Bringing gada into modern entertainment

Gada is a form of moonlight entertainment embarked upon by young girls in Hausa land. The girls usually of the same age group, normally sing songs of morality containing strong messages. Festive periods are usually marked with special gada especially in the rural area. However, for many years now, gada has been overtaken by events; […]

Gada is a form of moonlight entertainment embarked upon by young girls in Hausa land. The girls usually of the same age group, normally sing songs of morality containing strong messages. Festive periods are usually marked with special gada especially in the rural area.

However, for many years now, gada has been overtaken by events; most festivities, even in villages, are celebrated with events like parties, picnics, gala nights and the likes. Therefore, it is quite exciting to see young girls of today thinking of reviving the old tradition during celebrations.

Friends and relatives of Fatima Mai’iyali preferred staging gada to any other form of modern amusement at her wedding and the result was stunning. The girls, dressed in local attires with different wrappers and blouses, wore heavy local make-ups while they sang old Hausa songs with moral messages accompanied by the rhythm of drumming calabash. They danced in a ring formation and later split up into two groups facing each other. One after the other, the girls were thrown into the air as the singing continued.

Hajiya Maimuna magajiyar Hajiya Hauwa led the calabash band – popularly called Kidan kwarya, during the event. She coordinates the gada and other Hausa traditional activities accompanied by unique beatings of the calabash. She said she has been performing at events at the Kano emirate house in the last 20 years.

Maimuna said it was a good idea the young girls initiated gada as part of celebrations in modern times. “It is quite impressive that the tradition of gada is finding its way into modern day entertainment. It shows that young people are ready to carry on with the old tradition despite the fact that it has suffered a lot of setbacks in the past,” she said.

She said what is interesting about kidan kwarya and gada is the kind of message sent during the activity. “The recreation is a very decent one because it is meant for girls only, therefore they have the leverage to dance and sing the way they wish and at the end of it end up not committing anything  bad, unlike modern parties where young men and women come together and all sorts of bad things could result,” Maimuna said.

Centuries-old practice

She traced the root of gada to centuries back when it was an avenue for young village girls to stage the play to their best while their boyfriends watched in astonishment. Suitors of a girl might all be there and try winning her heart by paying more to the drummer. The girls are even sometimes cajoled to make a choice among the suitors during gada.

Perhaps to recreate the traditional feel, the event took place at the Gidan Dan Hausa, Museum, Kano, where the scenery was decorated with calabashes, locally weaved mats and leather puffs.

With their heavy make-ups, the girls appeared excited. Many of them said they never imagined a thing like that but promised to promote the culture now that they have learnt of it. Unlike during events when modern snacks like cakes, samosa, spring rolls, pies, packaged drinks and the likes are served, during the gada evening, local snacks like goruba, groundnuts, tiger nuts and sesame cakes (Kantu) and local zobo drinks were used for refreshment.

Aisha Mai’iyali, who spoke to our reporter, said she is overwhelmed by the event. “Certainly, it looks very naturally and unique, people are tired of the usual parties and picnics during festivities. Now that we have this, I am sure many people are impressed and will definitely copy from it and therefore, the culture will be preserved. So, I think it is a good idea,” she said.

Invited guests at the event also expressed satisfaction with the innovation saying, it makes the event a unique and special one.

“I am actually not from this part of the country and therefore have never seen or heard of anything like gada. It’s a good thing I have witnessed it today and I feel these are the type of events that should be encouraged during marriages instead of borrowing from foreign cultures,” said Hajiya Hussaina who is from Kogi State.

Interestingly also, souvenirs distributed at the end of the play were packets of locally made hand fans, local soup stirring stick (bulugari), heana powder (lalle), incense, (turaren wuta) and the likes.