Wedding Songs as a Means of Socialization in Selected Hausa Songs

The following article analyses four Hausa wedding songs, from two theoretical angles, namely new historicism and feminism. The songs are examined in order to reveal the cultural values that they display, and the impact they might have on the audience that attends the performances during wedding ceremonies.  Among the revealed values, there is the notion of the inevitability of marriage for the girl, in a culture that considers marriage as the first and highest aspiration for the girl. Like many African cultures, Hausa culture values highly procreation, and marriage is seen as the right path to it.

The article also deals with the socializing role of the songs in the community, as they are significant in the psychological molding of the minds of the audience. Despite this molding, the pieces display resistance to the very values that are celebrated.  Thus, one can easily talk about double messages that are encoded in the songs.