An encounter with Kasagi

Kasagina Halima Abokin fadan Ganaka  is a well-known portion of the late Dan-Makaho Mai Wakar Mata’s song in the 80s, precisely between 1980 and 1984, when the then management of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was airing its renown Hausa drama titled Kasagi. Alhaji Umaru Katsina, popularly known as Kasagi, was the main character in […]

Kasagina Halima Abokin fadan Ganaka  is a well-known portion of the late Dan-Makaho Mai Wakar Mata’s song in the 80s, precisely between 1980 and 1984, when the then management of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) was airing its renown Hausa drama titled Kasagi. Alhaji Umaru Katsina, popularly known as Kasagi, was the main character in the programme.

Born in 1968, the professional film producer started acting in Kasagi drama shortly after he returned from England in 1980. He told Sunday Trust that, “I was returning from England, sometime in 1980, and coincidently there was a scheduled programme of Kasagi by the Nigerian Television Authority NTA Kaduna. The programme was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Information and it was aimed at discouraging ceaseless migration of villagers from rural to urban areas. The then President Shehu Shagari-administration wanted to stop the trend. The federal ministry of information initiated the programme because TV was one of the easiest ways of conveying the message to the public”.

 

“The current Director Programme of the NTA, Alhaji Bello Sule Rimi, was the initiator of the programme, but after we produced three episodes, including the pilot copy, Bello asked me to continue with writing the script and, eventually, I took over the entire production. The programme ran for five years, from 1980 to 1984 when General Muhammadu Buhari took over government. So because of the roles I played in the programme, people called me “Kasagi,” he said.

 

Asked about the meaning of the word “Kasagi”, Umar Katsina said, it is an old Hausa word, which simply means an adventurer. In the programme, he added, Kasagi always wanted to remain in the city instead of going back to his village. To achieve that, Kasagi preferred engaging himself in various odd jobs that will help him stay in the city.

 

Interestingly, he recalled, the only problem he encountered in producing the programme for the period of eight years was choosing a wife. He said he had suffered a lot because he could  not get a suitable co-actress who could act with him as wife in the programme.

 

This, he added, might not be unconnected with culture and religion of Hausa people because it was difficult then for a real Hausa lady to perform on television. However, he finally met a Kagoro girl who was selling maize opposite Albarka Cinema, Kaduna. He found her to be suitable for the role of wife in the programme.

 

“I asked her whether she could act on television and she agreed. I invited her to my office for audition. I, Kasimu Yero, and Professor Mahadi auditioned her and she was found to be perfect in both Hausa language and acting. So we recruited her as trainee cultural assistant. And our next episode of the programme was written on our marriage and it appeared to be one of the best.

 

Commenting on Hausa filmmaking, Kasagi expressed concern that filmmaking business has been marred by so many elements, saying “the difference is very clear between the old system of filmmaking and the present. We have gone for various courses and trainings. I was trained on film production, screen play and directing. Kasimu Yero also went for this training and Alhaji Usman Baba Pategi (Samanja) has been on television for 20-30 years, therefore you cannot compare his experience with these boys”.

 

“We were trying to, as much as possible, explore more of our culture, more of our language and protecting our religion in our acting because of exposure. But our younger artistes of the present day don’t care about the culture, the language and even the religion as well. So my fear is that in the next 20 years, researchers of Hausa language and culture will find it very difficult to differentiate the real Hausa culture and other cultures because things are really falling apart.

 

On the way out, Kasagi opined, Government, wealthy individuals and non-governmental organisations, including Islamic organizations, such Jama’atu Nasril Islam should start sponsoring programmes like Kasagi. He said,  government must also regulate the production of such programmes so that when we return to acting, people will then choose between our movies and the one produced by these boys”.

 

All northern states must also establish a censorship board. With the board on ground in each of the northern states, Government can easily regulate the activities of these boys. Wherever they take their films for sale, the censorship board must censor the firm before going to the market.

 

This is because films that can be shown in Kaduna cannot be shown in Kano because of culture and or language differences. So also those that can be shown in Kano may not be possibly shown in Bauchi because of the same reason. Therefore, if you cannot stop these boys from producing rubbish then you can checkmate them through the board. This will bring sanity in the industry of film production.

 

He also suggested that, the censorship boards must be headed by people of good character, people with high esteem in all human endeavours and people who have respect for culture, language and religion as well.

 

“When the immediate past Governor of Kano state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau poised to sanitise film industry in the state, he invited some of us to Kano and asked us to formulate a documented code of ethics on film production. At the end we came up with documented professional laws for film production for Kano state. Part of the laws particularly on girls’ participation in film, was that, any girl that wants to act in film, must bring a letter from her parents. So tell me which father can authorise his daughter to act in such kind of film” he said.

 

Alhaji Umaru Danjuma Kasagi was born in 1948 in Katsina state. He attended primary school between 1960 and 1965 before he proceeded to Provincial Secondary school Katsina from 1966-1972.  Kasagi worked briefly with the North Central state Arts Council before he departed to England to study motion pictures, TV and theatre arts in 1975.

 

The popular Hausa actor returned to Nigeria in 1980 and joined the services of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Centre for Nigerian cultural studies. He started as cultural officer and rose to the rank of Arts fellow 2 before he voluntarily retired in 1992. Alhaji Umaru is currently an independent consultant on screen play, film production in Katsina state.