Evolution of Kannywood

 

By Ibrahim Musa

In my understanding, the evolution of Kannywood as a nomenclature can be traced to the period when media picked an interest in the Hausa home video industry. Just like the Hollywood, it is a sort of tribute to a place where the film industry is situated. This metonym was propagated by celebrity magazines such as Ibrahim Sheme’s Fim and Tauraruwa. In one way or another these magazines derive inspiration from the Stardust and the Filmfare magazines of Bollywood of yore. However, by no means this was the beginning of the odyssey. To his credit, Ibrahim Mandawari and his cohort of “Tumbin Giwa” were the first to have taken the seemingly an arduous task of transiting from TV (drama, soap opera etc) to commercial. Not many would now remember Turmin Danya (the acclaimed first Hausa Home video), which apparently flopped at the box office (up to now there is no clear way of tracking films footprints in such a rudimentary setting). One may not be wrong to say that Gimbiya Fatima was the first hit home video, followed by Ado Ahmad Gidan Dabino’s Inda So Da Kauna. Even at that, the phase was quite lethargic until the arrival of classic Ki Yarda Dani. This was the first movie which introduced using playback singers in the industry. It marks the epoch that led to explosion in the industry with movies like Daskin Daridi, Gaskiya, Saki Reshe, Gagare, Dijangala, Abin Sirri ne etcetera, consolidating these gains.

 

In terms of creative work and film direction, late Tijjani Ibrahim came across as the genius behind most of the transformation in the industry. Tijjani who trained overseas at the inception of CTV-67, could be described as the Stephen Spielberg of Kannywood. Certainly, his sudden (premature) death would go along as one of the lowest phase that shocked the nascent industry to its marrow. Some aspects of the film industry like songs and music grew very fast in the last 2 decades. Here, Ali Baba Yakasai created a niche akin to that of Bappi-Lahiri or AR Rahman in the Bollywood. He was the pacesetter and sole piano maestro right from the beginning. From his fine tunes came the captivating beats of super-hits Sangaya and Wasila. Also thanks to him, not many people could have imagined that Misbahu’s all-time chartbuster song, Maraba Sangaya, was a rendition of beggars’ popular ‘Eid song: Anyi idi lafiya, malamai. Allah maimaita mana, Allah ya kara maimaitamana, malaimai. Female play back singers like late Rabi Mustapha also made the takeoff phase quite memorable.

As earlier highlighted, Tumbin Giwa production started it all. But it was the first to fizzle out for lack innovations and competitiveness. Many others like the Mandawari Enterprises, HRB, Iyantama Multimedia, Sarauniya, (Sir) Hafizu Bello, Two Effects, and FKD etc. played a significant role in the growth of the industry. Ironically, Ikye Moore production, an offshoot of Nollywood, also made an indelible mark in improving quality of pictures and film tricks. Cinematography improved from the level Tage was reigning champion, largely due to the availability of better technology but the sophistication of camera men. Today the industry has grown so big in terms of output. It has also overcome the dichotomy of ‘yan tsamama’ through its hybridization approach. However, just like its twin sister, Kano market literature, the growth does not reflect quality. Most of the stories are at best mediocre or at worst plagiarized. Some screenplays may trigger nausea in critics. In fact, not much improvement was recorded from where Tijjani Ibrahim left the scene as the most iconic director. His dream of seeing Hausa film on celluloid is yet to be a reality. Sadly, even the quality of film cast is on the downward spiral. Can we now replicate Abida Mohammed’s performance in Kauna or late Hauwa Ali Dodo’s character in Ki Yarda Dani? Do we now leave cinema with memorable dialogues like the Mandawari’s ‘Biba problem’? The Dandugajis, Ibros, Yautais, Hankakas, Katokores etc do not seem to have replacements in these crops of actors.

