2014 in Kannywood: Defining Moments

It’s end of another year: a time to reflect on some of the moments that made us laugh, smile from ear to ear, sad or kept us gripped to our screen. The question is whether or not we have truly experienced all those moments in the industry this year.

2014 was a less eventful year in Kannywood if not anything else. Compare it with 2013, you’ll find out that the year had gone without 2 major events. The first is Kwankwasiyya awards which is, albeit political, one of two major Hausa films based awards last year with MTN/Kannywood awards (scheduled to be held in 2015). Also, If you are a fan of scandals, AFMAN didn’t suspend anybody. Like they show in the movies, highs and lows are part and parcel of life. Here’s taking a look at some of the most defining moments from Kannywood in 2014 and in no particular order.

Ambassadorship
Wondering why you are not an ambassador for any telecommunication company yet? That’s because brand ambassadors are usually high profile people or celebrities not individuals like you and me. 2014 saw Adam A Zango, Nafisat Abdullahi, Shehu Hassan Kano and Aisha Tsamiya becoming the face of MTN after signing lucrative contracts with the Nigeria’s leading telecommunication giants. In June, Sani Danja and Rahma Hassan were unveiled as brand ambassadors for the National Open Universities of Nigeria (NOUN). They were awarded scholarships to study at the University and were presented with letters of admission by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Vincent Tenebe. In the same month, superstar Ali Nuhu was also unveiled as the brand ambassador for Uniliver’s Omo Detergent.

Ambassadorial responsibilities were also given to Maryam Booth by First Women and Girls Summit. The summit is an initiative of First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, in collaboration with the National Center for Women Development (NCWD), Friends Africa and the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND). As an ambassador, the popular actress would lend her voice to key issues affecting girls in Nigeria and join other leading gender advocates to draw attention to these issues.

Hmm! Our celebs are sweeping up the big bucks…

Awards
The year ended without a Kannywood-based award. However, some actors were honoured in other prestigious awards across the country. Among them, City People Awards accommodates much category for kannywood. Ali Nuhu and Aisha Aliyu Tsamiya won the best actor and actress respectively, Zahradden Sani won the best supporting actor and Halima Atete won the best supporting actress. Rahma Sadau, Nazifi Asnanic, Abba Miko and Sadiq Mafia were also honoured with the City people awards.

One of Nigeria’s leading national dailies, Leadership Newspapers voted Ali Nuhu as the Best Artiste of the Year. Ali also ended the year in a high as he won the Best Actor in Avant Garde awards. In a year full of not so great movies, Kannywood/Nollywood filmmaker Usman Uzee have won numerous awards. Among which are Ambassador for Peace awards and Avant Garde.

Also, Sadiq Sani Sadiq and Asma’u Abubakar won the best actors’ award in the Best of Nollywood awards.

Marriages
Yes, Fati KK has married again, after a brief come back to the movie screen. Like the wedding, it was a comeback very few noticed. Whether KK would be replaced by Rukayya Dawayya remains to be seen. Dawayya’s marriage is no more and one thing about these actresses is they love second coming.

Kannywood’s leading screen writer Yakubu M Kumo adds another wife. Nasir Ali koki also got married.

Indian-Hausa Movies
India-Hausa films were, and still are, a topic. The translated bollywood movies have affected the sales of Hausa movies greatly this year to the extent that it is mentioned as one of the reasons for the fall in production of Kannywood good movies in 2014. There were calls to ban the sales and production of such movies in Kano. Looks like the battle will continue in 2015, and its a battle Kannywood movies need to win no matter what.

Kannywood in India
Kannywood borrows a lot from Bollywood, may be that was why the Federal Government decided to sponsor some of our actors and film makers for a 4-weeks film related course in India. It was a great moment. The beneficiaries of this iniative include Ali Nuhu, Hamisu Iyan Tama, Falalu Dorayi……..     Etc. We hope the participants would wow us with what they’ve learnt in 2015.

BBC Media Action
In an effort to use the influence of media to support people shape their own lives, BBC collaborated with Kannywood to help pass information on heath and government matters. You can read the details here.

Music
As we all know, Hausa films and music go hand in hand. Adam A Zango and Sani Danja are two A-list actors in Kannywood who, beside being top actors, are also very good singers. Sani Danja in particular has stormed not only the north but the entire country with his trending song Alhaji this year. And collabos with Terry G, Vector the Viper and Orezi is surely a good way to reach new heights in a music career.

Nafisat Abdullahi also decided to venture in to music and the actress is remoured to have recorded her first album with Umar M Shariff…. Some moment.

Deaths
The year ended on a rather unfortunate note. Sale AGM, director of So Aljannar Duniya died in a motor accident on his way home to Maiduguri. And then the socking news of Ibro’s death broke out on 10 December. The whole country was taken aback to learn that the Kannywood legend is no more. “Maganin hawan jini kuma ya tafi” I heard some say. Meaning “[Our] Cure for hypertension is no more.” This is someone who make people momentarily forget their worries, make you laugh without saying a word. What a great entertainer he was. It would be interesting to see how Kannywood will fare in 2015. Ibro was extremely busy before he died. His movies are certain sales because if not anything, he single-handely make sure they entertain audience. May Allah have mercy on his soul and reward him with Jannatul Firdaus.

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Written by: Ibrahim Umar Bello
Email: iubello50@gmail.com
Twitter: @aaramz