IMPLICATIONS OF FOLK SONGS FOR EDUCATION IN AFRICA

Abstract

The study of African songs has moved beyond dispassionate inquiry and the antiquated perspective that considered it a subject fit only for speculation by idle minds. With the present development in the area of African renaissance, acknowledging and claiming the African cultural heritage, the occasion has arisen to once again study African traditional songs to see their contributions towards the development of education in Africa. There are several works investigating African traditional songs from a variety of perspectives; however, the beauty of the present work is the connection it makes between education and African traditional songs. The burden of this work is to study African traditional songs, their dimensions or types, and their contribution, particularly, to the area of education. To achieve this, the phenomenological and hermeneutic methods of inquiry were employed. This research discovered that African traditional songs, handed down from one generation to another orally, permeate every facet of African life and thus occupy a fundamental place in the African traditional educational heritage. It further recommended the employment of African indigenous folk songs in educational institutions in Africa, more importantly, at the primary and secondary levels. In this way, the African will be taught within categories that he or she understands and appreciates.