Artistic Creativity and Rhetorical Devices in Dan Maraya Jos’s Teacher Uban Karatu: A Literary and Performance Analysis

This article is published in AL-QALAM Journal of Languages and Literary Studies, Vol. 1, Issue 1, December 2025 (A Publication of the Department of English and Literature, Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria)

ARTISTIC CREATIVITY AND RHETORICAL DEVICES IN DAN MARAYA JOS’S TEACHER UBAN KARATU: A LITERARY AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS

By

ADAMOU IDE Oumarou

Université Djibo Hamani de Tahoua Niger Republic

Corresponding Author’s Email and Phone:adamouideoumarou83@yahoo.com 00227 85850006/96580666

Abstract

This paper examines Dan Maraya Jos’s Teacher Uban Karatu (“Teacher, The Father of Learning”), a celebrated Hausa praise song that foregrounds the indispensable role of teachers in society. Through close reading of the text, the study identifies rhetorical devices such as repetition, metaphor, hyperbole, enumeration, apostrophe, and contrast, showing how they elevate the teacher as the foundation of knowledge and social order. The analysis further situates the song within Hausa oral performance theory, highlighting how call-and-response, audience participation, and musical accompaniment enhance its communicative and persuasive power. The paper argues that Dan Maraya’s composition not only glorifies the teacher but also critiques their material neglect, reflecting the paradox of respect and poverty in African educational contexts. Ultimately, the study affirms Teacher Uban Karatu as both artistic creativity and social commentary, sustaining its relevance across time.

Keywords: Dan Maraya Jos; Hausa oral poetry; rhetorical devices; performance theory; teacher

Introduction

Oral literature has always played a crucial role in the preservation, transmission, and transformation of African values and social consciousness. Among the Hausa of Northern Nigeria, oral poetry remains a living art form that captures communal experiences and reflects social ideals. It is within this vibrant oral tradition that the works of the celebrated musician and poet, Dan Maraya Jos (1946–2015), acquire their cultural and intellectual significance. Known for his mastery of the kuntigi lute and his distinctive lyrical style, Dan Maraya stands as a unique voice who redefined Hausa praise poetry (waka) by extending its focus beyond the royal courts to include everyday professions and moral themes (Furniss, 1996, pp. 14–16).

The song Teacher, Uban Karatu (“Teacher, Father of Learning”) is one of Dan Maraya’s most compelling compositions. It departs from the traditional praise of warriors and nobles to celebrate a less glorified yet foundational figure—the teacher. Through vivid imagery, repetition, and an appeal to communal values, the song exalts the teacher as the root of all professions and the custodian of collective progress. It portrays teaching not merely as a profession but as a sacred calling vital to the moral and intellectual development of society. As such, it offers a profound commentary on the social hierarchy of postcolonial Nigeria, where intellectual labor often receives less recognition than material or political achievement (Yahaya, 1978, p. 45).

This paper examines Teacher, Uban Karatu through the lens of rhetorical and poetic creativity, with special attention to the devices that structure the song’s persuasive force. It explores how Dan Maraya uses oral performance techniques—such as metaphor, repetition, parallelism, and hyperbole—to construct a moral argument for valuing educators. The analysis situates the song within the broader Hausa oral poetic tradition, emphasizing how it synthesizes indigenous stylistic conventions with modern themes of education, nation-building, and moral responsibility (Finnegan, 2012, pp. 63–67).

The significance of this study lies in its dual contribution to both literary and cultural scholarship. Literarily, it illuminates the artistry of Dan Maraya Jos as a poet whose rhetorical skill transforms simple social commentary into moral persuasion. Culturally, it foregrounds the teacher’s symbolic function in Hausa society as a moral guide and shaper of collective destiny. By focusing on the rhetorical devices that power the song’s message, this study not only celebrates an artist’s creativity but also underscores the continuing vitality of oral poetry as a mode of intellectual discourse in African societies (Barber, 1997, pp. 10–15).

