NGANO: Journal Of Eastern African Oral Literature

Eastern African Oral Literatures Permeations into Global Literatures

Tobias O. Odongo — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:04:37 +0000

Between late November and early December 2023, a group of oral literature scholars and their postgraduate students met under the aegis of the Kenya Oral Literature Association’s Annual Conference in Diani, Mombasa, to delve into the broad theme: ‘African Oral Literatures: Resilience, Permutations and Permeations into Global Literatures’. The cascaded subthemes ranged from ‘Comparisons, Convergences, Divergences and Confluences of Oral Cultures’, through ‘Decoloniality, Histories, and Emerging Genres’ to ‘Research Centres of Excellence and Resources in Eastern African Oral Literatures.’ This was informed by the fact that African Oral Traditions have persisted alongside written and other oral literatures of the world. African Oralities from North, South, West, and South of Africa have contributed richly to the Literatures of the world and have exhibited similarities with the oralities of the Asian, Americas, Europe and Indian regions within diffusions approaches. African Oral Literature has benefited from a number of theories such as eco-criticism, ethno-poetics, deconstruction, psychoanalysis, feminism among other theories, originating principally from Anthropological, Sociological, Cultural, Linguistic and Literary disciplines. Major approaches like ethnography and multi-disciplinary practices have influenced research in African oral literatures with varying results. As the world evolves, the place and relevance of African oral literatures in contemporary society is still a vibrant scholarly debate. Further, globalization, cross-cultural communication and transport and reconfiguration discourses have afforded African oral literatures the opportunities to engage with world oral literatures.

Postcoloniality and Criticism in Orature: A Globalectic Reading of Three Oral Poems

Felix A. Orina, Joseph J. Musungu, Jairus Omuteche — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:17:12 +0000

In this theoretical cum methodological paper, we examine how approaches grounded in postcoloniality could help enrich criticism in orature. The study is focused on how contemporary approaches, while interacting with traditional styles, could replenish both content and insights around the art. We adopt a cosmopolitan/Globalectic framework, where we argue that approaches that have sought to isolate orature presenting it as distinctive, complete with idiosyncratic names, are derivatives of the liberation project that seeks greater regard for the genre much as they border on dissent and protectionism. We therefore pursue a kind of good critical “gangsterism” in orature, what it might entail and its benefits to criticism in orature. The study espouses a syncretic approach that avoids a discontinuous and biased engagement with broad theory and criticism. Discussion is based on three purposively sampled oral songs with the help of ideas advanced by such postcolonial thinkers as Kwame Anthony Appiah, Ngu͂gi͂ wa Thiong’o and Russian formalist, Victor Shklovsky.

The Folktale and Contemporary Theory: Psychoanalytic Reading of Three Borana Oral Narratives

Fugich Wako — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:22:19 +0000

While numerous folktales and oral narratives have been collected and analysed in the lens of classical theories, few have undergone in-depth analytical interpretation using modern theories to unravel their symbolic meanings and psychological underpinnings. This paper employs psychoanalytic theoretical framework of Sigmund Freud to analyse three Borana folktales collected from Sololo in Northern Kenya. Through this interpretive lens, the oral narratives are explored as manifestations of the cultural psyche and collective unconscious, revealing complex themes surrounding incestuous desires, gender dynamics, societal taboos, and the navigation of cultural norms. The story of Chulle and her family delves into the subconscious anxieties and desires surrounding female sexuality, challenging patriarchal authority through symbolic representations of phallic power and femininity. The tale of the girl and the chewing stick explores premarital sex taboos, and the complexities of the children born out of wedlock. The narrative of the girl and the ogre confronts deeply rooted fears of rape, male aggression, and the violation of female bodily autonomy, employing the ogre as a symbolic embodiment of societal and cultural taboos. By decoding these symbolic elements and exploring the psychoanalytic dimensions, the paper unravels the intricate interplay between individual desires, societal expectations, and the metaphorical language used to give voice to often-repressed subjects. The analysis demonstrates the potential richness of applying psychoanalytic approach to interpreting African oral narratives, contributing to a deeper understanding of the profound truths about human nature, cultural values, and collective experiences encoded within these narratives.

