Apart from being the oldest in Kano State, Kasuwar Kurmi, as it is popularly called is unarguably one of the oldest markets in the West African sub region. According to the historical accounts by the natives, the market, which sits in the heart of Kano city (Kano Municipal Local Government area)was established some 600 years ago purposely for the trade in slaves. During the period of the boom in human trade, many shops were set up in the market to keep slaves while awaiting buyers. Ironically, today, Kasuwar Kurmi appears to be the sanctuary for Kano cultural heritages. It is what could be described as the repository of the state’s artifacts.
Unlike Kantin-Kwari where textile materials that are made by machines and imported from the Arabian countries, China, Europe and America are sold, Kasuwar Kurmi products are entirely hand-made with traditional and historical attachments.
Many of the traditional wares sellers who spoke to our correspondent at Kasuwar Kurmi, said they have become attached to the items, so much that they could no longer be detached from selling them, even though they are no longer in vogue. Interestingly, it was not because of the dollars and pounds Sterling that roll in for them anytime the Americans or Britons visit the market to collect artifact, but the desire to preserve the cultural heritage of their forefathers and the State.
Mallam Abdul Yassar Salisu is one of the shop owners in Kasuwar Kurmi .He told our correspondent that he has been doing the artifact business at Kurmi market for over 30 years. “I started as a leather worker. We were doing it at home then. But as I soon saw the need to expand my business, I relocated to Kurmi market which is mostly known for traditional handcraft. Here, my business has become bigger because Europeans are patronizing us here. People come from Europe, America and other countries like China. Whenever they come they are so excited by our hand-works, so they always encourage us by buying them. Because of the gain I have made from the patronage by these people ,I stopped doing the handcrafts myself. I now buy from my friends who make them for me. Before now I was doing only leather work, but now I deal in other things like the Royal clothes, and local clothes like the Fulani dress. I also deal in Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa and other ethnic cultural wears. At times the schools do request for these cultural dresses. The school owners do come to this market, for they know we have dresses peculiar to every ethnic group or tribes that we have in Nigeria. We also sell shoes and other traditional materials.
“This Kasuwar Kurmi is a very historical market. This market has been in existence for over 600 years. Go and check with the documents of the State Cultural Bureau, you will find the information about this market there. They were selling slaves in this market 600 years ago. There were shops here where the slaves were kept for whoever wanted to buy them. Nobody sells all these Chinese products in this market, we sell only artifacts. Kurmi is a market for African handcraft. If you go to Kwari or any other markets in Kano, you can never find these things in them ,except you come to Kasuwar Kurmi because it is a very historical market.”
He argued that the objective of the artifact market is to preserve the cultural heritage of Kano state. “But we still bring in different types of artifacts from Niger, Chad, Cameroun and many other African countries. Even from Benin Republic, they bring to us grass baskets, caps, wood works and many of their handcrafts.
People like these things very well. When guests come to Nigeria, they always visit Kano and they must come to Kurmi market. Sometimes they wish to know how we are faring in our handcraft businesses. They buy our artifacts in dollars or pounds sterling. If they are here in Kano, they must come to this market. Look at these women shoes, they are from Pakistan. You can see they are hand-work shoes. No machine was used to make any part of the shoes.
We are gaining a lot from this handcrafts work because our kind of hand work is very rare to find anywhere. It depends on experience. We can be doing the same thing, yet my work will be different from yours. When you bring it to the market they can easily differentiate the work of a learner from that of a very experienced person, and that is what determines the price.
We sell traditional bags, shoes, Matashi (leather puff). They buy this leather work a lot, because it is being exported mostly to Europe and America. The Europeans are always coming here, not for any luxury item, but purely for business. They come with dollars to this market and make purchases in containers and export to America or Europe, in the name of a programme called AGOA. Under this programme the Americans would take our goods free to US and give us a place to display them. We will sell them without any charges on transportation and other charges. They are doing this to develop the business for us. But they love the leather puff more, because they see it as more traditional. The Europeans do not like any material that is made with machines, they prefer the ones that are one hundred percent done by hand.”
