Shata’s legacy thrives 11 years after the star’s death

Interestingly, Shata is a name that ring bells in the minds of both the old and young who are in love with Hausa traditional music. images of his performances come to mind of a soloist praise singer, singing in tune with hour-glass shaped talking drums called kalangu and an all male chorus group who sing […]

Interestingly, Shata is a name that ring bells in the minds of both the old and young who are in love with Hausa traditional music. images of his performances come to mind of a soloist praise singer, singing in tune with hour-glass shaped talking drums called kalangu and an all male chorus group who sing a chorus, usually a single refrain, after each of Shata’s verse. It was a typical style in Hausa music settings, but somehow, Shata managed to excel beyond his contemporaries, sparking rumours that he was somehow connected to supernatural forces rumours Shata himself encouraged.

But in reality, one of his attributes, according to one of his lieutenants, Alhaji Musa Dabirni, is bravery.

“Shata was simply brave and fearless and also very proud of the talent God blessed him with. He was also very generous and charismatic,” he said.

Born presumably in 1923 at Musawa village of Katsina State, Shata attended the normal Quranic School as a child as is the practice in Hausaland. And out of interest as a child, he started singing early in life and gradually became one of the most prominent singers of his time and even beyond.

He taught himself to sing from childhood, something he proclaimed proudly.

“I ventured into music out of childish exuberance; I didn’t inherit it from my parents. I took a long time singing without collecting a penny and even if I was given money, it was other praise singers who would collect it, I only started collecting money when I made music a career,” he once said in a radio interview.

His songs were mostly praises for people who were outstanding in various fields of human endeavour.  But unlike many Hausa traditional praise singers, Shata sang for the royal and the humble as well as places, things and ideas, depending on the circumstance.

“He was talented to be able to sing for not just the rich people and traditional rulers or places, he equally sang a number of songs for the ordinary people. For example, the songs he did for drivers and a lot others as well as issues of national interest. It is also known that companies who engaged him in their advertisements made huge sales due to his popularity,” Danbirni told Sunday Trust.

Shata was renowned for composing his songs on the spot. This was confirmed by several of his associates. One of them is Alhaji Hassan Hadi.

“Shata never rehearsed before performing; in fact, most of the time, he never knew what or whom to sing for but was so perfectly eloquent; he sang with no hesitation or deviation. His performance was indeed superb,” he said.

Mamman Shata was one of the best selling artistes from the north during his time and today, his songs remain vibrant and very popular, particularly among the elderly. His career spanned nearly half a century and there is no exact record of his songs – a number of them were never recorded.

Widely travelled, Shata met a lot of prominent people around the world. He took part in politics, agriculture, and philosophy among many other fields of life. He caused some stir when he announced he was running for the presidency of Nigeria in the early 1990s without any formal educational qualification.

Shata was also outstanding at competitions because he always performed last. He won several competitions and was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree by the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.  

He died at the age of 76 in June, 1999. He was survived by three wives, 22 children and many grandchildren.