Tijjani Gandu came into the Music Industry on a lucky note. His first album Yarmaye was a massive success when it was released because he hired a first class director Sadiq Mafia and it paid off. In this interview with ALIYU ASKIRA, the artist, who is the official political singer for Kwankwasiyya Movement spoke on his career and plans for the future among others.
How did you become a musician?
For a long time I have been thinking of contributing my quota in eradicating social vices, like prostitution, stealing, armed banditry, and drug abuse by our youths. I knew I could only do that through mass enlightenment that was why I became a singer; to create awareness within the society so that our youths will look for creative jobs to do.
Your first album Yarmaye was well accepted. Is it true it didn’t fetch you much money?
I am happy you said it was well accepted. Before that particular album nothing was known about me, but when I hit the music market with that album, which had several very interesting tracks, people were looking for me all over to either contract me to compose songs for them or to partner with me for other ventures especially politicians.
The truth is that I have a political god father that I always promote his political movement that is Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso the leader of Kwankwasiyya Movement.
You promoted the PDP Kano governorship candidate, Engr. Abba Kabiru Yusuf, but he lost the election. Yet you released series of songs insisting that he was the winner. Why?
You have been in Kano since 1999 and all these people you are talking about were followers of our great leader Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Before Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje became governor he was massively assisted by our leader on the Kwankwasiyya Movement and that made it easy for him to defeat other political parties in 2015. However, in 2019, we went into an election in which our candidate Engr. Abba Kabiru Yusuf defeated the incumbent governor but in what looked like magic they came up with new grammar in elections ‘inconclusive’ and shifted the election by one week. Then they brought almost all the Nigeria Police Force to Kano to rig the election in Ganduje’s favour and we were denied our well-deserved victory.
We are coming back Insha Allah in 2023. Our leader has leader just lost his father and you have seen how Nigerians in their thousands are visiting his Miller Road Residence; the Senate President was there; Emir of Kano Dr. Aminu Ado Bayero was there. In fact you cannot find a space to sit if you visit Kwankwaso’s house, several governors were there but unfortunately Ganduje was nowhere to be found. We read in the media that he is holidaying with his family in Dubai.
Will you say you have achieved a lot through music?
Yes. In the first place if not for music you won’t be here interviewing me as a celebrity. I am happily married with children and financially I am not doing badly.
You see, for me to be personally recognised by Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his official political musician and the patronage I have received from his followers, in terms of contracting me to promote their political career, is enough laurels for me.
Age is on my side and the sky is the beginning of my success. I am hoping to be part Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s Presidential Team in 2023 by the grace of God.
