The Learner

Muhsin Ibrahim muhsin2008@gmail.com University of Cologne   The article was written for, and published by, the BBC Hausa service. Here is a link to a slightly different Hausa version published on their webpage:  Fina-finan Kannywood mafiya shahara a shekarar 2020. The year 2020 is unlike any other in recent history. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world. We now have lockdown in countries; we also have to keep social distancing, wear a facemask, among other protocols. The virus batters the entertainment industries from Los Angeles to Lagos, Mumbai to Mombasa, Cairo to Kano, forcing several cinemas to shut down. Thus, shooting and showing films had to stop. Nevertheless, that boosts TV and video on demand (VoD) content and opens a gate for new ‘genres’ of YouTube series and serials. In northern Nigeria, these include Kwana Casa’in , Gidan Badamasi , Labarina , Izzar So , A Duniya , Na Ladidi , among many others. Kannywood began the year auspiciously with a box-office hit, M

  On the Final Episode of Kwana Casa’in (Season 4)   Filmmakers famously announce that “it’s a wrap” after the last camera roll on the final shooting day. It gives them, and of course, the entire actors and actresses present, an immense sense of relief. Naturally, humans want to rest and become excited when they reach the point of getting it. But, that’s the point when the post-production team and subsequently the audience begin their work – of reading the work in their way. The “wrap” always leaves many holes unfilled. Although Kwana Casa’in is, unarguably, the most expensive and expansive Hausa drama yet, the final episode of season four, aired yesterday (27.12.2020), leaves much to be desired. Hence, I felt the need to quickly write this brief ‘review’ in addition to the one I wrote in July 2019.  So much has happened between then (season one) and now (season four). But, there is no need to narrate the story as I believe most of my readers follow the series.   I start with