Yar'uwa Maryama Yaya Jaririn Yaro

"Yar'uwa Maryama Yaya Jaririn Yaro" (Sister Mary, How Is Your Little Boy?) is a tender Hausa Christmas carol that brings the Nativity story to life through a series of gentle, conversational questions. Composed by Laz Ekwueme, the piece invites the choir to step directly into the stable at Bethlehem. Verse by verse, the singers ask Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the guardian angels about the newborn King resting quietly in His manger.

The music carries a warm, lullaby-like quality, capturing the awe and quiet joy of Christmas night. Each stanza shifts focus to a different figure in the Holy Family's story, from Joseph providing milk and bread to the shepherds bringing sheep's wool for warmth. For choirs preparing for Christmas concerts or midnight Mass, this carol offers a deeply human and touching reflection on the birth of Christ, drawing the congregation into the intimate miracle of the manger.