Cultural Creative Dances and Environmental Consciousness in Kenya

Jacinta A. Muyuku, Evans N. Odutsa — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:29:43 +0000

Traditional African performances in their production and theatrical rendition can be themed to address issues regarding environmental conservation, climate change and digital space. This study demonstrates how cultural creative dances can be used to promote environmental consciousness, examines how the African environment defines the song, movement, sound and colour of the cultural creative dance, and discusses the role of cultural creative dance participants in an environmental conservation in a theatrical setup. It draws data from a close examination of cultural creative dances performed in Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama and Film Festivals. It deploys the Performance and Theatre Semiotics theories to examine how cultural creative dances attempt to sensitize the community on various environmental conservation and climate change issues. It samples five cultural creative dances performed in different years with different themes for the Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama and Film Festivals. These were: Omulumindi, Valumindi, Siwuyiso, Iloto and Unyanyapaa. From the analysis, it is revealed that cultural creative dances arise and are performed within a given environment, therefore, they reflect the issues that touch on that particular environment. The same environment also defines the structural scope of the performance by shaping the song, movement, sound and colour of the cultural creative dance. Lastly, the performance brings together various groups that represent different segments of the setting within the environment. As such, a cultural creative dance is a coalescing of different perspectives on environmental issues. It also serves to provide a common ground on which environmental conservation interventions can be advanced. The study concludes that the Kenyan Cultural Creative Dance is never static; rather it changes with regard to the changes that environment presents, and demonstrates that these performances in fact have both entertainment and educative value, including sensitising the masses on important matters of community concern.

Moving Texts: Popular Inscriptions/Slogans in Matatus as Protest Discourse

Maina T. Sammy — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:36:26 +0000

Many scholars have explored the crucial role oral literature played in the struggle for liberation and self-determination on the African continent. It is well established that African poets, authors, and musicians communicated their angst and outrage over colonization through poems, songs, proverbs, and folktales. Some studies also highlight how oral literature continues to drive protest discourse in post-colonial Africa. However, very little consideration has been put into how new forms of oral literature embody the struggles of the modern man. This study investigates matatu sayings as a ‘new’ frontier for protest discourse. Matatu slogans have received fresh attention in recent years as an emerging genre of oral literature. In Kenya, the matatu sector has played a key role in the country’s biggest political battles, including the struggle for multi-parties and economic reforms in the late 90s. This study explores the history, arching themes, and language of matatu slogans. It finds that the culture of matatu protest has transitioned over the years from violent rallies and music to witty and satirical protest texts. The paper reviews these texts through a political lens to expose the politically charged atmosphere contained within the matatu interior. It subjects the 150 matatu slogans collected from matatus in Nakuru and Eldoret Cities to Critical Discourse Analysis and the Speech Act Theory to find that matatu slogans are a muted but powerful literary tool that the matatu man, an often-disregarded member of society, uses to self-identify, negotiate power dynamics, and inspire true change. This paper, thus, suggests that recognizing and studying matatu slogans in the context of protest discourse can reveal the social and political woes of the Kenyan society today. By extension, the paper suggests that exploring new orature forms in a similar light can expose how protest discourse is adapting to the rapidly evolving realities of the continent.

