Interview with Alhaji Gwadabe Yamulo, Sarkin Gini Kano in the Daily Trust
Another
article that’s of interest to this blog and which I almost missed. This one was
published by Musa Giginyu in the Daily Trust. It contains excerpts from
interview with Sarkin Gini Kano Alhaji Gwadabe Yamulo.
By
Ibrahim Musa Giginyu, 22 September 2013
[…]
Fifty-five-year-old
Alhaji Gwadabe Yamulo is the Sarkin Ginin Kano (Chief Builder), in a recent
interview with Sunday Trust, he stated that architectural designs were traditionally
a major characteristic of royal edifices, adding, however, that development has
allowed non-royal blood and wealthy families to own such type of buildings.
Backed by
over 45 years of experience, Sarkin Gini said the art of traditional
architectural design has witnessed various changes in the area of equipment,
raw material used and the even the process. He said even local colours that
were used for the paintings have now been substituted for chemical paints.
[…]
He
observed that over the years, things have changed significantly, such that
traditional buildings and their designs are fading out. "Demands of
modernity is forcing us to adopt new innovations in what we do as traditional
builders," Sarkin Gini stated.
He
recalled that traditional architectural designers, formerly, used raw materials
that were sourced locally, adding that the colours that were used in those
periods were usually obtained from bark of some selected trees or their fruits
and some types of rocks usually brought to Kano city from Rimin Gado area of
the state.
[…]
"However,
one has to be very creative and innovative to be a good builder. Unlike now
when builders are different from designers, during our days we combined both
and we were good at each. Let me not forget to tell you that as a traditional
builder in those days, you will not have an idea of what design you will do to
a particular building until when you are through with it. The design is just
something that has to do with your sense of creativity."
According
to Sarki Gini, though modernity was creating decline in patronage for them,
they were not ready to abandon the profession. "The art of traditional
architecture is usually part and parcel of the Hausa man. Therefore, no matter
the penetration by the modern architectures, it will still have that
traditional touch," he said.
[…]
What
can I say, I love that Alhaji Gwadabe Yamulo emphasises the significance of creativity and
innovation as part and parcel of the builder’s job. Although he is using the
terms ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’ here to emphasise the changes that have occurred
in the last 50 years, the Sarkin Gini is beautifully illustrating here that
there is very little point of thinking of artistic practices in northern
Nigeria (and elsewhere) in rigid categories of ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’. Even
less so if ‘African tradition’ is thought of as mostly unchanging and ‘modern’ as
‘influenced by “the West”’. As Alhaji Gwadabe
Yamulo emphasises, innovation and creativity have been inherently part of the
tradition of building in northern Nigeria, at least throughout his career.
And, this
is interesting in terms of the relationship between religion and artistic
practice in Kano and wider northern Nigeria, because as the article makes
clear, the master builder is in high demand across the region.
When asked
how the designs were developed, Sarkin Gini said: "You see a Hausa man has
this strong inclination to his religion. Our religion decreed that whatever
design we want to make it should not be in human form. That is why you will
notice that most of our past and recent designs have no human
reflection.
I wonder what to make of the ‘most’ in his last sentence. I
know Musa Yola produced some murals that depicted people but does anybody know
of other examples that have been documented?
Anyway, lovely article that is worth reading in full on the
website of the Daily Trust or via AllAfrica.
*Link to AllAfrica repository.
nice art blog and great perspective of art content
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