Stylistic Choices in three Bongo Flava Songs: “Rita”, “Pii Pii” by Marlaw, and “Nikifa Kesho” by Diamond Platnumz

Abstract

This article employs relevance theory to examine literary meaning encompassed in the stylistic use of language in the songs "Pii Pii", "Rita" by Marlaw, and the song "Nikita Kesho" by Diamond Platnumz. The article examines literary meanings that result from how the artist use language artistically at a lyrical level, to construct the message discernible in the songs. It is in this context surmised that the two artists use embellished language for a variety of reasons. As the article shows such, include entertainment, to elicit emotions, to conflate meanings, to mention a few. This article is important because it serves as a stepping-stone through which the research establishes connections and relationships between the literary meanings conveyed in stylistic use of language helps in bringing out the implied meanings, which Bongo Flava artists conflate and suggest in how they appropriate language artistically. This is because, despite Bongo Flava being too figurative in nature, highly stylistic, and poetic—what may be construed as mere artistic use of language for embellishment purposes, as the article shows, not only serve an entertainment value, but in addition, function to convey very meaning. The surface meaning that bears entertainment value as the article shows functions as a masking technique. This is because it defamiliarizes the serious meaning implied in the songs as the criticism of these features reveal in this article. The act of defamiliarization in this context is itself a practice of literary style intended to convey sensitive meanings in a slightly mild way for the sake of the sensitivity of the audience based on the cognitive and emotional effect unveiled language could have on the consequential effects, on the audiences, as the article shows.