Beyond Laughter: An Analytical Study of Selected Bukusu Stand-up TikTok Performances

Christine Namayi, Catherine L. Mamuli — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:04:19 +0000

Stand-up comedy has emerged as a distinct subgenre within the comedic landscape, captivating audiences worldwide with its unique blend of humour and performance artistry. This form of entertainment not only induces laughter but also provides a sense of relief and joy to its spectators. Through its therapeutic essence, stand-up comedy offers a nuanced perspective on life's intricacies in a light-hearted manner. While it is often categorized as mere amusement, this paper delves deeper into the theatrical dimensions of stand-up comedy, exploring its societal significance. The role of stand-up comedy in shaping societal discourse is multifaceted and profound. Beyond its surface entertainment value, it serves as a platform for dialogue and introspection. This examination delves into the conversational techniques employed by comedians, as well as the paralinguistic elements of their performances. Moreover, it scrutinizes the utilization of music, symbolism, caricature, subtle irony, and improvisation, along with the interactive dynamics between performers and audiences. Drawing upon the General Theory of Verbal Humour, stand-up comedy performances are analysed as oral texts, shedding light on their intricate linguistic and comedic structures. Additionally, the concept of entextualization, which involves transforming spoken dialogue into textual form, is employed to dissect the underlying layers of comedic expression. Namalwa Chesoli and Choffuri who are Kenyan comedians on tiktok are purposefully selected as exemplars of stand-up comedy, their live digital performances serving as primary sources for analysis. Through a combination of performance and literary scrutiny, this study seeks to unveil the profound societal role played by stand-up comedy, transcending its perception as mere entertainment to emerge as a significant cultural phenomenon.

Form and Content of Spoken Word Poetry in Digital Spaces: A Case Study of Performances by Thony Voks

Beatrice G. Munala — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:09:45 +0000

Contemporary spoken word poetry is an emerging oral genre in Literature which encompasses orality, literacy and technology. In Kenya, this genre is mainly performed by the youth such as Thony Voks who portray an understanding of the urban culture. They also use languages such as Sheng in their performances which mirror the multilingual state of society. These performances are technologically mediated, and are in many cases transmitted through digital spaces. This paper, through a case study of performances by Thony Voks, investigates the form and content of contemporary spoken word poetry in digital spaces. Through the theory of intertextuality, this paper shows that spoken word poetry is a form that is made up of other literary in Literature. The theory of hyperreality on the other hand shows that as a result of virtual co-presence, the selected performances attain the status of hyperreality. The paper also elaborates on hyperreal images and the effects they have on people.

Nabongo Cultural Centre: A Heritage of the Wanga Kingdom in Kakamega County, Kenya

Florence M. Anyonje — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:14:50 +0000

The Kenyan Constitution (2010) Article 11(1) recognizes culture as the foundation of the nation and the cumulative civilization of the Kenyan people and nation. In light of this many Kenyans identify with their tribes or ethnic groups and follow their traditions which include the way of dress, food, naming, work and rites of passage. Most Kenyans in the rural areas are proud of their language and cultural heritage (Akama, 2002). Through practice and celebration of our culture we are able to impart values and behavioral norms to the future generations who will in turn continue the legacy and Kenyan identity. D’Souza (1980) describes the Kenyan culture as a way of life that blends tradition and modernity. The question is then how will Kenyans be able to preserve their diverse cultures in light of technological advancements that have changed the way we do almost everything? This paper is a case study of Nabongo Cultural Centre, also known as ‘Eshiembekho’in the local language. It highlights the rich cultural heritage found in this cultural centre in order to create local and international awareness so that researchers, students, tourists among others can all learn the history of the Wanga Kingdom and experience the way of life of the Wanga sub-tribe from this resource centre in Kakamega County. This research was done through participant observation, interviews, document analysis, and archival studies found in Nabongo Cultural Centre. The findings of this paper indicate that indeed this cultural centre is a rich heritage of the Wanga culture and a research centre for Oral Literature.

