My understanding is that while Maman Barkah sang mainly in the Hausa language, he was a member of the nomadic Toubou people, born in Tesker, southern Niger, in 1958 or 1959. He started his professional life as a teacher and learned the ngurumi, 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.
In 2002 Malam Barkah received a grant from UNESCO to travel to the shores of Lake Chad and learn the biram, 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, Boukou Tar, taught Maman Barkah the secrets of the instrument and gave him his own. Before his death Malam Barkah was the director of the Center for Music Promotion and Training (CFPM) "El Hadji Taya" in Niamey, the capital of Niger.
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. Recordings of him playing the biram are available on the CD Introducing Mamane Barka (World Music Network INTRO114CD, 2009).
Labeling for the songs here is very confusing. Africa 1 and Africa 4 seem to be mispackaged or mislabeled, as the songs don't seem to correspond to listings on the inlay cards. Africa 2 and Republic Niger No. 4 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.
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 Barkah's wife, but apparently that picture was taken during a musical performance in North Korea!
Here is Africa 1:
Maman Barkah - Amerame
Maman Barkah - Gourmi Story
Maman Barkah - Iyani Mai Towo
Maman Barkah - Feronguila
Maman Barkah - Song Title Unknown
Maman Barkah - Song Title Unknown
Maman Barkah - Massagui
Maman Barkah - Awa Sakehali
Maman Barkah - Zaman Duniya
Maman Barkah - Beghue Tunani
Maman Barkah - Arri Na Bin Tou
Maman Barkah - Song Title Unknown
Download Africa 1 as a zipped file here.
While digitizing these cassettes I realized that side 2 of the cassette Africa 1, apparently a reissue, actually contains the full contents of Africa 2! (There are around 45 minutes of music on each side). As the recording quality of Africa 1 is superior I've gone with that version:
Maman Barkah - Tabaraka Allah
Maman Barkah - Oubedatu
Maman Barkah - Massoyi da Massoya
Maman Barkah - Dabarabara
Maman Barkah - Maman Maki
Maman Barkah - In Nabaki Mikike
Maman Barkah - Beby Elinna
Maman Barkah - Archatelfara
Maman Barkah - Song Title Unknown (Instrumental)
Download Africa 2 as a zipped file here. I don't have Africa 3, but here is Africa 4. Who knows how many volumes were released?
Maman Barkah - Nahissa
Maman Barkah - Kidan Maman Daban
Maman Barkah - Aochatou Dogoya
Maman Barkah - La Six
Maman Barkah - Song Title Unknown
Maman Barkah - Mousha Shagaumu Talki
Maman Barkah - In Ada
Maman Barkah - We Day Hassour
Maman Barkah - Song Title Unknown
Download Africa 4 as a zipped file here.
The final cassette here, Republic Niger No. 4 (no connection with Africa 4 above), seems to be the most recently recorded:
Maman Barkah - Tankari Dan Garba No. 1
Maman Barkah - Rammá Ta Mirria
Maman Barkah - Tankari Dan Garba No. 2
Maman Barkah - Kar Ki Bami A
Maman Barkah - Delu El Fulani
Maman Barkah - Hawa Merama
Maman Barkah - Er Komatou
Maman Barkah - Tankari Dan Garba No. 3
Download Niger Republic No. 4 as a zipped file here.
Two CDs by Maman Barkah, Introducing Mamane Barka and Guidan Haya, are available from Amazon. Follow the links!
Here is a clip of Maman Barkah playing the biram in 2010:
