The Rhetoric of “Bragoro”: The Philosophy Behind Akan Traditional Concept of Marriage

This paper discusses the intertextual relationship between the world of Akan Bragoro (puberty rites) song texts and the real world of Akans. The Akan Bragoro song texts are performed during Bragoro celebrations and the song texts define the Akan concept of sex and marriage within the parameters of traditional Akan philosophy. The paper uses qualitative research methods that are irrigated by ethnographic and stylistics approaches to text interpretation. The findings of the research indicate that texts of Akan Bragoro songs key all the meanings this traditional philosophy has to offer: sex is strictly a marital affair and marriage is for those who are prepared for it. The stylistics of the song texts also frame the epistemic of Akan love and that the basic condition of Akan conjugal love is a good character on the side of both the man and the woman. The paper further reveals that the Akan Bragoro song texts constitute the site where the precipitates of Akan marriage are provided and Bragoro initiates are introduced to the Akan way of life. These precipitates are rehearsed in performance year after year, making the Akan Bragoro an enduring cultural practice that guides the life of the Akans throughout all ages. Keywords: Performance, Bragoro song texts, Verbal art, Cognitive poetics, Tradition

PRECEDENT PHENOMENA IN RUSSIAN ROCK POETRY: TYPOLOGY AND SPECIFICS OF THEIR USAGE (ON THE MATERIAL OF THE SONG’S TEXTS BY N. A. O’SHEA)

Введение. Рассматриваются типология и функциональные возможности прецедентных феноменов в песенных текстах автора Н. А. О’Шей – лидера фолк-рок-группы «Мельница». Цель исследования – выявление типов прецедентных феноменов, используемых в песенных текстах Н. А. О’Шей, и анализ особенностей их функционирования. Материал и методы. Материалом исследования служат песенные тексты, автором которых является Н. А. О’Шей – лично или в соавторстве. Источником фактического материала являются альбомы рок-группы «Мельница» разных лет. Эмпирическая база исследования сформирована с помощью приема сплошной выборки. В ходе изучения используются описательный метод и метод контекстуального анализа. Результаты и обсуждение. В анализируемых песенных текстах Н. А. О’Шей использует прецедентные феномены разных типов. Частотными являются прецедентные имена – имена собственные мифологических существ (скандинавское божество Один), исторических лиц (полководец Тамерлан, музыканты Фредди Меркьюри и Элвис Пресли, писатель и летчик А. де Сент-Экзюпери) и литературных персонажей (Тристан и Изольда). Обращение к тем или иным прецедентным именам может определяться тематикой, композицией или авторской концепцией песни или альбома, интересом автора к определенной личности. Прецедентные высказывания являются частью культурного опыта поэтессы; она органично включает цитаты из разных источников (в их исходном или трансформированном виде) в состав песенных текстов, заставляет их работать на реализацию той или иной идеи. Прецедентные тексты служат основой для создания авторской легенды. Использование отдельных авторских названий порождает у слушателей различные ассоциации, придает композициям культурную значимость. Заключение. Прецедентные феномены выполняют в песенных текстах Н. А. О’Шей две основные функции: текстообразующую и смыслопорождающую. Introduction. The article considers typology and functional potential of precedent phenomena in song`s texts by N.A. O`Shea – a leader of the folk-rock group «Melnitsa». Aim and objectives. The aim of research is the identification of types of precedent phenomena used in the song`s texts by N. A. O’Shea and analysis of their functional features. The object of research is precedent phenomena of different types. Material and methods. Material of research is the song texts of which N.A. O`Shea is the author (personally or coauthored). The source of factual material is the albums of the rock group “Melnitsa” of different years. Empirical base of research is a result of usage of continuous sampling technique. During the study the author of the article the descriptive method and method of contextual analysis. Results and discussion. In the analysed texts N. A. O’Shea uses precedent phenomena of different types. The precedent names are frequency. They represent proper nouns of mythological creature (Scandinavian deity Odin), historical persons (warlord Tamerlane, musicians Freddy Mercury and Elvis Presley, writer and pilot A. de Saint-Exupéry) and literary characters (Tristan and Isolde). Such factors as a theme of the compositions or concept of the song or album, author`s interest in certain personality and respect for one’s dictate appeal to one or another precedent phenomenon. Precedent statements are the parts of cultural experience of poetess, she organically incorporates quotes from different sources (in their original form or transformed) in the song texts, makes them work for implementation of author`s idea. Precedent texts are the basis for creation of author`s legend. Some precedent titles induce particular associations by listeners; give cultural significance to the compositions. Conclusion. Precedent phenomena have two main functions in the song texts authorship of N. A. O’Shea: a function of creation of text modeling and meaning-forming function.

DOCUMENTATION OF OGBANIGBE FESTIVAL OF OWERRE-OLUBOR PEOPLE (IKA NORTH EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA), AGBOR, DELTA STATE

Identity is that characteristics that distinguishes, differentiates and separates one community from another in terms of ideology, belief systems, organizational structures, mode of dressing, dialect, communal activities such as festival commemoration. Enshrined in one of man’s communal activities is the yearly celebration of New Yam festival. New Yam Festival has been coined with various names in many climes in Nigeria. In Owerre-Olubor community, New Yam festival is associated with Ogbanigbe (Ime-Egwu) festival similar to that of Obio community of Aniocha nomenclature. The paper employed descriptive analysis, oral interview as well as related materials. The paper focused on Ogbanigbe (Ime-Egwu) festival, the origin of Owerre-Olubor community of Ika North East Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria including musical instruments and some songs used during the festival celebration. Four sampled song texts were selected and captured while one musical example from the four song texts selected was analyzed. The paper conclude that documentation is the only way to preserve culture of a people including music peculiar to such culture for the next generation in order to escape extinction.

Zhuang Opera --- A study of Chinese Minority Arts in Guangxi Province, China

This article is a study of Zhuang Opera in the Guangxi Province in China. There are three general genres of Zhuang Opera, the analysis of selected musical pieces of these four types focuses on the music structure of Pingban melody, and the rhyme of the song texts --- Yaojiaoyun. This study is a pioneering work on the Zhuang Opera's musical form as there is currently no published work on the music of the opera and its association with related music categories. Except for very few research collections on national opera, most studies mainly focus on the history, literature, and folklore of traditional Zhuang Opera. In general, this study utilized new research methodologies producing different results from previous research, while at the same time, confirming earlier studies on the music and performance styles of the opera.

Lingvuistic features of the English language opera aria

The article deals with the relationship between discourse and text, as well as song discourse and song text. The place and role of the style of the opera aria in the world culture (musical culture) has been determined. The object of the study is the English-language song texts of opera arias, and the subject is their stylistic arrangement. The signs of dialogism in the English-language song texts of opera arias are clarified: the use of interjections, the first and second person of pronouns and verbs, imperative constructions and addresses. It has been proven that stylistic means of addition and substitution play a significant role in style. The stylistic addition is aimed at depicting the magical and mystical with a breath of the imaginary. On the other hand, vernacular using interjections, imperatives, abbreviated forms reinforce the ordinariness of life. All stylistic techniques of addition are aimed at more emotional saturation of the realities of human existence in the English-language song texts of opera arias. Personification is perhaps the main technique of opera arias, because everything that is sung about the feeling of love is filled with human skills and capabilities. Stylistic figures of addition and substitution in the English-language opera arias emphasize the emphatic nature of thought and the acuteness of the speaker's perception of the world around him.

When Ghanaian Traditional Songs become Modern: Cultural Replication of the Traditional Responsible Woman in the Modern Gold Digger Woman

The fluidity of the text allows a mode of textual constitution by the user. Through an ethnographic research and a performance/literary analysis, this paper, interrogates the Akan patriarchal power construction which takes advantage of the fluidity of text. The paper investigates this cultural phenomenon by examining the replication of the traditional “bragorͻ” song texts in modern popular highlife and hiplife song texts. The Akan patriarchal community constructs power by manipulating the codes in the original “bragorͻ” song text and that this manipulation is possible because the copy of the original “bragorͻ” text develops ideological shift through a process of meaning change, a change that is closely related to Akan gender power relations. The Akan patriarchal community therefore uses the fluidity of the text as a resource to maintain power over the woman. A very interesting aspect pertaining to this development is that this power manipulation disguises itself in modern popular songs which are normally not taken serious by the Ghanaian intelligentsia. And so, though very compelling this power construction may be, it manages to stay away from both academic and public discourses and thus grows bigger and bigger with time without being noticed. The paper recommends that educational planners should seriously add the study of contemporary culture and what it holds for the development of Ghana to both the senior high and tertiary curricula. Keywords: Fluidity of Text, Ethnographic Research, Akan Patriarchal Community, Power Construction and Modern Gold Digger.

“The bus doesn’t stop for us”: Multilingualism, attitudes and identity in songs of a Tibetic community of Nepal

This paper draws on song texts from two corpora of Syuba, a Southern Tibetic language of Nepal. The songs have rich, interlinking themes relevant to language, identity and the situated context of Syuba people. We draw upon the texts to illustrate themes of identity, relationship, language, development and space. This analysis is grounded in an interdisciplinary approach bringing together linguistic, anthropological and historical perspectives. Through these themes, we come to a nuanced account of a minority language group, who see themselves as Syuba, Yolmo, Tibetan and Nepali, and how these multiple identities co-exist.