I was treated like the plague for going into music – Hauwa Usman Kawuwa

Hauwa Usman Kawuwa popularly known as Hauwa Yar’Fulanin Gombe, has been a Hausa music artiste for over 10 years. The 35-year-old singer has carved a niche for herself In Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and Ivory Coast as a ‘Fulfulde’ singer with a difference. The songstress, who describes herself as the official political singer to the governor […]

Hauwa Usman Kawuwa popularly known as Hauwa Yar’Fulanin Gombe, has been a Hausa music artiste for over 10 years. The 35-year-old singer has carved a niche for herself In Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and Ivory Coast as a ‘Fulfulde’ singer with a difference. The songstress, who describes herself as the official political singer to the governor of Gombe State, speaks about her work.

 

Weekend Magazine: How did you get into music?
Hauwa Yar’ Fulanin Gombe: It all started with my brother’s performance in the army. I was very impressed with his performance and wanted to sponsor a song for him as a complement to his martyrdom as a military officer. I searched for someone to do the song for me, but couldn’t get any. I travelled from Gombe State to Kano in search of a female singer to do it for me, but all in vain.

I came back to a studio in Gombe totally disappointed, and somehow one of the studio attendants told me that, “Hauwa why not do it yourself? I know you can do it, just give it a try.” It was like a joke, because I had never ever given it a try. I never looked at music to be one of my things, but he convinced me and wrote the lyrics for me which I sang. It was amazing. Everyone at the studio was so impressed with my performance.
However, due to the fact that my parents were not aware of my being a singer, I took the song to my family pretending I had paid someone else to do it. Everyone in the family was so happy with the song.
I was quite apprehensive and scared to venture into music because I knew it wouldn’t go down well with my parents. Moreover due to my performance, the studio attendant kept getting me jobs, which I secretly anchored without making my name public. All of a sudden, I did a wedding song that went viral and virtually became a hit. It was that song that brought my name to limelight and exposed my secret to my family.
WM: What was your parents’ reaction when they found out?
Hauwa: It was very tough I must confess. I hated myself for doing it because I was treated like a plague in the family. However, gradually I was able to convince my father on my choice of profession and with a lot of dos and don’ts being enshrined to me as my guidelines, I was given the go ahead to do music.
I later ventured into political songs and Hausa movie songs. I did a song with Abubakar Sani, Ado Gwanja and many other Hausa artistes. I am presently the political singer of the executive governor of Gombe State, his wife and his political allies.
WM: How would you describe your relationship with Kannywood?
Hauwa: It has been cordial. I respect them as much as they do respect me. I even produced a movie titled ‘Saliha’ which was released in the market and did very well.
WM: Your boss is in PDP and it was revealed that you did a song for President Buhari. Is that true?
Hauwa: Yes it is true. I am a Fulani girl and President Muhammadu Buhari is a Fulani man, the tribal linkage is what drove me to make that song. I did that song not for his political party affiliation, but for his clan’s affiliation as a Fulani man. The song, I must confess is a hit despite the hitches concerning a purported video.
WM: Tell us more about the purported video?
Hauwa: It was a song I wrote and composed for the President for being a fellow Fulani man. Remember, I have a very strong political relationship with the Gombe State governor who is in PDP, but my strong ties with my Fulani language made me compose that song for the President.

The song enjoys a lot of patronage and it became a hit within a week of its release. Along the line I was contracted to do a video for the song. I was on the verge of preparing to shoot the video waiting for the commencement of the rainy season, when someone drew my attention to a video of my music being released on social media. A copy of the video was sent to me, and I found out that it was a lady called Teema Makamashi who did the video pretending she is the original owner of the song. To me the video is simply an impersonation. Imagine my talent, my efforts, my voice and someone wants to just snatch all the credit to her personality. To God be the glory we have taken the issue before the court for proper adjudication and redress.
WM: Do you have any regret venturing into music?
Hauwa: Not at all, I have abided by the dos and don’ts set by my parents and I have achieved a lot through music. My prayers are, for me to end well as I have started well.