Abdul-Rasheed Na'Allah's Ilorin is a unique collection of praise poems in English, Yoruba, and Hausa passionately celebrating and illuminating the city of Ilorin's wealth of culture, history, Islamic heritage, and individual achievements. It is a work that is solid in content, form, and techniques. There are many quotable lines, a measure of poetic strength. I cannot forget the line about the child hearing Koranic recitation from the mother's womb. Also, the moral authority combined with oratory in a wise one who can be heard by a dumb ruler! In addition to the rich Islamic heritage and the success of Ilorin individuals in the areas of justice and bravery, the poet praises the city's delicious trademarked foods such as Warankasi, Tuworesi, and Gbegiri. Among the best executed poems are Onikepe Aduke Opo and Why the Sun Has Not Diminished in Light. Na'Allah has handled the praise poetry form dexterously, and that means at times even a critical appraisal of an item of praise. The reader comes out with a feeling of satisfaction for the poetic effulgence and knowing Ilorin better in its multiple areas of distinction and especially for its multicultural, Islamic, and tolerant character from an Ilorin-born and raised fine poet. - Tanure Ojaide, poet and scholar, Frank Porter Graham, Professor of Africana Studies, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA.

Abdul-Rasheed Na'Allah's Ilorin ó is a unique collection of praise poems in English, Yoruba, and Hausa passionately celebrating and illuminating the city of Ilorin's wealth of culture, history, Islamic heritage, and individual achievements. It is a work that is solid in content, form, and techniques. There are many quotable lines, a measure of poetic strength. I cannot forget the line about the child hearing Koranic recitation from the mother's womb. Also, the moral authority combined with oratory in a wise one who can be heard by a dumb ruler! In addition to the rich Islamic heritage and the success of Ilorin individuals in the areas of justice and bravery, the poet praises the city's delicious trademarked foods such as “Warankasi,” “Tuworesi,” and “Gbegiri.” Among the best executed poems are “Onikepe Aduke Opo” and “Why the Sun Has Not Diminished in Light.” Na'Allah has handled the praise poetry form dexterously, and that means “at times even a critical appraisal of an item of praise.” The reader comes out with a feeling of satisfaction for the poetic effulgence and knowing Ilorin better in its multiple areas of distinction and especially for its multicultural, Islamic, and tolerant character from an Ilorin-born and raised fine poet. - Tanure Ojaide, poet and scholar, Frank Porter Graham, Professor of Africana Studies, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA.

Annotation. A guide to the scholarly and literary production of Muslim writers of West Africa, other than Nigeria, including both biographies of scholars and lists of their writings.

This book traces Dàdàkúàdá’s history and artistic vision and discusses its vibrancy as the most popular traditional Yoruba oral art form in Islamic Africa. Foregrounding the role of Dàdàkúàdá in Ilorin, and of Ilorin in Dàdàkúàdá the book covers the history, cultural identity, performance techniques, language, social life and relationship with Islam of the oral genre. The author examines Dàdàkúàdá’s relationship with Islam and discusses how the Dàdàkúàdá singers, through their songs and performances, are able to accommodate Islam in ways that have ensured their continued survival as a traditional African genre in a predominantly Muslim community. This book will be of interest to scholars of traditional African culture, African art history, performance studies and Islam in Africa.

This book discusses globalization trends and influences on traditional African oral literary performance and the direction that Ilorin oral art is forced to take by the changes of the twenty-first century electronic age. It seeks a new definition of contemporary African bourgeois in terms of its global reach, imitation of foreign forms and collaboration with the owners of the primary agencies. Additionally, it makes a case that African global lords or new bourgeoisie who are largely products of the new global capital and multinational corporations’ socio-political and cultural influences fashion their tastes after western cultures as portrayed in the digital realm.