Recently, when CEGT University of Benin Republic honoured Kano-based Hausa singer, Aminu Ladan Abubakar, alias Alan Waka, he confided in his close friends and family members that the sky is the beginning of more successes for him.
Also, last week, a delegation from Gobir Kingdom in Sokoto state conveyed an appointment letter to Dr. Abubakar as the new Dan Buram of Gobir Kingdom. In this interview with ALIYU ASKIRA, the new Dan Buram talked about his life, family, future plans, and challenges.
When CEGT University of Benin Republic honoured you with a doctorate degree, you were quoted as saying that your recent successes were giving you sleepless nights. Now, another big honour has been conferred on you; what will you say this time around?
The awards are just coming my way almost on a daily basis, and I can now tell you authoritatively that it is a good comment because since I composed my famous song for the Late Dr. Ado Bayero, San Kano, awards have continued to come my way. Therefore, I have now passed the level of fear, but into a level of celebrations. I have become an icon in my own field of Hausa music and the sky is the beginning of my successes.
There was this report that some members of your family resisted your earlier plan to be a singer, but you had your way. What exactly happened?
Yes, it’s true; I am even surprised that how you know this. I have a sister that does not want me to be a singer because as far as she is concerned, it is not a good profession. But one day in their Islamiyya school, their teacher gave them a lecture on local musicians and specifically mentioned my name by saying that my type of music is aimed at promoting our culture, our religion and general enlightenment and that as such, people should patronise my type of music. Since that day, my sister dropped her resistance and today, I am so successful in my chosen career that she is one of the beneficiaries of my songs.
There are those that cannot situate your state of origin; where does Dr. Aminu Ala Abubakar hail from?
Well, my parents are from Jega in the present Kebbi state, but I was born and brought up in Kano and I still live in Kano and will continue to be in Kano Insha Allah. I have 13 children with eldest daughter already in the University; I have three wives and I am ready to take a fourth one. May be before this your interview is published, I might have taken a fourth wife.
I have a house in Kaduna where one of my wives is at staying because I have business connections in Kaduna too. But you know in our profession, we have lots of enemies, even as disgruntled elements have been disturbing my household in Kaduna. So, I may relocate my wife to Kano. Educationally, I have a diploma in Printing Technology, from Kano State School of Technology; I am planning to go for my degree programme in one of the neighbouring universities.
It’s difficult to separate Aminu Ala from Fati Niger, Maryam Baba, Murja Baba, and the rest; is your group still intact?
For a very long time, we operated like one family, but you know they are women and can easily get married and drop out of the group. Maryam Baba is happily married now, but I won’t say she is not part of us; Fati Niger is still very much around and Murja Baba also. But I have several back-up singers, so my team will always remain formidable.
Tell us your most cherished moments in life?
I can hardly enumerate them, but I can tell you that apart from the doctorate degree bestowed on me by CEGT University of Benin, I was honoured by ABU Zaria, FCE, Kano, the Dutse Emirate Council that appointed me King of Dutse Emirate Council Musicians, I am the Dan Amanar Bichi which was given to me by the former emir, Dr. Aminu Ado Bayero, who is now the Emir of Kano.
I have a series of awards and it will take a lot of our time for me to name all of them. However, all in all, I think I am the most honoured Hausa musician of our time, I have beaten the records of the Late Dr. Mamman Shata; Dan Lami Jos; Adamu Dan Maraya; Dan Kwairo; Dan Anachi, and many others and so I have stopped counting my laurels because they are always coming my way.
How rich is Aminu Ala?
Well, I ride the best cars of my choice, I am very comfortable in life, I take very good care of my family, my children go to the best schools, and I live in my own houses. I built a house for my mother, and my sister, and my wives get the best from me; I go for lesser Hajj or Hajj anytime I want, and I have also sponsored my families to the Holy Land. So, basically I will say I am very grateful to God.
You were once sent to prison on the orders of a former Bauchi state governor, Malam Isa Yaguda; what really happened?
It’s true, but it was unfortunate really because we composed a song in a group and I was invited to Bauchi by the governor’s wife where she pleaded that we should delay the release of the album until her husband returned from Lagos. That was agreed upon, but some of my colleagues in Kano thought that the governor’s wife had given me huge sums of money, and so they betrayed me and released the album which was supposed to be on embargo through down loaders and radio boys.
And when I arrived in Kano, I was invited by the security and later sent to prison for a day. That incident made me release a series of songs called Shahara and instead of affecting my career, what my enemies did rather promoted my image to high heavens; so I have no regrets.
