An example of Wak'ar Baka (Oral Song)

Alhaji Mamman Shata, who died in 1998 in his mid-70's, was far and away the most popular Hausa musician of his, and perhaps any muscian's time. Like most professional musicians, his main theme was praise songs, though unlike most traditional praise singers, he composed songs for both the great and the humble. He also composed songs on many other themes of social commentary. Lines from many of his songs have worked their way into Hausa as aphorisms. Shata performed in the standard traditional praise singer's mode as a solo vocalist accompanied by drummers (in Shata's case, playing the kalangu, the hourglass shaped "talking drum") and a chorus ('yan amshi 'answerers') who repeated a fixed refrain after each of Shata's verses.

The excerpt here is from a song admonishing northern Nigerians to work for their own and for Nigeria's prosperity. Click on the start button of the player below to hear the song excerpt.