The people of Lere observe the two major Muslim festivals, namely, Eid-el Fitr and Eid-el Kabir; the former to mark the end of Ramadan fasting and the latter to celebrate the climax of the Pilgrimage to Mecca. These two unique annual festivals are marked with pomp and merriment among Islamic communities all over the world. Different cultural festivities are held on these days in the Muslim world and in northern Nigeria it was the tradition in various emirates to hold a durbar. Durbar is derived from the Hindi word “darbar” or the Persian “dar” (door) and “bar” (court, audience) and its practice in Nigeria is a borrowed custom from colonial India where an official reception is held by a local prince or British official showcasing in a parade, the finery and culture of the territory that is governed. One of the earliest records of a durbar was one that was held in 1913 in Kano in honour of Lord Lugard, the Governor General of Northern protectorate (modern day northern Nigeria), whose wife, Flora, at the amalgamation of northern and southern protectorates, coined the new entity called Nigeria.

 

But it is pertinent to note that the procession of horsemen is also indigenous to Nigeria. Before the colonial conquest in 1903, the people of the Northern region, otherwise known as Sokoto Caliphate, celebrated the two festivals by conducting a huge, colourful procession on horseback to show their respect to the Emir and shout festive greetings (jahi). During the reign of Sarkin Lere Muhammadu Dankaka, it was reported that he usually observed hawan sallah with no fewer than 300 horses at Lere. Therefore, though the durbar as a cultural event being observed presently in some towns and cities in northern Nigeria may have its roots in India, it is however erroneous to conclude that there was no “durbar” before the British colonial conquest. Today in Lere town, the traditional durbar or hawan sallah is a permanent feature of the festivities. On Sallah days the Emir rides on a horse back from his palace to the praying ground along with all able traditional title holders. Once the Eid prayers have ended, the durbar begins. The Sarki, traditional council members, the princes and other traditional title holders ride, dressed in ceremonial robes and decked in headdresses, through the market in a large and colourful procession to the palace where the actual event takes place.

 

Complete with drummers, dancers and praise singers, each title holder is responsible for the turnout of his mounted horses and equestrians. The Emir’s contingent comprises of Yan Baka (bowmen), Yan Bindiga and Yan Karma (hunters), zagage, dogarai (bodyguards) all dressed in red and green colours and can be heard from afar heralding the arrival of the Sarki. The air filled with gunpowder, the din of the sound of the kakaki (trumpet) and algaita (flute) defeaning as the praise singers, drummers and dancers show their skills. The streets are filled with throngs shouting “ranka ya dade” (may your life be long) to the Emir and other titleholders. Upon his arrival at the palace, the traditional jahi would be observed whereby senior councillors, princes, title holders and district heads would in a healthy competition show off their sophistication, grooming and wealth, and also pay homage to the Emir along with their wards. The event is then rounded up by a group of horsemen engaging in a race at full gallop. They will ride a short distance from the Emir and then stop to salute him with raised hands and tight fist. This is followed by appreciative applause from the crowd.

 

The Sarki usually makes a speech to his subjects before retiring to the palace amid drumming, dancing and singing. Traditionally, the hawan daushe, a special durbar to commemorate the Eid festivals, is also observed in Lere on a Friday. Even if the Eid took place on a Saturday, the event has to wait until the following Friday. The Hawan Daushe starts after Asr prayer (afternoon prayer) about 3:30 pm. The procession starts from the Emir’s Lere‘s palace right through the centre of the town to the market and to Kauran Dan Gambo; then coming back through the historical site (Kurmi) where Sarkin Lere Muhammadu Dankaka sojourned in 1867; before moving through the market again to the palace.    Prior to 2001, the Sarkin Lere only celebrated the Eid el-Kabir durbar in Lere, whereas the Eid el-Fitr event was done in Zaria to pay homage on the emir together with his wards and subjects.  In addition, Sarkin Lere possessed twelve royal drums (tambura) as official insignia of his status similar to the first class Emirs of Zazzau, Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, Gombe among others. It was reported that first Sarkin Lere Muhammadu Dabo Titi came to possess these drums after the establishment of Lere vassal state in 1808. But even before then, Titi’s forefathers have been in custody of three drums belonging to the governors of Timbuktu during the Songhai era.

 

These sets of drums are, traditionally, known in Lere as “akwasan gidan Titi” meaning “the calabashes of Titi’s household.” Historically, there are strong linkages between the origin of the tambura and the essence of Titi’s drums. History records that “in the early days of the Mali Empire there were no griots (praise singers). When the rulers returned from war, their own wives used to sing their praises. They used to massage the bodies of their husbands, saying ‘My husband, you’re really brave and tired. You must rest; I’m your wife….

“One day the wives had the idea of accompanying their praises with a music instrument. One wife had the idea of making a small instrument. So she went to get a calabash and a goat’s skin. She covered the calabash with the skin and she started to play the instrument. Little by little she learned how to play. From then on she told her husband she would sing his praises with this instrument.”(18)

 

Incidentally, that marked the beginning of the legend of tambura in Songhay Empire. Another historical source disclosed that it was Askia Muhammad, the great empire-builder of Songhay (1493-1528), who influenced the introduction of tambura in Hausaland after conquering most of it. Consequently, it was also Askia Muhammad who gave Umar bin Muhammad Naddi the authority to possess a drum as his official insignia as governor of Timbuktu.  Following the fall of Songhay Empire, members of Aqit family aligned with the Torodbe (Fulanin Wunti), took along with them the three royal drums at the commencement of their centuries-old drift. Ever since the Moroccan invasion of 1591, the family heirloom (tambura) had been handed down from one generation to the next until it reached Muhammadu Dabo Titi. Today, the tamburan Lere, which happens to be very unique in sound and melody, are only beaten either on occasion of installation of a new Sarki, Eid festivals, wedding of a princess or during visits of an important guest.