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I present today four cassettes by Malam <\/i>Maman Barkah, the Niger Republic’s acclaimed master of two traditional instruments of that area – the ngurumi<\/i>, a two stringed lute (pictured), and the biram,<\/i> a five-stringed harp. Malam <\/i>Barkah passed away on November 21 of last year to much sadness in Niger and the neighboring Hausa-speaking areas of Nigeria. Radio France International reported, “Great emotion this morning in Niger when the local press reported the death of musician Malam<\/i> Maman Barka, immensely popular in his country and also well known in neighboring Nigeria. The popularity of Malam<\/i> Maman Barka is explained by his mastery of biram<\/i>, a very particular instrument, and also by his committed songs.”<\/p>\n
My understanding is that while Maman Barkah sang mainly in the Hausa language, he was a member of the nomadic Toubou<\/a>\u00a0people, born in Tesker, southern Niger, in 1958 or 1959. He started his professional life as a teacher and learned the ngurumi<\/i>, a two-stringed lute common in the Sahel region, where it is known by various names. It was as a master of this instrument, and his incisive lyrics which addressed classical themes as well as current events and notable individuals, that Maman Barkah achieved fame throughout Niger and northern Nigeria. This led to many appearances throughout the world.<\/p>\n In 2002 Malam <\/i>Barkah received a grant from UNESCO to travel to the shores of Lake Chad and learn the biram<\/i>, a five-stringed harp played by the Boudouma (Yedina) people of the region. The instrument, considered sacred, had fallen into disuse. Before passing, the last living master of the biram<\/i>, Boukou Tar, taught Maman Barkah the secrets of the instrument\u00a0<\/i>and gave him his own. Before his death\u00a0Malam\u00a0<\/i>Barkah was the director of the\u00a0Center for Music Promotion and Training (CFPM) “El Hadji Taya” in Niamey, the capital of Niger.<\/p>\n The four cassettes in this post are the result of two cassette-hunting expeditions: By me in Kano, Nigeria in 1995 and by my wife Priscilla in Jos, Nigeria in 1998. He was very popular throughout the region! All feature Maman Barkah on the ngurumi<\/i>. Recordings of him playing the biram <\/i>are available on the CD Introducing Mamane Barka<\/a><\/i> (World Music Network INTRO114CD, 2009).<\/p>\n Labeling for the songs here is very confusing. Africa 1<\/i> and Africa 4<\/i> seem to be mispackaged or mislabeled, as the songs don’t seem to correspond to listings on the inlay cards. Africa 2<\/i> and Republic Niger No. 4<\/i> do seem to be properly labeled. Not knowing how to determine the proper song titles I’ve just listed them as they appear on the cassettes, and the extra songs are just labeled “Song Title Unknown.” I’d appreciate it if someone could clear the confusion up for us.<\/p>\n I confess I haven’t paid these cassettes much attention since obtaining them in the ’90s. However, repeated listenings in the course of preparing them for this post have given me a new appreciation for this music. I had always thought that the mysterious Korean lady who appears on the covers of three of the cassettes was Malam <\/i>Barkah’s wife, but apparently that picture was taken during a musical performance in North Korea!<\/p>\n Here is Africa 1<\/i>:<\/p>\n Maman Barkah – Amerame<\/a><\/b> Maman Barkah – Song Title Unknown<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Download\u00a0Africa 1<\/i>\u00a0as a zipped file here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Maman Barkah – Tabaraka Allah<\/a><\/b> Maman Barkah – Beby Elinna<\/a><\/b> Download Africa 2<\/i> as a zipped file here<\/a>. I don’t have Africa 3<\/i>, but here is Africa 4<\/i>. Who knows how many volumes were released?<\/p>\n Maman Barkah – Nahissa<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Maman Barkah – Kidan Maman Daban<\/a> Download Africa 4<\/i> as a zipped file here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \nThe final cassette here, Republic Niger No. 4<\/i> (no connection with Africa 4<\/i> above), seems to be the most recently recorded:<\/p>\n Maman Barkah – Tankari Dan Garba\u00a0No. 1<\/a><\/b> Download Niger Republic No. 4 <\/i>as a zipped file here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Two CDs by Maman Barkah, Introducing Mamane Barka<\/a><\/i> and Guidan Haya<\/a><\/i>, are available from Amazon. Follow the links!<\/p>\n Here is a clip of Maman Barkah playing the biram <\/i>in 2010:<\/p>\n
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\nMaman Barkah –\u00a0Gourmi Story<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Iyani Mai Towo<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Feronguila<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Song Title Unknown<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Song Title Unknown<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Massagui<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Awa Sakehali<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Zaman Duniya<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Beghue Tunani<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Arri Na Bin Tou<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/b>While digitizing these cassettes I realized that side 2 of the cassette Africa 1, <\/i>apparently a reissue, actually contains the full contents of Africa 2<\/i>! (There are around 45 minutes of music on each side). As the recording quality of Africa 1<\/i> is superior I’ve gone with that version:<\/p>\n
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\nMaman Barkah – Oubedatu<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Massoyi da Massoya<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Dabarabara<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Maman Maki<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – In Nabaki Mikike<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n
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\nMaman Barkah – Archatelfara<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Song Title Unknown (Instrumental)<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n
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\nMaman Barkah – Aochatou Dogoya<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – La Six<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Song Title Unknown<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Mousha Shagaumu Talki<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – In Ada<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – We Day Hassour<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Song Title Unknown<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
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\nMaman Barkah – Ramm\u00e1 Ta Mirria<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Tankari Dan Garba No. 2<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Kar Ki Bami A<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Delu El Fulani<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Hawa Merama<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Er Komatou<\/a><\/b>
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\nMaman Barkah – Tankari Dan Garba No. 3<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n