The study draws on performance theory and rhetorical criticism to analyze the song’s text and context. The theoretical approach aligns with Bauman’s (1986) view of performance as a “communicative event” in which artistry, audience interaction, and social function intersect (p. 15). Likewise, Yankah’s (1995) insights into African oratory inform this paper’s understanding of repetition, praise, and moral appeal as persuasive strategies within oral poetry (pp. 130–136). Through this combined framework, the paper seeks to demonstrate how Teacher, Uban Karatu uses aesthetic means to achieve ethical ends—praising the teacher as both an artist of the mind and an architect of civilization.

Ultimately, the study argues that Dan Maraya’s song exemplifies the fusion of artistry and advocacy that defines Hausa oral creativity. In praising teachers, he reaffirms a cultural philosophy that equates knowledge with virtue and education with divine service. The rhetorical beauty of the song thus mirrors its ethical message: that the future of any community rests in the hands of those who teach.

Literature Review

Studies of African oral literature have long emphasized the centrality of praise poetry as both an artistic and social practice. Finnegan (2012) in Oral Literature in Africa provides one of the foundational frameworks, demonstrating how oral performance serves as a vehicle for history, social commentary, and cultural transmission (pp. 65–72). Praise songs, in particular, function as both celebratory and didactic texts, often elevating professions, rulers, or moral virtues while embedding societal critiques.

Within the Hausa context, Yahaya (1978) pioneered the scholarly classification of Hausa oral poetry, identifying thematic categories such as didactic, satirical, and religious poems (pp. 37–56). His work highlights how praise poetry often goes beyond mere flattery, serving as a tool of persuasion and moral education. Furniss (1996) further developed this insight, showing how Hausa singers embed social commentary into their art by employing metaphor, repetition, and historical allusion (pp. 15–25).

Dan Maraya Jos occupies a distinctive place in this tradition. Born in 1946 and orphaned at a young age, he fashioned his stage persona around the kuntigi lute and developed a reputation for socially conscious praise poetry (Skinner, 1980, pp. 89–92). Unlike court bards who served kings and aristocrats, Dan Maraya often praised ordinary professions—tailors, barbers, and in this case, teachers—thereby democratizing the praise genre. Furniss (1996) emphasizes this innovation as a shift from elite-centered performance to socially grounded commentary (p. 47).

Scholars have also examined the rhetorical strategies in African oral performance. Yankah (1995) notes that repetition, call-and-response, and hyperbole are central tools of persuasion in Akan and Hausa praise traditions (pp. 134–138). Similarly, Bauman (1986) conceptualizes performance as “communicative action,” where meaning emerges not only from words but from delivery, rhythm, and audience interaction (pp. 12–17). This lens has been applied to Hausa oral artists, showing how their performances simultaneously entertain and instruct (Barber, 1997, p. 15).

In the specific case of the teacher as subject of praise, little direct scholarship exists. However, broader studies on professions in African oral poetry suggest that songs often elevate neglected figures as a way of reshaping social hierarchies. Barber (1997) argues that African performance traditions frequently serve as “cultural archives,” preserving and revaluing marginalized roles (pp. 18–22). The celebration of teachers in Dan Maraya’s song thus aligns with a wider tendency to use oral poetry for moral correction and social advocacy.

In sum, the literature establishes three key points relevant to this study:

1. Hausa praise poetry functions both as praise and critique (Finnegan, 2012; Yahaya, 1978; Furniss, 1996).
2. Dan Maraya Jos stands out for redirecting praise from rulers to ordinary yet essential social roles (Skinner, 1980; Furniss, 1996).
3. Performance theory (Bauman, 1986; Yankah, 1995; Barber, 1997) helps us understand how devices such as repetition, metaphor, and call-and-response transform oral poetry into communal persuasion.

This study builds on these insights by offering a close reading of Teacher, Uban Karatu, situating it within the dual tradition of Hausa oral art and global performance theory, while highlighting its unique contribution to the cultural valuation of teachers.