 

Flash back:

Before the birth of Kannywood, we were being entertained by TV productions, mostly sponsored by the NTA and other state owned TV stations. We grew up watching Kasimu Yero, Tumbuluke, Samanja, Malam Mamman, Alhaji Buguzun, Kuliya, Karo da Goma, Danwanzan, Karkuzu, Tambaya, Kandala, Bodara, Hajara Ibrahim etc. Even at that period there were attempts to make commercial movies with films like Shehu Umar shot presumably on celluloid. To date I am still wondering why Shehu Umar (an adaptation of Tafawa Balewa’s tragic story on slavery and slave trade in Hausa land) did not feature and won Oscar in the foreign films category. Ruwan Bagaja (an adaptation of Abubakar Imam’s book) was also made as a film with Kasimu Yero as the lead character where Mutuwa Dole played the role of Zurke Dan Muhamman. For those conversant with what transpired in Ruwan Bagaja, it is simply our version of Tom and Jerry. So also the story of Maitatsine which was adapted in the early 90s with Danhaki (Malam Mamman) as the lead character. Indeed, we also largely relished the excitements of watching soap operas like Hanne da Kallamu, Farin Wata (Aminu Mijin Bose) and relatively unsuccessful Hadarin Kasa. Other fantastic rom-coms like Jamila da Jamilu of 80s were the delight of every kid in those days.

My best choice:

Like Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachan, Kasimu Yero and Ibrahim Mandawari have remain the legends whose works would be revered by generations. Clearly they are the most talented of the lots. If I have money I would bankroll a film with Mandawari playing Sheikh Usman bn Fodio just like the way Antony Quinn played Omar Mouktar in the Lion of the Desert or Hamza in The Message. We need to document our history and someone must be our Mustafa Akkad to bridge the gap.

 

Controversies:

All over the world entertainment industry serves as good feeds for gossips, scandals and controversies. Kannywood is not different. One scandal that nearly rocked the boat was the infamous Hiyana sex video. The incident, even though sad, was in no way done in a movie but the industry paid the highest price for it. It drew the wrath of the Kano film censorship board whose tough prescriptions nearly suffocated it. Many film actors like Rabilu Ibro, Iyantama, and even musicians like Alan waka were jailed in somehow controversial circumstances. Particularly for Ibro, he was terribly sick at the time he was sent to Kurmawa prison. Yet the judge showed no mercy to him.  In order to survive such suffocating onslaught the stakeholders found resort in other states outside Kano. Kaduna and Plateau where there are no film censorship boards came to the rescue. That period led to the actors growing bold in portraying characters which were hitherto considered alien to our culture. We were ushered (unprepared) into the glamor phase of the industry, and eroticism became such a common parlance with no check in sight. Suddenly male actors started dressing ass-down, and females flaunt assets as the main draw for audience. Many find this evolution quite reprehensible. Ironically, it appears that audience adore it. As the film critic Taran Adarsh once argued, “sex sells”. Unfortunately, the moral decadence we see in these movies is just mirroring our images. We may choose to play the ostrich, but the sad reality is that this society is as worst or even more. We are dealing with an iceberg phenomenon.

 

Future:

This is the most critical phase of cinema in Kannywood. There is proliferation of films with no measure of quality. Few of these movies stand out in narrating our unique stories. Critics of the status quo must come up with an alternative as a solution not only make attempt to sell themselves as cynics. People should invest to make good movies on Sarki Alu, Sarki Yaji, Buhari of Hadejia, Basasar Kano, and Biopics on Kundila, Aminu Kano, Sardauna, Balewa, Nana Asmau, Gambo Sawaba, Kalarawi, Sheikh Nasiru Kabara, and Sheikh Jaafar etc. People from the academia should also get actively involved in shaping our film industry. In this regard, one must recognize the efforts of Professor Abdallah Uba Adamu. He still manages a listserv named Finafinan Hausa, and even wrote extensively on such topics. It remains to be seen when would the Dangambos, Muazu Zarias, Baburas, Malumfashis, and Yakasais etc., join the train? There are some good novels like the Bala Anas’ Kulu and Sihirtaccen Shuri which can be adapted. We are not lacking good stories to make good films- we only lack creativity to make sense out them.

 

Dr. Ibrahim Musa

Is a specialist registrar in hematology, and a graduate student in Epidemiology at Texas A&M University (TAMU). He currently lives at 401 Anderson Street, College Station. Texas.