Rappo Pulaar -- BC, KN, 2008-15-03

[Abdalla]

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah

Jabbama!
I am back! (if I recall, that was James Brown, right?, on "Git Off That Thang"). I am happy to announce another genre forming concert -- Rap Pulaar! Yep, folks, I am going back to my roots -- at the foothills of the Futa Jallon highlands, and digging up Fulani Festival at the British Council on Saturday 15th March 2007, ISA.

One question that my sponsor asked is, how different are Hausa from Fulani? Well basically they are both wonderful human beings, kind, generous, fantastic, beautiful, elegant, etc! :D :D. However, she was more imbued by the term Hausa-Fulani. This term Hausa-Fulani was actually popularized during the military interregnum of Nigeria by southern Nigerian newspapers -- to refer to the leadership of the country by either Hausa, or Fulani military rulers. Since they know the Fulani military leaders speak Hausa, and since they don't know the difference, they decided to lump the leaders Hausa-Fulani. Fulani by ethnicity, Hausa by language. What a kwado!

Fact is, there is no SINGLE anthropological reference to the term "Hausa-Fulani" in any literature by the main founding researchers of Hausa or Fulani Cultural Anthropology. Simply because there is NOTHING like Hausa-Fulani -- you are either Hausa or Fulani. All references (and the earliest was in an article on agriculture in 1937) were to space domains of Hausa and Fulani. There are Hausa as a distinct ethnic cateogry (not just language speakers) and they defined their own ethnicity in The Daura Girgam. They did not even refer to the Fulani because the Fulani had not arrived when the Daura Girgram was written.

There are Fulani as a distinct ethnic identity who ARRIVED from the same Futa Jallon Highlands in the mid 15th century. We are still here! We kinda like it! Commercial, social and administrative divides made many lose their language (pulaar), and adopted the predominant language of the Hausa (not Habe, which is a derogatory term for non-Fulani, not just Hausa). If you are happy calling yourself Hausa-Fulani, fine and dandy; but be aware it is a construct, not a marker of identity. If your identity is Fulani, but are comfortable with Hausa language and cultural systems, great. May you be more tolerant, live long and prosper. Remember, the divisions are social contructs. What matters is your identity and relation to other people -- which should not be based on ethnic markers, but on WHO they are. If you are Hausa, "ciki da bai" -- we thank you for hosting the various ethnic groups in the territory and lending them a language (and for many, an identity). May you live and prosper!

I give all this background to emphasize that there are separate Hausa, and separate Fulani mindsets and social matrices. All the concerts we have been doing at the British Council in collaboration with the Center for Hausa Cultural Studies (hehehe, not Fulani!) in Kano had focused on mainstream Hausa musical performances. We decided, this time at least, to focus on the other, silent majority -- the Fulani. We are doing this on the platform on FULDAN (Fulbe Development Association of Nigeria) -- some who live in Kano might be aware of our activities which include our own Radio programs on Radio Freedom, as well as Fulfulde classes at Gidan Makama Primary School for adults and children who wish to lean, or re-learn Pulaar. We have plans to create multimedia packages on learning Pulaar, and shops to sell Fulani items. I have plans to be in Ethiopia  in April -- where most of the Fulani costumes are found -- and may bring along quite a few stuff! Watch this space (maybe we should demand a separate Board on KanoOnline -- hehehe, BUT all the founding members are fullblooded Fulas; Oga Admin even has the "bille"!).

So what would a Fulani Festival look like? Well for many  years we have only been barely aware of the Fulani musical forms -- strong focus on dance styles -- without actually experiencing it. We now have an opportunity to exprience at least three main performances. I will come up with the full program later, but this is to serve as an invitation. Full details to follow, though they may be late. The reason is I am traveling to London on Sunday for about a week, and my activity there may prevent me from developing the programs and the invitations -- BUT as usual KanoOnliners have priority! AND this time, we will have a meeting of ALL KanoOnliners who attend -- and will hopefully produce a CD of the concert which will be given ONLY to those who PHYSICALLY attend (hehehe -- so those in the Pacific, start thinking of buying your tickets!).

The Fulani festival is the only place where old men and women get up on stage and bop down! So the Pulaku is not in social realms, but in attitudinal mindset that enables negotiations of inter-personal relations. I make this quick excuse, so that you can't say, "haba ji wancan tsohon na rawa!" All Fulani elders are expected to "get down on it" (Kool and the Gang, if I recall) when the Shantu (not the tiny instrument that Hausa women use -- but a BIG trumphet that MEN blow) is playing. Here is a picture of my little Munzir attempting to play one:



And here are the adults in full swing




And of course, I can't resist my all-time favorite genre of music -- Rap! As you see, I always try to filter rap into any musical performance I organize. One of these days I will explain the methods in my madness. But for this concert we have an opening act that will perform 30 minute rappo segment in Pulaar. Will it jell? Dunno, but we are giving it a shot! This will be followed by the main traditional musical performances. So don't allow yourself to just hear about it -- ya just gotta be there, dude (how young people speak to eath other, if I recall ;D.


Abdalla

[Muhsin]

I had never heard of that Hausa-Fulani term genesis before. Though we've had discussed almost immensely about it many times. What we, or I particularly believed was the origin was inter-marriage that have been occuring between these two neigbouring tribes. You can barely find a FULL Hausa man or woman these days. Even if they don't look like Fulani, like me, I have some root from Katsina Fulanis. Thats my thought...before. And, despite Prof. explanation, I still PARTIALLY hold that view.

I hope KanoOnliners would in mass be there not as the preceded concert, where very few of us attended. Beacuse, sincerely speaking, I would like meeting you than just enjoying the music and the dance. As mentioned EMTL in other thread, zumunci yana da dadi. See you!

Muhsin

[gogannaka]

It is going to be interesting.
Allah ya kai mu.

[*~MuDa~*]

Do you know that i miss again!

[Muhsin]

Better than any body...I know you know what I mean. Let me tell ya; you missed a lot, dude. Wish you won't miss again... :P :P :P

[manasmusa]

Do you know that i miss again!

You are not the only one who miss it muda, but dont think that
I miss it. I dont. I attend and apreciate it.

What a great lost to lost seeing prof. trying to dance. hahaha!
He may be even dance...