Praise and Elevation of the Teacher

At the core of the song is a glorification of teachers. Repetition and refrains such as “Ba dan akwai teacher ba” (“Without the teacher”) reinforce the teacher’s indispensability, transforming the line into a chant of collective recognition. Metaphors portray the teacher as one who “washes a garment,” a purifier of knowledge and morals, while hyperbole magnifies their reach, suggesting that students under their guidance may travel from Russia to America in pursuit of knowledge. Such techniques are characteristic of Hausa oral praise (waƙar yabo) where exaggeration and metaphor elevate the subject (Yahaya, 1978, p. 40). Through these devices, the teacher emerges as a heroic figure central to both individual and communal advancement.

Dan Maraya Jos repeatedly underscores the indispensability of teachers through repetition and refrains:

“Ba dan akwai teacher ba / Shima ba zai iya ba”
Without the teacher, none could find their way. (ll. 10–11)

Repetition in Hausa oral tradition is didactic, used to imprint moral truths upon collective memory (Yahaya, 1978, p. 43). By constantly returning to this phrase, Dan Maraya elevates teachers as the source of all professions and all societal progress.

The metaphor of washing a garment illustrates the teacher’s role as purifier:

“Sannan ya wanke riga”
Like washing a garment clean. (l. 22)

In Hausa poetics, imagery of cleansing connotes moral and intellectual refinement (Furniss, 1996, p. 17). Just as a dirty garment is unfit for public appearance, an uneducated mind is unprepared for society.

Hyperbole magnifies the teacher’s global influence:

“Yaje Yemen da Raasha, / Ya gangaro America, / Ya sabka London.”
He may travel to Yemen and Russia, detour to America, and return through London. (ll. 38–41)

Hyperbole in Hausa oral art is less about factual accuracy than about impressing upon listeners the boundless potential created by education (Skinner, 1980, p. 91).

Finally, enumeration roots the praise in practical professions:

“Injiniyan gidaje, masu kera hanya, da masu zaane zaane.”
Engineers of houses, road builders, and artists with vision. (ll. 53–55)

Enumeration in Hausa poetry serves a didactic function, inviting listeners to visualize the concrete outcomes of learning (Furniss, 1996, p. 24).

Persuasion and Emphasis

The song persuades by stressing the teacher’s role through enumeration of professions—engineers, builders, artists—who could not exist without foundational teaching. Contrast deepens this persuasion: teachers may remain materially poor (“without even a bicycle”), yet their contributions shape the entire social order. Personification animates their care, as the teacher “follows the child home” to check on their well-being. Such depictions align with the role of  Mawaƙan⁴ Hausa (praise singers) as moral educators, who often use figurative language to provoke reflection (Furniss, 1996, p. 21). The musicality of alliteration and rhythm enhances memorability, demonstrating how persuasion in oral art relies as much on sound as on logic (Bauman, 1986, p. 14).

While glorifying teachers, the song also persuades audiences to acknowledge teachers’ plight. The device of contrast is clear:

“Wani teacher ko baida keke, to mi yasa hakanan?”
Yet some teachers, even without a bicycle—why is it so? (ll. 44–45)

This juxtaposition dramatizes the paradox of teachers’ symbolic importance and material neglect (Yahaya, 1978, p. 55).

Personification enhances emotional resonance:

“Zai bi shi har gidan su, ya duuba lafiya tai.”
He will follow him home and check on his well-being. (ll. 29–30)

This depicts teachers as social parents (uban tarbiyya), aligning with Hausa communal ideals of shared responsibility (Yankah, 1995, p. 134).

Persuasion is also carried by sound and rhythm. The chant “Teacher iyanka farce, Teacher iyanka farce” (ll. 20–21) uses repetition and musicality, reinforced by the kòkò lute. In Hausa oral performance, persuasion relies on aesthetic framing as much as on logical reasoning (Finnegan, 2012, p. 63).

Cultural and Religious Anchoring

The rhetorical force of the song is reinforced by cultural and religious grounding. Through apostrophe, Dan Maraya invokes Allah: “Allah ka bamu sa’a albarkacin Ma’aiki” (“O Lord, grant us success, for the sake of the Prophet”). This frames the teacher’s work as divinely sanctioned, resonating with Hausa Islamic values where knowledge (ilimi¹) is linked to spiritual duty (Finnegan, 2012, p. 89; Yahaya, 1978, p. 51). Allusions to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and to figures like Doctor Bunza root the praise in shared values, strengthening its resonance with Hausa audiences (Skinner, 1980, p. 94).

