Basotho Oral Poetry At the Beginning of the Twenty-first Century

Basotho Oral Poetry At the Beginning of the Twenty-first Century
Author: Tsiu, William Moruti
Publisher: Kwara State University Press
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2018-03-28
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9789275919

This book contains a major research into, and deep investigation of Basotho language oral poetry in Lesotho at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The classical form, the dithoko, which was inspired by tribal wars or battles fought by the Basotho, is explored fully, but the absence of wars, and urbanisation with the economic and social imperatives of modernism, have inspired new forms of poetry. The new forms include dithoko, i.e. 'praise poetry'; the difela, 'mine workers' chants', and the diboko, the latter which as 'family odes', are still performed in rural areas. The research work involved the live performances of 33 diroki, i.e. poets, watched and recorded in their natural environments. The investigators were led by the late Professor Abiola Irele, then of Ohio State University.

The Cambridge History of African American Literature

The Cambridge History of African American Literature
Author: Maryemma Graham
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 861
Release: 2011-02-03
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0521872170

A major new history of the literary traditions, oral and print, of African-descended peoples in the United States.

Law, Religion and the Family in Africa

Law, Religion and the Family in Africa
Author: Dr M Christian Green
Publisher: African Sun Media
Total Pages: 422
Release: 2021-12-31
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1991201575

The family is a crucial site for the interaction of law and religion the world over, including Africa. In many African societies, the family is governed by a range of sources of law, including civil, constitutional, customary and religious law. International law and human rights principles have been domesticated into African legal systems, particularly to protect the rights of women and children. Religious rites and rituals govern sexuality, marriage, divorce, child-rearing, inheritance, intergenerational relations and more in Christianity, Islam and indigenous African custom. This book examines the African family with attention to tradition and change, comparative law, the relation of parents and children to the state, indigenous religion and customary law, child marriage and child labour and migration, diaspora and displacement.

African Oral Literature

African Oral Literature
Author: Russell Kaschula
Publisher: New Africa Books
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2001
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9781919876078

Throughout Africa, oral literature is flourishing, though it is perceived by some as anachronistic to the modern world. This work refutes this idea in its entirety by presenting 22 chapters, which firmly place the study of oral literature within contemporary African existence. The study analyzes how oral literature relates to media, music, technology, text, gender, religion, power, politics and globalization.

Searching for Sharing

Searching for Sharing
Author: Daniela Merolla
Publisher: Open Book Publishers
Total Pages: 151
Release: 2017-05-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1783743212

In a world where new technologies are being developed at a dizzying pace, how can we best approach oral genres that represent heritage? Taking an innovative and interdisciplinary approach, this volume explores the idea of sharing as a model to construct and disseminate the knowledge of literary heritage with the people who are represented by and in it. Expert contributors interweave sociological analysis with an appraisal of the transformative impact of technology on literary and cultural production. Does technology restrict, constraining the experience of an oral performance, or does it afford new openings for different aesthetic experiences? Topics explored include the Mara Cultural Heritage Digital Library, the preservation of Ewe heritage material, new eresources for texts in Manding languages, and the possibilities of technauriture. This timely and necessary collection also examines to what extent digital documents can be and have been institutionalised in archives and museums, how digital heritage can remain free from co-option by hegemonic groups, and the roles that exist for community voices. A valuable contribution to a fast-developing field, this book is required reading for scholars and students in the fields of heritage, anthropology, linguistics, history and the emerging disciplines of multi-media documentation and analysis, as well as those working in the field of literature, folklore, and African studies. It is also important reading for museum and archive curators.

In the Time of Cannibals

In the Time of Cannibals
Author: David B. Coplan
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 340
Release: 1994
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780226115740

The workers who migrate from Lesotho to the mines and cities of neighboring South Africa have developed a rich genre of sung oral poetry—word music—that focuses on the experiences of migrant life. This music provides a culturally reflexive and consciously artistic account of what it is to be a migrant or part of a migrant's life. It reveals the relationship between these Basotho workers and the local and South African powers that be, the "cannibals" who live off of the workers' labor. David Coplan presents a moving collection of material that for the first time reveals the expressive genius of these tenacious but disenfranchised people. Coplan discusses every aspect of the Basotho musical literature, taking into account historical conditions, political dynamics, and social forces as well as the styles, artistry, and occasions of performance. He engages the postmodern challenge to decolonize our representation of the ethnographic subject and demonstrates how performance formulates local knowledge and communicates its shared understandings. Complete with transcriptions of full male and female performances, this book develops a theoretical and methodological framework crucial to anyone seeking to understand the relationship between orality and literacy in the context of performance. This work is an important contribution to South African studies, to ethnomusicology and anthropology, and to performance studies in general.

The Poetry of K.E. Ntsane

The Poetry of K.E. Ntsane
Author: Johannes Malefetsane Lenake
Publisher:
Total Pages: 200
Release: 1984
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN:

The Poetry of K.E. Ntsane describes and evaluates the poetry of K.E. Ntsane. Human nature, biblical stories, the judgement day and death feature prominently.

Oral Literature in Africa

Oral Literature in Africa
Author: Ruth Finnegan
Publisher: Open Book Publishers
Total Pages: 614
Release: 2012-09
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1906924708

Ruth Finnegan's Oral Literature in Africa was first published in 1970, and since then has been widely praised as one of the most important books in its field. Based on years of fieldwork, the study traces the history of storytelling across the continent of Africa. This revised edition makes Finnegan's ground-breaking research available to the next generation of scholars. It includes a new introduction, additional images and an updated bibliography, as well as its original chapters on poetry, prose, "drum language" and drama, and an overview of the social, linguistic and historical background of oral literature in Africa. This book is the first volume in the World Oral Literature Series, an ongoing collaboration between OBP and World Oral Literature Project. A free online archive of recordings and photographs that Finnegan made during her fieldwork in the late 1960s is hosted by the World Oral Literature Project (http: //www.oralliterature.org/collections/rfinnegan001.html) and can also be accessed from publisher's website.

Introduction to Lesotho

Introduction to Lesotho
Author: Gilad James, PhD
Publisher: Gilad James Mystery School
Total Pages: 76
Release:
Genre:
ISBN: 2779522976

Lesotho is a landlocked country located in southern Africa, surrounded by South Africa. The country has a population of approximately 2.2 million people, and is known for its mountainous terrain, which has earned it the nickname "The Kingdom in the Sky." Lesotho is also known for being one of the highest-altitude countries in the world, with the lowest point in the country being 1,400 metres above sea level. The country's economy is largely based on agriculture, with maize, sorghum, and wheat being the main crops grown. Lesotho also has a growing textile industry, which is largely supported by foreign investment. Despite the country's natural beauty and resources, Lesotho faces a number of challenges, including high levels of poverty and HIV/AIDS, which is one of the highest rates in the world. The government has made significant efforts to address these issues, but there is still a long way to go in terms of improving the quality of life for the people of Lesotho. Overall, Lesotho is a country with a rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, but also faces a number of social and economic challenges that must be addressed in order for it to thrive.