I was surprised when I started getting fliers from associates announcing a conference on Rarara (see below). It was titled 1st International Conference on the Songs of Alhaji Dauda Kahutu Rarara, with the theme of Studies on the Songs of Alhaji Dauda Adamu Kahutu Rarara.
I almost deleted it when I took a look at the poorly shared image – and my name was prominently placed as a Keynote Speaker! The conference, slated for October 2025 is expected to be held at Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina. It seems to be a collaboration between FUD and a local college. The name of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adamu Ado, as well as that of Prof Ibrahim Garba Satatima as the Lead Paper presenter were prominently displayed. This gives the impression that the Management of FUD and Prof. Ibrahim Garba Satatima have approved this event. Well, I have not. I don't even know why my name as included as I am not an expert on Hausa literature.
I want to make it abundantly clear that while I support the idea of public dissection of performance arts – music, literature, film, theater, art – I am not part of this initiative because no one has sought my consent or availability. This is highly unprofessional. It would appear that in a desperate rush to legitimize Rarara’s performing arts, either himself or his associates, or both, decided to rope the university and a few of us into their dastardly fraudulent scheme.
The conference sub-themes are almost impossible. Take for instance, “Rarara in Contemporary African Politics” To the best of my knowledge he never held any elected political position for a paper to be written on his contributions or otherwise in “African” politics. Lots of error pepper the flier, which could have been avoided if proper thought and care had gone into its preparation. But I believe those behind this scheme are eager to score cheap social media points in the current campaign by his supporters to project him as the greatest Hausa singer who ever lived. Roping a university and arranging a conference to legitimize this in presenting analysis of his song seems be to be the best way to actualize his constant refrain of “Jami’ar Waƙa.” Dozens of comments from his supporters on various, mainly Facebook, project fetishization of the man and his perceived lyrical invincibility.
No, this is not a conference. It is a charade. I am not part of it. And will not be. Dozens of papers have been written on Rarara, from postings to chapters to articles to formal dissertations. Just like done for many singers before him. The army of his young supporters have no access to these various academic researches and felt they should encourage the conference to legitimize him. I have already written a comprehensive paper on Rarara, parts of which I posted on my Facebook wall.
About a day after the fliers started flying, the authorities of Federal University Dutsin-Ma issued a public statement denying knowledge or approval of the proposed conference, amplifying some chicanery on the part of the organizers who had not contacted the management about it before making a public announcement.
We as researchers will continue researching anything that catches our attention – the good, the bad and the ugly. We neither praise nor condemn. We code, analyze and report. In conducting research on Rarara, no one is interested or impressed in who he is – birth, growth, family, wealth, etc. We are only interested in his prose in form his songs and what they say about him and society. Remove the songs from the man, and he will be gone, and no one will even notice.
PROF ABDALLAH UBA ADAMU.
