of Minor Mistake rap group on 19th January at the BC, Kano), but we need to give them a chance to be better than they are.

This festival is very good and very welcome. I am still sad that it only the foreign cultural agencies that are supporting our own cultural activities. And yet when things get bad (such as with the Hausa video film industry at the moment) we keep blaming the artistes exclusively, not looking at the funding process which denies them the chance to be what the society want.

I am still keeping it to my chest, but my next concert at the British Council is in mid March, insha Allah, and it is going to be something probably NO ONE  has ever seen before! A real splash. I am awaiting the green light on this, though. Its tentative title is FROM THE HEART OF THE MOON. Now those who love West African music should be able to suss out what it might be about! Hehehehe!!!

Abdalla

[*~MuDa~*]

Long Live the Prof., you never cease to impress me, i never thought a Prof of your caliber will have such a yearning and crave to improve music, Hausa Hip-Hop to be precise. Anyway, its something most of us really enjoy being entertained with but never give any encouragement at all.

When my uncle gave me the advert to help him post online, Kanoonline was the first place i had in mind and then you. I was like, ''Uhm...yau ga harkan su prof kenan." I almost swore that you must have gotten an invitation, well...it was just my thoughts. But then, i am quite happy that you have received it from Ali Bature himself, infact, i was around in magajin rumfa the day of that performance, i witness the fulany crafts exibition and the introduction of all the artist, but i had to go home and fix some domestic problems. However, i kept wondering what sort of sound will be instrumented at the collective performance of all the artist from various backgrounds and continents. I just cant wait.

As for the show, i forgot to mention that admission is totaly Free of charge, i still hope i will be able to see some onliners there. Gogannaka we go block for de place abi? LOL

[Muhsin]

Muda,

The problem is that of the venue--to far from town, or where I live in presice. And there is cold since the area's very spacious, I know. Prof too and his son were attacked by it, as he mentioned. But...if I could come up I would; am thinking of it.

[gogannaka]

Muda how come u didn't attend the one at the British council...it was great as always.
Abi are u pro-french? 

I didn't attend the concert because i fear that because of the publicity it got on the radio,the place would be very very rowdy.I sort of prefer like the one Prof organised where we were told to collect our CV at the BC.I almost didn't go to the Barmane Choge concert when i went to the venue and was told that the I.V's have finished.Prof assured me that if i came on time i would have no problem and if i had any,i should call him.

Prof are u thinking of Oumou Sangare 

Muda i would love to attend the AF event...how organised is the place?

[Abdalla]

Ah, Muda, you flatter me! I am only doing what needs to be done -- and enjoying it at the same time. I have always been a music freak. I had a very lonely childhood (would you believe, and in the heart of the city, too) and music was the only companion I had. I was lucky I have a father who not only understood my passion for music, but also positively encouraged it (a practice I am passing on to my own children -- a little music does not harm, eh?!), including getting me an acoustic Ukulele (Hawain) guitar which I played off-tune! After years of imbibing rock, heavy metal, soul and funk, I discovered hip hop in 1980s while staying along King's Road in London (yo! Pestallozian, any bells rung there? Sloan Square is not too far from Essex, now was it?). You can imagine trying to listen to rap in the middle of Punk horde that was always waltzing up and down Kings Road (from World's End pub to the John Lewis store at Sloan Square). But, my goodness, it was fun! More encounters with hip hop in early 1990s when I lived in California (I woz there when Kris Kros broke the records!).

I discovered Uwaliya Mai Amada mid 1970s (through my dad, who had a hand in the first, and last, jam session between Uwaliya and the Police Band when he was in government -- now you know where I inherited my avantgarde musical ideas from!) and I was struck by the sheer power of her lyrical performance. The others followed. So when I had the chance to be appointed by the BC to mediate on performance arts, I naturally gravitated towards merging hip hop with traditional sounds. I am not revealing much, Hehehehe, you just wait -- the best is yet to come....

....and Gogan Namu, NO it is not Oumou Sangare -- another favorite, with Aichata Sidibe -- but close enough. The act I am thinking about is closer home to Nigeria (can't afford such international artistes). Also Sangare is French, and I work with the Brits -- these two don't get on well at all. Funny, I was comparing their approaches to Hausa musical traditions and I was struck by how similar, but different they are. The French will fly in a real White FRENCH musician for these activities (and they did this week end). The Brits will fly in a BLACK British person. I have consistenly told them to send us WHITE British to build the bridges of understanding because to Hausa, a British person is WHITE, not Pakistani, Indian, or Nigerian British. But they never listen. Sigh.

I would certainly urge you to go the Alliance Francaise concert -- it is very well organized. In fact the only rowdy people where the WOMEN, especially during the Nasiru Garba Supa number when they started ululating all over! Good to see them enjoying themselve -- a rare event. There were kids -- but it was nice and orderly. But c-c-c-c-cold! Freezing cold. So go with lots of sweaters, snuggle up nice and warm and you will be o.k. Don't forget the activities start at 3.00 p.m. -- so you can always catch something, if not the night concerts.

Enjoy!

Abdalla

[*~MuDa~*]

Wow prof. i will never have believe all that history if i heard from anybody else. Well its so inspiring and more intriguing, i cant wait to see what you really have for us in BC, as for the Brit blck person, i just hope it will be "KANO" (a british Hip-Hop artist who is very lyrical) or Dizzy Rascal....

How come i couldnt find you in the concert of Day Two? I looked everywhere, i even looked very close to the both sides of Ali Bature but i didnt see you. Where you there?

[Abdalla]

No, Muda, I was not there on the second day -- too freezing cold! Insha Allah at the next BC concert, I will demand that all KanoOnliners there present themselves! Maybe on the stage, too!

Abdalla

[bakangizo]

No, Muda, I was not there on the second day -- too freezing cold! Insha Allah at the next BC concert, I will demand that all KanoOnliners there present themselves! Maybe on the stage, too!
Abdalla

On stage     Now how's that!

[*~MuDa~*]

Yeah we have a track to perform too, lemme go get my gear...lol!