Olanrewaju Lawal, in Birnin Kebbi, describes the excitement one feels at watching Tauri dancers entertain their audience with knives and cutlasses
They are the descendants of the historical Argungu warriors, who fought and conquered territories and kingdoms in the time past. They do not fear the edges of cutlasses, knives or anything sharpened by iron as their bodies can never be penetrated by iron particles.
According to history, long before the invasion of the Jihadists led by Usman Dan fodio, all the reputed warriors in the old Kabi Kingdom, had secured a local medicine known as “Magani” which ensured that they were protected from knife or cutlass cuts during war.
The supernatural power could make them resist swords, arrows and any other irons thrown against them at war fronts. Their unique power, the story continued, enabled the foot soldiers of the defunct ‘Kabi kingdom to run down their targets in no time’.
But this is no longer a time of wars and raids as was the case in the past and the descendants of those warriors, armed with the secrets of their fathers’ strength and skill, have since reinvented the skill in other endeavours, choosing the art of dancing as a platform to retell their bravery as well as earn a living.
That is the story of the dance troupe known as the Tauri dancers, who are descendants of the warriors from Gulma,Tiggi, Zazzagawa all in Argungu emirate.
With big drums, called ‘Duma’, knives, cutlasses and red attires; they dance and entertain various audiences including presidents, Governors and other dignitaries at festivals and events in the state and beyond.
A leader of the dance troupe, Haruna Mai-Duma spoke to Daily Sun correspondent in Kebbi, said he had been with the Tauri dancers group for the past 42 years, explaining that their members were carefully selected from the families and compounds of well-known warriors from villages within Argungu Emirate.
Mai-Duma said: “We formed this dance group with selected individuals who have inherited the super-natural powers of their ancestors- this power would not allow any dangerous weapons made of iron to penetrate or enter our body. It could be swords, arrows, cutlasses or knives.
“Our members are from well-known compounds of past warriors of Argungu Emirate. They are from different families from villages like Tiggi, Zazzagawa, Gulma who must have possessed the power from their ancestors, great-grandfathers.
“We all know that in Africa, our ancestors usually passed down inheritance such as land, farms, houses including supernatural powers to the next generation. We inherited this power from our ancestors.”
Explaining his association with the dance group, he said: “Like me, I have been in this dance group for the past 42 to 43 years. I am from Gulma town in Argungu Emirate. This is our job now, a source of our daily bread. It is the job that we have used to take care of our children and our families.
“We have been entertaining different people in Nigeria and nearby countries like Niger Republic and Benin Republic respectively. We have entertained audiences in Sokoto, Niger and other states in Nigeria. We have been to many national festivals and events across Nigeria.”
On the risk involved in such a tailspin adventure, Mai-Duma, who is a drummer for the group, insisted that they had never recorded any casualty among his group members, disclosing that the few casualties ever recorded were outsiders, who had thought they possessed the supernatural powers but in reality, did not have it.
“They tried to emulate us but their powers failed them in the process,” he regretted.
“Only those people who were not properly fortified by their ancestors suffer cuts in public when they are displayed with knives and cutlasses. And they are not part of us, Tauri group of Argungu. We in the Tauri group, God Almighty is our strength.”
Recounting their blessings, Mai- Duma said that their group members had been gifted six different cars by different Kebbi State Governors while adding that many of them had gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj on account of their membership of the dance group.
He said: “All of us in this group have performed Hajj. We are meeting our daily needs. We have wives, and children and many of us have given out our daughters in marriages. We have built houses, and our blessings are still continuing insha Allah. This is real African culture, our tradition, and we too will pass it to our children for continuity.”.
An indigene of Gulma town, Muhammad Jamilu Gulma reaffirmed Mai-Duma’s claims, telling Daily Sun that, indeed, they inherited their supernatural powers from their fathers and great-grandfathers while accompanying them to farm or the bush on hunting.
“As you know, in this part of the country, many of us are farmers and hunters at the same time. So, anytime we follow our fathers to farm or hunt, they usually show us certain types of leaves and barks of trees used for local medicines, including the one that could enable us to resist the penetration of irons into our bodies,” he explained.
“During the wars in those days, we had some warriors who specialized in different strategies of war. Some possessed the power to turn rivers to blood, some could turn road paths to thick forests to prevent the enemies from gaining entrance into the city. Those warriors who were foot soldiers possessed the medicine that would not allow arrows, swords, and cutlasses to cut them. These Tauri dancers are the descendants of those warriors.”
“Some of the medicines could be swallowed like garri- powder or used in bath water or rubbed on the body like an ointment,” he further explained.
“This did not turn the dancers to pagan or unbelievers. We are Muslims and we are praying our prayers every day, observing all the principles of Islam.
“As you know, many of these Tauri dancers have gone to Saudi Arabia to perform their Hajj. So, this is our culture, this is our tradition and we are proud of it as people of Argungu Emirate of Kebbi State,”
While speaking about culture recently, Kebbi state Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, represented by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed Birnin Kebbi, said his administration has placed a premium on the development of culture for social cohesion, unity and economic growth.
He spoke at the first Unity Cultural Festival, organized by the Ministry of Information and Culture, held at Birnin Kebbi stadium where different tribes were invited to display their cultures and traditions.
“The incumbent government of Comrade Nasir Idris is a people-oriented administration, it shall continue to employ cultural diversity for unity and peaceful coexistence,” Yakubu emphasized.
LAWAL wrote the report originally for The Sun
