| Abstract: |
The sustenance of moral values in every society across the globe, is fundamentally achieved not only through the dictate of the religious practised in such society, but also through the efforts and reinforcement offered by singers through their songs composed in indigenous languages. It is noted that Songs in indigenous African languages are reflections of African traditional society where cultural and moral values define its uprightness. In Nupe society, singers through their songs often render checks on social vices, with specific thematic preoccupation, composed in Nupe language. The reinforcement of the issues of morality is cogently achieved by the manipulation of language in such songs. In our society today, people are departing from the cultural and moral values which are significant reflection of subconscious adoption of western heritage. It is on this premise that this paper seeks to examine how language is used in addressing issues of morality in the song “Ewobgoka” by Hamza, using Modified Divine Command as theoretical framework. The paper discusses the pattern of language used employing primary data drawn from the song. The data used by this paper are obtained through the interview and excerpts retrieved from the singer’s achive. The analysis reveals that the thematic preoccupation and content of some of these songs are better understood through the medium of indigenous languages. Thus, the paper concludes that singers in our society are not just entertainers but also social crusaders.
Keywords: indigenous African language, Nupe society, Egwobgoka, Modified Divine Command, social command. |
EBONYI JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE
