Mama Pidgin sunday Uncommon Person For Today Is Dan Maraya of Jos(MON)

Today Mama Pidgin is doing something very special by choosing  our sunday uncommon person for today to be the multitalented electrifying and very prominent nothern muscician Dan Maraya Of Jos. Dan Maraya is one of the most successful musician in Nigeria and Africa as a whole Few people really know much about the Life affairs of this great man called Dan Mariya of Jos for most of my young readers i am sure they never hear the name before... however, for some of my old readers the name Dan Maraya go dey ring bell somehow. Mamapidgin go tell you some very uncommon information about this living Nigerian musical legend, sit back relax and enjoy.


Dan Maraya is a very worthy musician that have promoted Nigerian Music all over the world and have represented Nigeria in alot of countries.

1. Dan Maraya was Born in 1946 in Bukuru, Jos,  Plateau state Nigeria. His real Name na Adamu Maya.

2. He got his name Dan Maraya After he lost his Parents at a very tender age. Dan Maraya in Hausa Means The little Orphan.

3. After the death of his parent the emir of Buruku took over his up-keep but not so long the emir also passed away, Dan Maraya was Left to fend for himself.

4. Dan Maraya showed an early interest in music and came under the influence of local professional musicians. During a trip to Maiduguri , in Borno State ," while he was still a preteen, he was impressed by musicians there and made a kuntigi, with which he has accompanied himself ever since.He start to dey play music.

5. A kutigi is a small, single-stringed lute. The body is usually a large, oval-shaped sardine can, covered with goatskin.

6.Dan Maraya of Jos employed music as a tool of communication,  during the Nigerian Civil War he composed numerous songs in praise of soldiers of the federal government of Nigeria and incorporated vivid accounts of scenes from the war in his songs.

7.Waxing stronger on the traditional music scene, Dan Maraya acquired the "reputation of a custodian of Hausa culture and tradition. In spite of modern technology, he preferred the use of local violin to a more sophisticated instrument and also refused to expand his one-man band.

8. His style of Music don earn him both national and international acceptance. Dan Maraya don represent Nigeria  both local and international festivals like FESTAC '77. Commonwealth Games and the 1978 Horonzonte International Festival in Berlin , among others.

9. He don perform for kings, queens, emirs, presidents and many other great people, he performed in 2002 for president Bill Clinton of America during his tenure as the president of United state of America when he visited Nigeria. He performed for President Mohammed Omar of Niger Republic.

10. Dan 'Maraya na the first African musician to perform live on BBC. Dan Maraya has also performed in several countries like Unites States, Jamaica, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, " Venezuela, The Netherlands, and prominent European cities like; Geneva, Bonn, Frankfurt and most African countries and cities

11. In a recent interview Dan Maraya talked about his style of music "My songs are messages. They are sort of preaching, like the song I titled “Wa ya san gobe banda Allah,” meaning “Nobody knows tomorrow but God.”

12. He has produced More than 1000tracks and several albums

13.He his undoubtedly one of the great musician that have come out of Nigeria and africa at large. He has won several international and national award among which are Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and the United Nations Medal of Recognition in 1982 and 1984 respectively. He also won Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) award in 1990 and was recently conferred with a PhD honoris causa degree (honorary doctorate degree in Law) by the University of Jos . He is also the recipient of the United Nations Peace Award.