Tamim Yahuza Abdullahi popularly known as (TY) Shaba, in a conversation with Kannywood actress Hadiza Gabon on her show titled “Gabon’s Room Talk Show” revealed many things related to his life in the film industry and his journey to becoming a musician, who said that he has now stopped singing because he felt that God was not here to provide for him.
The actor who has been in the Kannywood industry for a long time as an actor, singer, film producer and promoter, revealed his background, saying that he was born in Kano, this name of T Y that most people know him by originated from his childhood, I woke up in our house and found my brother using the name D Y which means Dauda Yahuza, that is why I shortened my name to be similar to how my brother was called because this style of singing at that time impressed me, Tamim said.
Answering a question on how he got Shaba in his name, the actor explained that I got the name Shaba when I was studying at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi. At that time, there was a singer called Shaba Ranks. Since I was very interested in his songs, I started learning from his singing style. At one point, the school organised a gathering, and I went on stage and sang his songs with great skill.
After I came out, a classmate of mine called me by this name, SHABa, among people. From then on, everyone who didn’t know my name called me Shaba. As for the music industry, even when I entered the Kannywood industry, I was a singer because I had been singing for a long time, although singing didn’t receive me as well as movies.
He added, ” Every time I call myself someone who doesn’t seem to have the talent to sing, that’s why I’ve decided to pack my bags and go back to making movies instead of singing.” Shaba also revealed some things hurting the Kannywood industry, including the authorities’ lack of support and education among actors, writers, and Hausa filmmakers.
In the Nollywood industry in Southern Nigeria, bigwigs, chiefs, authorities, and governments are doing their best to see the industry develop through various means, including equipment, filming, education, marketing, and other support that the industry needs. Sometimes, they are even taken to European countries to learn and market their products to major film distributors worldwide, which earns them big money.
T Y continued that when it comes to the Kannywood industry, this is not the case, because in this region, a filmmaker has to look for a house or a company to produce his film. He fails, which will make him go and rent a hotel or some other house to carry out his work, which he said is how you see films that are similar to each other, because almost everything is done in the same place due to a lack of space.
We in northern Nigeria are still not considered those who can bring development or create jobs for the youth. That is why we are not given all the help; in their opinion, there is nothing we can bring to development. For example, the wealthiest person in Africa is a northerner and a Buhari, but if a film is now wanted to be made in which a big man like Dangote is to be played, that is not necessarily the case.
Because there will not be enough big houses or big cars to be used in the film even though there are many, so I call on our big money makers, our rulers, our kings and our governments to try to help this Kannywood industry where films are produced in the Hausa language in every aspect, this will make us compete with our local and foreign counterparts, said TY Shaba.
Finally, he urged the youth to be obedient, patient, and determined to see their dreams come true. He said that hardship must be overcome, and whoever they saw in the Kannywood industry, no one came as a rich person; everyone started as a poor person before becoming what they are, so if you are patient, everything will come and go without any problems.
