How my mixed background perfected my music – Anu

Sanusi Anu, aka Anu, is a Hausa musician whose French and English backgrounds have boosted his art for almost two decades. In this interview, he gives a peep into his life, how it all started, his beef with Rarara and how his son is taking after him.   Weekend Magazine: How did you come by […]

Sanusi Anu, aka Anu, is a Hausa musician whose French and English backgrounds have boosted his art for almost two decades. In this interview, he gives a peep into his life, how it all started, his beef with Rarara and how his son is taking after him.

 

Weekend Magazine: How did you come by the name Anu?

Sanusi Anu: Anu is a nickname from my name, Sanusi. One of my grandmothers who had difficulty pronouncing “Sanusi” started calling me “Rabo” and later “Anu.” That’s how it began and spread to my friends and family.

WM: How did you join the music industry?

Anu: Music wasn’t part of my family; I did not inherit it. I came from a family of Islamic scholars. My father was from Maiduguri and lived a long time in the palace in Daura. He relocated to Niger Republic where he married my mother and died there. Growing up in Katsina was where I developed interest in music since in our schools days when presidents and governors visited. I normally headed performance display groups for visitors and since then I continued to develop interest in it up to the time I furthered my professional career at a music school in Niger.

WM: Can you recall your first official song?

Anu: It is titled “Nafisat,” which I sang for my wife and after her name. I did it in 1999, at the time I was developing interest in Hausa films that were springing up.

WM: How many songs or albums you have done?

Anu: Wow! It would be difficult, but I can estimate them, because last year some of my friends tried to capture and compile them. They tried to capture both official and unofficial ones, because we perform live at different fora. They counted close to 4,000. But I have 10 certified and documented albums containing between 11 and 15 songs each.

WM: Of all your songs which is the most sought after and loved by your fans and which shot you to limelight?

Anu: This is a very difficult question because what one may like, another may not like, but all the same, my favourite is “Salo Salo Layi Layi”, but the one admired by my fans and supporters is “Chocolate” called “Chakwala Dadi” in Hausa, which I did in 2012. This shot me to limelight.

“Chakwala Dadi” is a darling to many; both in Nigeria and Niger Republic. People dance it so much. “Chocolate” was loved not only in Kano, but worldwide. I remixed it three times and people still can’t get enough of it. I received about five awards because of that song alone. The awards came from Bayero University Kano (BUK), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria and the Mujallah Film Readers.

WM: What informed “Chakwala Dadi?”

Anu: It just came. I wanted to create a new dance move at that time, so I jumped on to a beat I was composing and rushed to the studio to playback the track. I never thought it would become a hit. You may not believe it, but the real owner of the song was Sule Mai Konko. I did it as a tribute after his death. He was famous for entertainment. In the song, I also paid tribute to past Hausa musicians like Mammam Shata, Musa Dan Kwairo, Sani Sabulu, Danbade, etc.

WM: How is your relationship with your co-musicians as every day we hear of beef among you singers?

Anu: When we started there weren’t associations. They later came on. I headed one called Arewa Film Makers which has many musicians in it. We had some differences along the line, but we keep mending relationships as life goes on.

WM: Recently you were entangled with Dauda Kahutu Rarara over a song: “Lema Ta Yage”. What really happened?

Anu: The issue was that the producer of the song, Abdul Amat, invited me to take part, which I did. I got featured in the original song, had my version both in audio and video, but to my surprise I was edited out in the final copy and was not paid professional fees. I was the only one chosen from Katsina. I went to Kano but was not paid a single kobo. I was made to understand that Rarara was behind that. I approached him as a man, but he denied. I left the matter then. Later I was interviewing Adam Zango, Amat and Chidi Mafia, the video director at my weekly radio programme on Companion FM, I confirmed that it was Rarara who did it because of an allegation that I was a PDP person; which I’m not. I’m not a politician, but a professional musician.

WM: Every musician tries to create a unique tune and sound, how did you come about yours?

Anu: Many musicians try to copy and improve on styles and sounds, but I was opportune to have a mix background: French and English. My ability to also attend that music school in Niger further perfected my unique style. I tried to mix guitar and piano sounds for my beats. I do live performances; not of my songs. So this also makes me different. I can make songs for you to take away unlike others who will just perform. My lines also come naturally while performing. Many musicians like Ado Gwanja and Nuhu Dan Hausa do copy my songs.

WM: How is your relationship with your co-musicians, especially those based in Kano?

Anu:  I maintain a cordial relationship with virtually all my professional colleagues in the industry. I started professionally in Kano and I maintain a studio in Katsina. Kano is the capital of Kannywood. They know me and my capabilities.

WM: Your tunes are fast changing; why the sudden change?

Anu:  Like I said, music moves with time and one needs to upgrade his uniqueness and style in order to carve a niche and remain in the game. Music is about entertainment, education and enlightenment. You need to have this on your mind and play in between so that when one aspect fails, you do another. I have sang for dubious characters who crossed my path so that people can be wary of such people, like in the song “Dillali”. “Ta Kuraye” is about someone who invited us to an event and refused to pay us, but chose one person and paid her N2m. That was evil. I tried my best to recoup my fees to no avail. I released the song which made her pay up.

WM: You went into music from an Islamic scholars family; is there anyone taking your path in your immediate family?

Anu:  Yes; my first son, Bishir, I didn’t know he’s into it until I was invited to an event. I was shocked when he was called to perform, I held my breath. But his style is different; he is into Hausa hip hop. I hope he gets the best in his career.

Music is unlike making films which some people always see in bad light. Musicians are people behind the scene; it’s the artistes who mime the songs that are popular.

My wife is also a musician. We sang a lot of songs together. She is called Abida Illo. She’s with me in Saudi Arabia. We have close to a 1,000 songs together. We sang together for long before we got married.

WM: Are you working on new songs?

Anu: I have been hearing, especially from my fans, that I’m living a low life for now with no new songs. I want to tell them that I’m very much alive and working on new materials which will be released soon.

Music is dynamic, my new videos and songs will soon hit the airwaves. I’m coming with a bang, my fans should watch out Insha Allah.