Significance of Context in Performance of Babukusu Chants, Western Kenya.

Abstract

Oral literature is sub-divided into genres that carry the artistic features like stylistic devices, composition and performance which make oral literature have life and outwit written literature. Chants are among these genres and they carry very vital societal values and norms in African Traditional Society and they are very significant once performed in their right contexts. Their repetitive nature reflects the idea of emphasis and seriousness regarding the purpose or intention of the chant performed. The study categorized these chants according to the four major rites of passage in the Babukusu community. These are; birth-naming rite, circumcision rite, marriage rite and death rite that call for the performance of the chants studied in this paper. Methods of data collection used in the study included; observation, Focused Group Discussions and interviews. The paper used phenomenology theory to depict the connection and relevance of the specific chants performed within specific contexts and their significance.