Sann'goaru

މަޑި ހަމާއި ބަކަރި ހަމޭ

ދަތް ދޭތެރެ ތާށިވީ                         

ކަހަނބު ފަތާއި އުރަހަ ޔަރުމި

ދޮން ހަމާއި ގުޅިލާމެހި        

  

Goat skin and sting-ray skin were wedged in his teeth. Turtle shell and shark fin sunken in the flesh of his palms.

  

  ޒީލަބުން ދަރުބާއި ހަމަޔަށް ޖަހާލި އެކޮޔާ

  ރަހަދިރޭ ތިމަރަ ތެލާ ރަންރިހީގެ ލަކުޑިގަނޑެއް

 ކެނޑި ނަގާލީ ބެރެކޭބޮޑު ވަޖިދު ވަހުގެ މަލެކޭ ފަހެ

  ފުނަޖަހާލި ބަބުރަށް އަރުވަން ހިފާލި ހަވަޔަށް

  

His drumming sounds reached into the expanses of the milky way. He made a boduberu of coconut wood, mercury, lead, oil, gold and silver. It was a musical flower whose smell induced a powerful trance. 

   

ފެރިދޫ ދޮށަށްގޮނޑު ޅިލަ  

ގަތާލި ކަޓަކުމާމަ ކިރަށް

ސޯފާ ނަކީބުރު ރަށުން

ތާނަ ބިމަށް ހޭވައްލާ

  

His loins spread onto the beaches of Alif Alif Feridhoo. 

He took two wives, the barren Kataku Maama and an unknown fertile Maldivian. A native of Burkina Faso now became an adopted son of Maldives.

  

ރަށްގުޑާ ގުޑުގުޑާ

ކަޔާ އަދުދު އަދުދު ކަޔާ

ދީރަމަން ދަންބެރަށް

ނާބަ ޖަހަން ގިރި ފަރަށް

  

His drumming style, rahh’guddaa, literally shook the island. The words of his native land blended into Dhivehi. He played on the reefs from dusk till dawn.

   

ހަބަރު ޒާނިކުމުން އަރަގު

އަރޮޅި ކޯޅިގަނދަ ބިލަތާއި

ރާފޫކާއި ހުދު ހުންޏާއި

ބުރަކި ރަނިން ބުރުގަ މަހާއި

    

Each night, to keep his palms strong, he applied a mixed paste of Barbados aloe, benzoin, nut-gall, sweet basil, betel leaf, camphor, limestone and pieces of dead flesh from the corpse of Buraki Raninn – the Queen known for her healing prowess.

     

ޒޫންގުރާ ނިގޯންގޯ

ކަޗުމިއްޔާ ވަޗުވާރޭ

ނަކުޕެންޑާ މަލައިކާ

މްލިޕޫކޯ އެންގޯމާ 

                                          

These are some of the words sung in baburu (negro) songs and some words and phrases I borrowed from Swahili.

  

ބަބުރާއި އޮޑިގާ ތިންބެރާއި

ނަލަޔާއި ހަބުޝީ ދަންމަރު

ލެއްގި ބަބުރު އެކަނި ބަބުރު

މަރުޖާނާއި ލާލާ

     

Though he introduced the baburu style of drumming and songs, he was also skilled in other traditional drumming styles. His drumming drew the infamous Leggi Baburu and Ekani Baburu to these shores. The African slaves, Marujaanu and Laalu, whom he parted ways with in Malé, could hear him all the way from the islands they now inhabited.

  

ކުޑަފަރިން މާފަރަށް  

ދޫފެރިއިން މާޅޮހަށް

ބަބުރު ކަރައިން މާލެއަށް

ދޮންވެލިން އެޅި ގަލަށް

  

Those sounds came from Africa to Malé and then went to Alif Alif Feridhoo. From Feridhoo, they went to Alif Alif Maalhos, Noonu Kudafari and Noonu Maafaru. 

These sounds are preserved in the golden white sand of our beaches. They even resonate from the grey cement blocks of our buildings. 

    

ސަންގޯރުގެ ތިލައަތް ކުރަލައި ފޮޅުލާ  

 ހަމާ ހަމާއި ޖެހުމާއެކު ތޮއި ބުން

ލަވަފޮށްޓެއްނެތި ބެރު އަޑުފަށްގަނޑު

ފުއްޓަރު ބޭރުން ގަދަ ކަނޑު އަޑިއަށް

     

When the skin of the boduberu touched the skin of his palms, filled with calluses and corns, the emerging sound travelled to the abysses of the ocean, forever swimming in our collective musical consciousness.

This poem is my tribute to Sann’goaru, allegedly a native of Burkina Faso that settled in Alif Alif Feridhoo. He is said to be the person who introduced the baburu style of drumming / songs to boduberu.  

I am privileged to have met one of his descendants named Shakeel to learn more about him. Shakeel also told me that the drumming style of Sann’goaru was also called rahh’gudaa. Rahh’gudaa means shaking of the island and this term was given due to the sheer intensity and volume of Sann’goaru’s drumming.

This is one of the songs of Baburu Seenu.