ORAL SONGS AND WEDLOCK: TRADITIONAL SONGS AS CEMENT OF CONNUBIAL UNION IN THE BEMBA TRADITIONAL SOCIETY

Abstract

The article sheds light on the role that traditional oral songs played in fortifying matrimony in the Bemba traditional society. It problematises the idea that orality has relatively been abandoned in modern Zambian society particularly the singing of traditional songs. This neglect of orality, particularly, that of traditional songs has led to major weaknesses in connubial union resulting into numerous divorces. The article argues that there was relative stability of traditional marriages over modern ones in terms of duration of marriage while admitting the few challenges that characterised the former. It argues that traditional marriages were very stable largely because the songs inculcated certain essential values into the subject’s mind that rendered most marriages successful. Moreover, many people enjoyed these songs partly because of the songs melody, musicality, repetition, brevity, and duality of meaning. Ultimately, the article strongly recommends that modern Zambian society should embrace traditional songs and revert to the practice of singing these songs in modern times in order to salvage marriages. The article is grounded in theories in oral literature as propounded by scholars such as Ruth Finnegan and Isidore Okpewho, among others.