The performance begins with a religious apostrophe:

“Allah Karimu mai yi, Sarkin da ba iri nai… / Allah ka bamu sa’a albarkacin Ma’aiki.”
God the Generous, the Provider, the King without equal… O Lord, grant us success for the sake of the Prophet. (ll. 1–4)

This invocation situates the praise within Hausa-Islamic cosmology, where ilimi (knowledge) is inseparable from divine blessing (Finnegan, 2012, p. 92).

Later, Dan Maraya inserts allusions to contemporary figures:

“Ga su Doctor Bunza, to ai ga su Doctor Bunza.”
See them—Doctor Bunza! (ll. 31–32)

By referencing respected scholars, he anchors his message in lived reality. Such integration of Islamic and social references is a common strategy for legitimacy in Hausa poetry (Yahaya, 1978, p. 49; Furniss, 1996, p. 31).

Performance as Communicative Action in Hausa Oral Tradition

Rhetorical artistry in Hausa praise songs cannot be separated from performance. African oral literature is not merely text but a performative event where meaning arises through interaction between performer and audience (Finnegan, 2012, p. 17).

Call-and-Response and Audience Participation

The refrain “Ba dan akwai teacher ba” operates as a potential chorus line, inviting communal echo. Such call-and-response structures, central to Hausa oral tradition, turn performance into collective affirmation (Yankah, 1995, p. 134; Yahaya, 1978, p. 58).

Performance as Persuasion and Entertainment

Dan Maraya’s delivery—with his kòkò² (one-string lute), vocal emphasis, and pauses—intensifies the song’s hyperboles and contrasts. This dramatization aligns with Hausa performance aesthetics where music, gesture, and voice amplify rhetorical effect (Furniss, 1996, p. 34).

Performance-as-Communication

In Hausa society, the mawaƙi³ is not only an entertainer but also a moral communicator and social critic. Dan Maraya’s lament about teachers’ poverty resonates more powerfully in live settings, where audiences directly confront the irony between social respect and material neglect. Hausa poets often negotiate between praise and critique, balancing entertainment with moral commentary (Skinner, 1980, p. 102).

Cultural Resonance

By invoking Allah and the Prophet, the song situates knowledge (ilimi) within a divine framework, reminding audiences that education is both communal duty and spiritual obligation (Finnegan, 2012, p. 92; Yahaya, 1978, p. 49).

 Conclusion

Dan Maraya Jos’s Teacher Uban Karatu exemplifies the fusion of rhetorical artistry and oral performance in Hausa praise poetry. Through repetition, metaphor, hyperbole, apostrophe, and enumeration, the teacher is elevated as the indispensable foundation of all professions. Yet through contrast and lament, the song critiques the paradox of teachers’ high social value and low material reward. Hausa literary scholarship confirms that Dan Maraya employs strategies characteristic of waƙar yabo, transforming social observation into enduring art (Furniss, 1996, p. 45). Ultimately, the song stands as both artistic creativity and social commentary, affirming the teacher as a cultural hero whose relevance transcends time.

