Oral Poetry in Africa: The Abagusii of Kenya highlights characteristics of African
oral traditions with particular focus on the oral poetry of the Abagusii of Kenya. It
shows that oral poetry in the Abagusii community covered every facet of life. The
community’s social-political and economic life, history, values, norms and customs
were stored in the oral poetry, in addition to proverbs, riddles and folktales. Notably,
oral poetry coloured the entire life of Omogusii and was sung during birth, initiation,
marriage and death ceremonies. This book documents the oral poetry of the
community in its original form, and in various versions that were practised or sung in
different parts of the region inhabited by the community. Further, the book discusses
the context in which this poetry was sung and explains some of the cultural practices,
norms, and customs that surround or motivated the composition of the poetry.
The advent of colonialism had ‘corrupting’ influence on the original poetry, more so
with the adoption of English words and phrases. This kind of poetry has not been left
out.
Aside from the general poetry and the book also captures emeino, the Abagusii
classical oral poetry. While the general poetry utilized improvisation as a technique in
its presentation and performance, the classical poetry was a fixed form that demanded
to be sung in its original form. Unlike the general poetry that, in its ephemerality,
invited additions and subtractions from the text, classical poetry was permanent in
text with no room for improvisation.
Oral Poetry in Africa: The Abagusii of Kenya is meant for students of oral literature
at university level. However, it can also be used by researchers of African oral
literature, culture, anthropology, history and sociology. Indeed, it is also good for the
general reader who is interested in the culture of Abagusii and African people, in general
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