Why Sani Danja is ‘King of the North’

Sani Musa Abdullahi, otherwise known as Sani Danja, over the years, has become a household name when matters about Kannywood and music are discussed in Northern Nigeria. Reputable for his unique costumes and Indian-style song-and-dance routines. The ‘Danja’ in his name has been with him since childhood because he was said to be stubborn and persistent.

He is an actor, director and singer. Born on April 20, 1973 in Fagge, Kano, Nigeria. Sani Musa Danja, is unarguably the most recognisable face in the Northern movie industry known as Kannywood. The all round entertainer, according to reports from that part of the country, is probably the richest celebrity to come out of the North.

Sani Danja has also established his position as the most flamboyant actor in the Northern part of Nigeria’s movie industry with several endorsements deals while also commanding six-figure sums in his singing engagements.

Also a fashion model, he has some top notch endorsement deals worth millions of naira, particularly telecommunication companies.

Sani Danja is also a producer and director, and has acted, produced and directed over 600 Hausa films which include ‘Manakisa’, ‘Kwarya tabi Kwarya’, ‘Jaheed’, ‘Nagari’, ‘Wasiyya’, ‘Harsashi’, ‘Gidauniya’, ‘Daham’, ‘Jarida’, ‘Matashiya’,  and a host of others.

His musical career has also taken him to many countries. Sani Danja directed the award winning United State Agency International Development, USAID, funded film, ‘The Anrkening’, a film on HIV/AIDs prevention and control, supported by Family Health International.

Sani is often referred to as the ‘King of Kannywood’ and is on the list of entertainers for the Presidency, having performed at various national events, with the First family reported to always call for him whenever they have an event.

The multiple award winner is one of the few Hausa actors who have been able to cross-over and act in main-stream Nollywood where he has shared the screens along side Pete Edochie, Yul Edochie, Ebere Okaro, Eve Esin, Patience Ozokwor, Ernest Obi and others in flicks like ‘The Sneak Man’, ‘When Love Dies’, ‘Lust’, and ‘Daughters of the River’.

Biography

He attended Yan Sanda special primary school from 1979-1980, before he proceed to Kano Capital Primary School for the completion of his primary education in the year 1980-1985. He then proceeded to Government Junior secondary school, Kawaji for his junior secondary education in the year 1985-1989, before he going to Rumfa College for his senior secondary education from 1989-1991. He eventually furthered to FCE Kano where he successfully barged an NCE certificate. He also secured admission for his Advanced Diploma in Public Administration at FCE Kano. Sani Danja was born into a family of seven (five boys and two girls) and lost his father, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi in his late teenage years before his mother Hajiya Risikat died in 1997.

He was an outstanding member of the ‘Young Kiddies Voice’, a musical children’s group that dazzled during the late eighties. He was eventually co-singers with ‘YKV’ who started singing as choirs, which was what led to the break-up of the group. Sani Danja would continue his music career as a solo artiste, the first step that brought him to limelight and was responsible for producing one of the best selling Hausa songs in the early nineties ‘Yaki-taho-yaki’. He ventured into the Hausa movie industry in 1999 with his debut movie ‘Students’ (Dalibai), a film he produced and directed alongside his business partner, Yakubu Muhammad. After the success of ‘Students’ (Dalibai), came another hit movie ‘Adon kishiya’ in the year 2000 and ‘Kwarya tabi Kwarya’, a movie he acted alongside Jamila Haruna in the same year (2000). In the same year, Sani Danja acted alongside Tahir Fagge and Kasimu Yaro in the blockbuster movie ‘Wasiyya’ and its success furnished Sani Danja with a rising sense of popularity and accomplishment. This particularly geared him to be casted in ‘Nagari’, a Sarauniya Films blockbuster, in which he acted a competitive role alongside a co-star, Ali Nuhu. Sani Danja is regarded as the most sought after face in the Hausa movie industry.

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