Sad music for ‘Tashe’ after Kano ban

They posed as Hausa jesters, performing in local pantomimes popularly known as Tashe, to attack innocent people at various locations within Kano metropolis, injuring over 60 persons. They also robbed many others, including hawkers, of their belongings – money, mobile phones and other things. Tashe is a famous Hausa traditional pantomime conducted during the month […]

They posed as Hausa jesters, performing in local pantomimes popularly known as Tashe, to attack innocent people at various locations within Kano metropolis, injuring over 60 persons. They also robbed many others, including hawkers, of their belongings – money, mobile phones and other things.

Tashe is a famous Hausa traditional pantomime conducted during the month of Ramadan. The tradition which comprises song and dance routines, normally begins on the 10th day of the month after the breaking of fast. There are various types of Tashe, each with unique songs and themes/storylines. 

Local thugs, known as Yandaba, attacked residents of Kano metropolis on Monday, June 5, 2017 equivalent to the 10th day of Ramadan under the guise of Tashe performers, according to police spokesman, DSP Magaji Musa Majia.

Police have arrested 268 hoodlums in connection with the attacks, but Majia said 95 persons have been released after being ascertained to be innocent, while the reaming 173 have been charged to court for prosecution.

Prior to this development, police authorities have issued an order banning the practice of Tashe in the state earlier this year, warning that anybody caught in the act would face the wrath of the law.

The state police commissioner, Rabi’u Yusuf, who issued the order, said intelligence gathering had indicated that some Yandaba groups had planned to attack their opponents under the cover of Tashe. He said, “Intelligence has showed that some Yandaba groups wanted to take the advantage of Tashe to attack their opponents and by extension innocent persons that may come their way during the attack. Based on this, the command has banned the practice of Tashe tradition in the state this year. I have directed all the divisional police officers within the state metropolis to intensify patrols in their areas of jurisdiction and arrest anybody that is found performing. Whoever is caught in the act will be charged to court.”

Yusuf warned that the command would not fold its hands and allow a few individuals to disrupt peace and harmony in the state during the holy month. He, therefore, urged parents and guardians to prevent their children from engaging in any form of Tashe in the state.

The Executive Secretary of Kano State History and Culture Bureau (Gidan Dan Hausa), Alhaji Ibrahim Mu’azu, said the history of Tashe could be traced to when Islam came to Hausaland. He said Tashe was derived from the word, ‘Tashi’, meaning ‘wake up’. He explained that the practice was introduced as a means of waking Muslims up to eat their pre-dawn meal ‘Sahur’ during the fasting period. He recalled that after the coming of Islam, scholars had preached on the importance of eating pre-down meal during Ramadan, and the youth made it a duty to wake up people every day for the Sahur.

Mu’azu added that in their effort to achieve the desired objective, they introduced the use of drums and other local musical instruments, singing and dancing to wake people up. He explained that in the past, Tashe was only conducted at dawn, but was modified with a lot of cultural activities. He pointed out that as a result of these changes it had become part of Hausa culture and a source of entertainment during the day and at night. He added that because tradition always goes hand-in-hand with civilization, modern-day Tashe is full of dramatic content, and a lot of mime was introduced into it. As a result of the rich dramatic content injected into Tashe, people always look forward to the Ramadan period to enjoy the performances.

But Mu’azu lamented that the culture is gradually losing the public’s attention due to some reasons. He cited insecurity, a challenge he said had affected the practice since the beginning of the Boko Haram insurgency. He added that another factor was the strong attachment between the younger generation and some alien cultures, particularly western.

Findings revealed that, it is a rule in Kano that no one is allowed to perform Tashe until the 10th day of Ramadan, after the Sarkin Gwagware anoints his flag, which signifies the commencement of Tashe. Anybody that violates the rule would be sanctioned accordingly.

Our correspondent observed that before the ban, the tradition did not only serve as means of entertaining people but was also a way of exposing Hausa culture, as well as a means of preserving it. 

On the police ban, Mu’azu described the move as a welcome development, saying the bureau was 100 per cent in support of the police. “I urge fans of this tradition to exercise patience and stand by the police because the ban is temporary. If things normalise, I am sure the police will lift the ban and allow people to continue with the tradition, but for now I think the ban is for everybody’s good. Nothing can be achieved without peace.”

Some youths who spoke with our correspondent, expressed disappointment with the police over the ban, saying they were being deprived the opportunity to catch fun. Aliyu Ibrahim said, “I not happy with this development. This is something we had been enjoying for many decades only for the police to stop it this year. The police should have deployed modalities to curtail the activities of Yandaba without stopping others from practicing the tradition. I am sure they know the locations where these Yandaba are conducting their activities, so the ban should be restricted to those areas, not the whole state. Alternatively, they can also pin-point the Yandaba and arrest them prior to the period of Tashe.”

Halima Danlami, 15, of Badawa Quarters, said she was not aware of the ban. She said, “15 of us organized ourselves and performed. No-one stopped us and nobody attacked us.” 

A father of six, Alhaji Ibrahim Ilu Gyadi-Gyadi, opined that instead of banning the practice completely, the police should have made adequate security arrangements to allow the youth to have fun. “I am not supporting violence or crime, but at the same time, the rights of others should not be denied because of a few. We appreciate police efforts to safeguard the lives of citizens, but next time they should change their tactics in handling situations like this, so that they are not perceived as killjoys.”