Appendix                        

Original audio, Copyright ℗ n.d., Ɗan Maraya Jos

N° ⌛	Hausa Transcription	English Translation
0001	Allah Karimu mai yi	God the Generous, the Provider,
0002	Sarkin da ba iri nai	The King without equal,
0003	Mai gumi da dari	The owner of hot and cold seasons
0004	Allah ka bamu sa’a albarkacin Ma’aiki	O Lord, grant us success, for the sake of the Prophet.
0005	Wannan kidin teacher ne	This melody belongs to the teacher,
0006	Wanan batun teacher ne	This theme is about the teacher.
0007	Teacher uban karatu	Teacher, father of learning,
0008	Wanda kaganshi du wajen nan	Whoever you see around here—
0009	Babba ne da yaaro	Old or young alike—
0010	Badan akwai teacher ba	Without the teacher,
0011	Shima ba zai iya ba	None could find their way.
0012	Wanda kaganshi du wajen nan	Whoever you see around here
0013	Babba ne da yaaro	Old or young alike-
0014	Albarkacin teacher ne	They all are blessed by teachers.
0015	Ba dan akwai teacher ba	Without teachers,
0016	Hakanan ba zai iya ba	None could stand on their own.
0017	Idan ka haifi dan ka	When you father a child,
0018	Ka kai shi gun karatu	And you send him to school,
0019	Teacher isanya dai	It is the teacher who shapes him,
0020	Teacher yasa yayanke farce	The teacher instructs him to cut his nails,
0021	Teacher yasa yayanka farce	The teacher instructs him to cut his nails,
0022	Sannan ya wanke riga	And washes his garment
0023	Ije aji ka gane	If the child attends the class,
0024	Yaro ya zan karatu	You see him grow in knowledge.
0025	Idan ko dan ka	And if your child
0026	Ya kwana biyu	Misses two days,
0027	Bai zo cikin aji ba	And does not come to class,
0028	Teacher ka gaane	The teacher will notice,
0029	Zai bi shi har gidan su	He will follow him home,
0030	Ya duuba lafiya tai	And check on his well-being.
0031	Ga su Doctor Bunza	See Doctor Bunza,
0032	To ai ga su Doctor Bunza	See them—Doctor Bunza!
0033	Bunza mai kashe ni	Bunza, who astonishes me.
0034	Idan ka haifi dan ka	When you father a child,
0035	Ka kaishi gun karatu	And you send him to learn,
0036	Inko ka kaishi gun karatu	When you send him to school,
0037	Yayi University	He attended university,
0038	Yaje Yemen da Raasha	He travelled to Yemen and Russia,
0039	Ya gangaro America	He detoured to America,
0040	Sannan ya sabka Raasha	And return back Russia,
0041	Ya gangaro ta London	And detoured through London,
0042	Sannan ya samu aiki	And then got a job
0043	Malan a kwan a tashi	As time elapsed
0044	Wani teacher ko baida keke	Yet some teachers, are even without a bicycle,
0045	To mi yasa hakannan	Why is it so?
0046	Na gaane ku teachochi	I have understood you, teachers,
0047	Aiki da duk kuke yi	The work you do,
0048	Ba dan kudi kuke ba	Is not for money.
0049	Taimakon kasa kuke yi	It is service to the nation,
0050	Domin ku raya yara	To raise the young,
0051	Sannan ku raya manya	And to shape the elders too.
0052	Ku raya yau da gobe	You nurture today and tomorrow—
0053	Injiniyan gidaje	The engineers who build houses,
0054	Masu kera hanya	The ones who construct the roads,
0055	Da masu zaane zaane	And architectures
0056	Ba dan akwai teacher ba	Without the teacher,
0057	Su ma ba sa iya ba	None of them would succeed.
0058	Aiki na duniyan nan	The labor of this world,
0059	Tsarin na duniyan nan	The order of this world,
0060	Mulki na duniyan nan !!!!!!	The governance of this world—
0061	Ba dan akwai teacher ba	Without the teacher,
0062	Kowa ba zai iya ba	None could manage it!

 

References

Bauman, R. (1986). Story, performance, and event: Contextual studies of oral narrative. Cambridge University Press.

Barber, K. (1997). Readings in African popular culture. James Currey.

Finnegan, R. (2012). Oral literature in Africa. Open Book Publishers.

Furniss, G. (1996). Poetry, prose and popular culture in Hausa. Edinburgh University Press.

Skinner, N. (1980). An anthology of Hausa literature. Northern Nigeria Publishing Company.

Yahaya, I. Y. (1978). Waƙoƙin baka. Oxford University Press.

Yankah, K. (1995). Speaking for the chief: Okyeame and the politics of Akan royal oratory. Indiana University Press.

Footnotes

1. Ilimi (Hausa): knowledge, learning, education; often with both religious and secular connotations.
2. Kòkò (Hausa): a traditional one-string lute used by griots and praise singers in northern Nigeria.
3. Mawaƙi (Hausa): a singer-poet, often functioning as both entertainer and social commentator.
4. Mawaƙa (plural of mawaƙi).