Bantu And Nilotic Children’s Singing Games: A Comparative Study Of Their Value Communication

ABSTRACT

This study is based on the premise that Luo and Luhya children’s singing games are

creative works that subtly reflect the aesthetics of the two communities. The aim is to

critically examine how the performance of the singing games and their texts reflect the

aspirations, norms and values of the macro cultures of the two Nilotic and Bantu

communities respectively.

The sampled singing games include those done in the traditional setting, sung in

vernacular and those that are taken from the urban or cosmopolitan settings. Our findings

reveal that Luo and Luhya children’s singing games are a significant resource in

communicating the values of the two communities.

Luo and Luhya children imitate their physical and social environments and dramatize

about the aesthetics of the communities. This dramatization reflects both traditional

values and the new emerging values that have been necessitated by the introduction of

western values, formal education, Christianity and others.

In these singing games Luo and Luhya children are able to socialize, learn and also

uphold the values of unity and respect for one another. The singing games are significant

in the learning process and character development of the children involved in the

performance.

University of Cape Town

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Luo and Luhya children’s singing games play a significant role in socializing the children

in their different societies. The socialization makes the child to be rooted in the

aesthetics and aspirations of his/her society.

Urban children’s singing games that are sung by Luhya and Luo children reflect the

child’s creativity, improvisation and the ability to borrow from various sources. The

singing games utilize various sources, including the electronic media, print media and

also rhymes from other cultures.

Children’s singing games are repertoires of a people’s aesthetics. Apart from directly

teaching the participants cultural issues and requirements, the singing games are crucial

to the participants’ social and moral development.

Luo and Luhya children’s singing games reflect the macro culture of the Luo and Luhya

communities respectively and to a great extent the changing values in the Kenyan society.

The study also gives some insights arising from the findings that can be of benefit to

future researchers. There is need for researchers to focus on children’s singing games as

creative works and discover their role in the social and moral development of the child

and also find out how these creative works can be used in an educational set up.