HAUSA ANCIENT TRADITION "TASHE"

Tashe in Hausa Land is an ancient Hausa tradition which is associated with its religious traditions.  These kinds of traditions are the ones who originated from the influence of the Islamic religion on the daily life of the Hausa people after the Islamic religion came to the Hausa land through the Arabs and wangara people especially those who came to the Hausa land as Marchant and clerics around the Fourteenth century.

As the word TASHE means to wake up, the origin of this game performed by boys and girls during the month of fasting is to wake up the sleepers to wake up and have suhoor.  Which was later introduced every time the month of fasting reached ten days instead of just waking up the people during sahoor.  That is, as soon as ten is finished, you will see in the evening, even in the morning or at night, after eating and the Asham prayer is offered Young people both male and female start entertaining people with their TASHE dramas in separate way male has their own and vice versa.  Also, there's another important things when ever TASHE drama is performed by young people because it's organised  to enlighten and entertain the devotees who endure the hungry and thirsty during Ramadan and  need rest and entertainment after Asham.

One of the main purposes of Tashe is how it teaches many lessons in every aspect of life.  So that the presenters of the drama often try to imitate a good or bad behavior that others do in the community that they want to correct because of its badness or to sustain because of its beauty for the development of the community.  Therefore, it can be said that Tashe is a school that teaches Hausa people an education and culture.

In addition the TASHE drama  is a way of giving lessons to the leaders,head of families and the teachers on the way or how they should do to lead the society they are leading.

Those presenters often dress up and talk like anyone they want to imitate in order to get their message across to the world.  Also, the presenters of Tashe go from house to house or markets and other places where people gather to perform the Tashe, and present the Tashe songs in one place and they also mix music and dance.  While those who watch or listen to the Dramatic show give them gifts of money or grain or any luxury.

How to present the  Tashe called "SAKAR NI IN CIWO DAWO"

The Drama  of SAKAR NI IN CIWO DAWO  is a game played by young men, where they will choose one of them, he will be stripped of his shirt, his body will be decorated with white cloth and his face will be decorated with blue color.  Then a long rope was found and tied around his waist, and someone held the rope behind him.  The other boys followed him and the one who was tied to the rope was in front and they went from house to house.  As soon as they entered, he tried to jump up, wanting to run and enter the room in the house they entered, saying;

"Leave me to take DAWO (a Hausa traditional food)."  As for the one who is holding the rope, he insists on pulling him back and the other children answer him by saying, "is the room of your house?"  He will keep doing it the same way and the one who is holding him is going back and forth with him.

Lesson

The lesson that this game teaches children is that a child will know that touching things that do not belong to him is a big crime in Hausa society.  In this way, it is shown to children that even if it is your family's house or someone close to you, it is not good to take something even if that things doesn't have any important like DAWO because before this time DAWO is common in all Hausa houses so even if the things saw is as less than dawo you should not take it by yourself without the permission of the owners of the house.

THE DECLINE OF TASHE  IN HAUSA LAND

Unfortunately this ancient Hausa traditions is facing many challenges nowadays due to the insecurity issues in some Hausa society many Authorities use to deny people from performing it because there's bad eggs who use the opportunity of Tashe to do something bad in society, another challenges facing TASHE is the lack of passion or interest from the Hausa children they prepare to play some foreign traditions instead of keeping their ancestors traditions 

Source: Rabee'u Garba Ruwan Godia