An Ecofeminist Reading of Egara Kabaji’s The Blacksmith, His Pregnant Wife and the Ogre

Catherine N. Mwai — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:19:50 +0000

Media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Tiktok, Twitter and WhatsApp are becoming popular podiums on which global oral literatures are staged and consumed in contemporary society. As the world and media evolve, African oral literature continues to become more vibrant on these platforms where presentation of audio-visual texts is common. Thus, this paper focuses on the YouTube narrative by Egara Kabaji: “The Blacksmith, His Pregnant Wife and the Ogre” and explores representations of feminine subjugation in the natural world through the lens of ecocriticism and ecofeminism in particular. The paper examines the ways in which the narrative represents the relationship between women and the environment. The study further shows how this connection reflects the domineering patriarchal structures in African landscapes. An eco-consumption of both oral and visual texts in the narrative displays local and global ecological concerns that are related to climate change and environmental injustices fuelled by repressive human and non-human constructions that operate against the feminine. The study examines how a fight against environmental injustices and repressive patriarchal systems would offer a solution to the woman’s problem. This study however, acknowledges the pivotal role that man plays in fighting against feminist oppression and ending environmental injustices.

Elements of Traditional African Theatre in Contemporary African Cultural Performances

Evans N. Odutsa — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:26:13 +0000

Ngano: The Journal of Eastern African Oral Literature Number 3, June 2025
88
Elements of Traditional African Theatre in Contemporary African Cultural Performances
Evans Nyongesa Odutsa
Department of Literature, Linguistics, Foreign Languages and Film Studies, Moi University
E-mail: nyongesaevanas@gmail.com ; CID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8645-450X
Abstract
The focus of this paper is to evaluate traditional African theatrical elements evident in contemporary African cultural performances in a bid to demonstrate that elements of both ancient and modern African theatre existed prior to the introduction of western drama in the continent. The study analyses contemporary cultural performances to identify the dramatic and theatrical elements evident in the traditional performances. It deploys performance and theatre semiotics theory, and also relies on postulations of scholars like Solomon Obidah Yamma and Ruth Finnegan on the relationship between orature and theatre in Africa. It uses descriptive and analytical methods to underline important practical, philosophical, aesthetic, and psychological considerations in determining the artistic quality of traditional African performances. It relies on qualitative data obtained through participant observation and textual analysis of selected cultural performances, such as Sikhebo of the Bukusu, Koito of the Nandi and Okhusaba of the Bakhayo of Luhya. From the analysis, the study reveals that these performances depict elements of both ancient and modern African theatre, and that contemporary African theatre is a harmonization of both traditional forms that existed before the period of colonial contact and Western forms of entertainment. Therefore, African traditional theatre has been in existence since the beginning of African societies; because it is the society that gives birth to the theatre of a particular locality and period in history. Traditional African theatre is rooted in secular and sacred rites that exist in the form of festivals, myths/legends, narratives and other artistic practices which Africans created for themselves. These theatrical creative activities are the live-wire of drama and theatre in Africa. The study contributes to the curation and preservation of indigenous theatrical elements evident in traditional African performances as a bedrock of modern African theatre, and enriches discourses on the place and the role of traditional African theatre in African indigenous literary performances.

Ngano na Elimu ya Kimagharibi: Mustakabali wa Ngano za Kinyankole katika Karne ya 21

Mukundane Benon, Magdaline N. Wafula, Nathan O. Ogechi — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 12:07:18 +0000

