Sights and Sounds of Northern Nigeria in AbdulRasheed Na’Allah’s Poetry

Abstract

The pact between the artist and his community is underscored by the relevance of art to society. The artist plays a vital role in the community’s growth and development in some ways: he represents his community through the artistic mode; he helps in preserving cultural values by rescuing such from extinction or degeneration and these values are transferred from generation to generation. In essence, Literature depicts man and his environment and it is the conscience of society. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah’s Ilorin Praise Poetry and Ahmad Fulani truly reflect this noble role of the artist in exerting an influence on the cultural practices of a people. The diversity of culture which defines the heterogeneous composition of the Northern Nigeria is artistically captured in these collections. Apart from the sociological imperative of the poet’s songs, there is also a touch of humanism as a philosophical guide. It is submitted that from style and language, these collections interrogate dynamics of cultures, attitudes and entertainment of many tribes and ethnic groups inhabiting the northern hemisphere of Nigeria, the most populous black nation in Africa.