Songs and implications on the Nigerian society: Yorùbá songs in focus

Abstract

Singing has become part of Yorùbá culture and indeed, the human race as a whole. It is as old as man’s existence. This implies that no society in the world does not sing. Singing is an art and it forms part of the people’s literature. The importance of song in the political, social, economic and religious life of the human race in general cannot be underestimated. The love people have for singing is so great that we can relate it to the Yorùbá saying: “etí were ni tèkúté ile, abiyamo kìi gbó ekún omo rè kó má tatíwere”. This is to say that no one hears a song and will not “react”. The Yorùbá people for instance, sing all the time. It is however worth mentioning that in as much as songs promote and enhance people’s’ lives, its use calls for serious caution because it may have negative effects also as we shall see in this study. It is within this context that this article uses Yorùbá songs to critically examine the role of songs in people’s lives.

Keywords: Yorùbá songs, Singing, National development, Nigerian society