Another seller at the market, Dalhatu Abubakar Idris said the reason they continue to sell the traditional items even though they are old fashioned, is because they are still in use. “These traditional items are not considered as useless. I sell Coral beads, Dilare beads. Each of them is still being used even by Arabians and Westerners. There is what we call Bakin Tsutsa that they also buy and use. We also have items that are mostly used by the Fulani’s. People come from within the state, and other places to patronize us. Most of our buyers are not from Kano. We have, for instance, a necklace that is usually bought by people during the Maulud festival. They put pictures of their Islamic role models in them. It is a very gainful business and we give thanks to God. Some of the other items I sell are: Kyelkyela, it is a Fulani bag, then Jigida which are waist beads mainly for feminine adornments. Coral beads, the big red Corals are usually very expensive. I also have Dilare beads and Haras which are Arabian. We have the dummy of Coral beads that we call Masaga and we have Clay necklaces made white or black from Burkina Faso. Some of them are at Dala in Kano. We bring the Gashi beads form Ghana. Our Fulani wares are made locally by our people.These are baskets that have been covered with fine animal skin. We have Kaure and rubber Corals that we sell because most people cannot afford the original ones and they are used for fashion. We also sell African beads that we call Coka and Amber beads. We bring fashion necklaces from Abuja to be sold for 15,000, and this is usually for brides during their weddings. We also sell what we call Makawuya. It was used in the days of old by women who had gone for Hajj to symbolize their participation. Anyone who did not perform the holy pilgrimage was not allowed to wear it. But now it is so common that anybody can buy it and wear. Aspiring brides often come here to buy necklaces and even Fulani wears to be used during their weddings. Bakin Tsutsa was sold at N1,000 before, but it has now dropped to N200. Dilare is sold at the price of N50,000. If it were the old Dilare, it could have been up to N1,000,000. Makawuya is sold at N500. We sell the Clay beads that are made in Kano for N1,000 per bead, but the ones that are made outside the state are sold at N300. Amber beads are sold at N7,000 and N5,000. Then the London beads that are sold in place of the real Corals are sold at N10,000, but the original ones usually cost up to N200,000.”
For Usman Idris who sells dishes and silver wares, spoons buckets that are made from silver, he said. “We don’t sell rubber wares here. I grew up to learn this work, that is why I am still in the field. People come from within the country and beyond like Cameroon, Chad, Niger, among others to buy from us. Our wares are mostly bought by people form Niger and Chad, because they have become mostly old fashioned here in Nigeria. Nigerians buy them during traditional ceremonies in which they put cultural materials, and give them out as gifts, or use them to put their meats during occasions. Some of the things here are up to 60 years old, because they are no new models available. We have the cheap ones and the expensive ones. I sell some for as little as N2,000 and others for as much as N50,000. They are of different qualities. It is very profitable, but you know it all depends on the buyer. You can make N100 percent profit out of a dish, and yet you can even make more or less than that.”
The Chairman of youths, Kurmi market, Usman Emesi said he grew up around the market. “I have been doing this business for 25 years. The market is rich in history. Even foreigners come to buy things here. People fly all the way to Kasuwar Kurmi from different parts of the world just to buy traditional calabashes, skin bags and other leather works.”
Mallam Usman Muhammad, is the chairman of Kurmi market. He is into hand-made cushions and bags for women. “I have been making these for 45 years now. I started it at home but I relocated to the market about 35 years ago. During that time, we had much more customers than we do now, because the things we sell now were in vogue then. I have remained in the trade because it is the only trade I believe where I can do better. It has fed me and it has clothed me. I have left this business for so many others, but then I discovered that this is the one that suits me. We have tried as much as we can to meet up with the changes in generation and fashion, without dampening our cultural values. This market exists to preserve the cultural heritage of Kano State, and to teach the children about our tradition.
Dan Asabe Shu’aibu sells traditional wares in Kurmi market. He said he does so because it is what he knows how to do best. “I grew up to know this trade. I know the thrill of it and its importance. Culture and tradition are things that are cherished all over the world, and anyone would be proud to showcase his or her cultural wares. From what we were told, this market should be over 600 years old, because slaves were being traded here at some point in history. I have been selling traditional wares here for 25 years, but I only started making them myself six years ago.”
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