Girlhood Songs, Musical Tales, and Musical Games as Strategies for Socialization into Womanhood among the Baganda of Uganda

Abstract

Abstract This article examines how children’s songs, musical tales, and games contribute to the socialization of rural Baganda girls in womanhood. Through metaphoric, symbolic, and idiomatic language; girlhood lullabies, musical tales, and games, gendered information is “dressed-up” to communicate a discourse that is otherwise only acceptable in private. Although the girls may not understand the gendered private discourse, the repeated performance of girlhood songs, tales, and games enhances memorization and storage of this information for use at a later time when the girls get married. Indeed, children’s music is important in the socialization of girls into womanhood and the life of a Baganda wife and mother.