NAMNA NYIMBO ZA TOHARA ZA JAMII YA WAIGEMBE ZILIVYODENGULIWA NA NYIMBO ZA DINI YA KIKRISTO

Abstract

Igembe community is found in areas around North East of Mount Kenya. Igembe community has traditions which are associated with songs. This is that focuses to Igembe community is a descriptive study which investigates how circumcision songs have been deconstructed by religious songs in Igembe community that is found in Meru county. This study was guided by three objectives which were: to investigate themes from songs which have been deconstructed by religious songs, secondly, to explain styles used during deconstructions of religious songs as well as to investigate functionalism of deconstructed songs in Igembe community. This study was guided by Deconstruction theory as advanced by Jacques Derrida (1967) and Stylistic theory as advanced by Coombes (1953) and Leech (1969). Data for this study was collected from the field. Four male adults were targeted to help in understanding the message in circumcision songs as well as four artist who are well versed with Christian songs which have been deconstructed. Eighteen songs were used to analyse data for this study. The contexts which were used in data collection was male gatherings during circumcision mostly in months of April, July, October and on religious gatherings mostly in churches. The tools that were used for collection of data were tape recording of circumcision songs in circumcision ceremonies, dialogue and video. Each local song was written and the message was translated in Kiswahili and analysed in details through explanations. The songs that are sang before circumcision were analysed into three that is the traditional songs being three and the deconstructed songs three. The research analysed the deconstructed songs in thematic content, styles and its functionalism. Boys passed eight stages in their age set which includes: Kiramunya, Ithalii, Michubu, Ratanya, Lubetaa, Miriti, Buantai and Gichunge. In every age set, there was sub age groups which were three that is Ndinguri, Kobia and Kaberia. This study found that singers of religious songs used themes such as power of holy spirit as well as encouragement. Additionally, it as found that singers uses styles such as rhetorical questions, metaphor and repetitions amongs others. This study has given proposals on the area where other study can be carried in Igembe and on oral literature as whole. The study will be of benefit to future elites and researchers who will be interested in the field of oral literature mostly in songs. Data for this study will be used in preserving the oral literature of Igembe Community and that of Africa as whole. Data for this study was analysed through explanation and presented through writing.