The Influence of the Social, Political and Economic Realities in Nigeria on Nigerian Gospel Music Song Texts
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Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Philosophy and Religions, University of Abuja.
Abstract
This paper embarks on a content analysis of song texts of selected Nigerian gospel songs to discuss the influence of the social, political and economic realities in Nigeria on them. Gospel music is one of the religious musical types that have developed over the years in Nigeria and it has become popular. It engages various themes and discusses contemporary issues as they find relevance from time to time. The paper adopting the cultural-hermeneutical and textual analysis and discography approaches relies on the reflexivity social theory to discuss the influence of the social, economic and political realities in Nigeria from the 1980s to the present on the song texts of gospel music. The operations of gospel music within the general context of the overall social, economic and political realities of the country subjects the musicians and by extension their music to the influence of the general situation in the country. To a great extent these realities forms part of the contents of their music either as a reaction, suggestion, commentary or prayer for a change.
This paper is based on the findings after the content analysis of over fifty gospel songs. It is discovered that many of these gospel songs can be grouped into songs of social concern; songs on economic situations and songs on political situations in Nigeria.
The paper concludes that beyond the sole spiritual relevance and focus of gospel music which the musicians claim and project gospel music to serve, gospel music has become a social commodity that influences and is been influenced by the society in which it exists as the content and themes of the songs are greatly influenced by the social, economic and political situations in the country.
Description
Keywords
Nigerian Gospel Music; Socio-political and economic realities; Song text
Citation
AJPR Abuja Journal of Philosophy and Religions. 3, 2015; 185 – 209,