Makala hii inatokana na utafiti ambao tulifanya katika jamii ya Wanyankole kuhusu usimulizi wa ngano za Kinyankole kwa mikabala ya kiutendoneni na kiuamilifu. Katika utafiti huu, iligunduliwa kwamba ngano za Wanyankole zinaelekea kudidimia na kutoweka kabisa na wanalaumu elimu ya Kimagharibi. Kulingana na Wanyankole walioshuhudia jinsi mambo yalitendeka miaka kama sabini na zaidi iliyopita, usimulizi wa ngano ulikuwa nyenzo na fursa ya wanajamii kutagusana na kukuza hisia ya umoja na utambulisho wa kijamii. Ngano zao zilikuwa na majukumu mahsusi ambayo zilitekeleza katika harakati za kujamiisha wanajamii. Pamoja na hayo, ziliburudisha wanajamii papo hapo. Licha ya majukumu ambayo ngano hizi zilitekeleza na burudani ambayo zilitoa, zinaelekea kudidimia kwani, hazisimuliwi tena kama ilivyofanywa enzi za jadi. Je, ni kweli kwamba kudidimia kwa ngano zao kumesababishwa na elimu ya Kimagharibi? Ni kwa kiasi gani elimu hii imechangia kudidimia kwa ngano za Kinyankole? Wanyankole ambao mtafiti alikutana nao walionekana kupoteza matumaini wakilalamika kuwa usimulizi wa ngano zao huenda hautarudi kwa sababu mfumo wa elimu iliyopo hauna nafasi ya kuendeleza ngano zao. Je, kuna namna elimu inaweza kutumiwa kuendeleza ngano za Kinyankole? Haya ni baadhi ya maswali ambayo makala hii ilitazamia kujibu. Makala hii iliongozwa na nadharia ya uamilifu kama iliyoendelezwa na Malnowisk (1922) na kuboreshwa baadaye na Mesthrie na wenzake (2004). Makala hii imehitimisha kwamba elimu ya Kimagharibi imechangia kudidimia kwa ngano za Kinyankole. Matokeo ya makala hii yamechangia maarifa kuhusu jinsi elimu ya Kimagharibi inaweza kutumiwa kuhifadhi na kuendeleza ngano za Wanyankole.
Istilahi Muhimu: Wanyankole, Kinyankole, Elimu ya Kimagharibi, Kudidimia

Matumizi ya Ukweli Kinzani Kama Mtindo katika Nyimbo za Les Wanyika na Simba Wanyika

Job N. Juma — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 12:14:25 +0000

Makala hii ililenga kutambulisha aina mbalimbali ya ukweli kinzani kama mtindo wa kazi ya kifasihi. Utafiti wa maktabani na mtandaoni ulifanywa ili kuweza kutambulisha nyimbo za watribu wa rumba wa bendi ya Wanyika. Nadharia ya uhalisia ilitumika katika utafiti huu. Mihili ya nadharia hii ilitufaa katika uchambuzi wa data. Data zilipatikana kutoka kwa nyimbo za bendi hii ya Wanyika. Ukweli kinzani kama mtindo ilitumika ili kuafiki ujumbe wa bendi hii. Ilibainika wazi kuwa mtindo na maudhui ni kama uti na mgongo. Aina mbalimbali za ukweli kinzani zilijitokeza katika uchambuzi wa data. Ukweli kinzani baina ya mtu na jamii ulishamiri sana katika mifano kwa vile matarajio ya jamii na mienendo za mtu hukinzana kila mara. Kuna ukinzani wa mtu binafsi ambapo binadamu mwenyewe anatenda kinyume na matarajio yake. Mbinu hii ni mbinu ambayo inatambulisha kejeli na mbinu zingine kama kinaya katika matumizi yake. Ni vyema mtunzi wa kazi ya sanaa ya fasihi hususani nyimbo atilie maanani dhana au suala la mtindo katika utunzi wake. Kundi la Wanyika lilijenga muumano wa kutolea mfano kati ya mtindo na maudhui.

Defining Oneself in the Eyes of the Other: Identity and Othering in Bukusu Oral Literature

Kimingichi Wabende — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 12:18:50 +0000

This paper examines how the Babukusu community, through its oral literature (oral narratives, songs-especially circumcision songs, and proverbs) has defined and located itself through encounters with other communities, both local and foreign. Using New Historicism theory, it explores images and symbols of the “other” and the community's construction of the resistance strategies to deal with the encounters. Literature as the soul of a community captures the intense emotions of its people as an expression of their community's fears, anxieties, dreams, and aspirations. These emotions are generated through the community's interactions with both the physical and social environment. As a way of coping with and comprehending their social and economic environment, the community creates oral literature not only as a creative way of understanding phenomena but also as a means of historically capturing and imprinting important events in the life of the community. Comprehending reality through creative means enables the community to imagine the ideal and open up possibilities of alternative views.