Basotho Oral Poetry At the Beginning of the Twenty-first Century William Moruti Tsiu.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Tšiu, M. W. (Moruti William), 1944- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Folk poetry, Sotho.

Laudatory poetry, Sotho.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (274 pages)

Manufacture:

Baltimore, Md. : Project MUSE, 2019

Place of Publication:

Baltimore, Maryland : Project Muse, 2019

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Summary:

This book contains a major research into, and deep investigation of Basotho language oral poetry in Lesotho at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The classical form, the dithoko, which was inspired by tribal wars or battles fought by the Basotho, is explored fully, but the absence of wars, and urbanisation with the economic and social imperatives of modernism, have inspired new forms of poetry. The new forms include dithoko, i.e. 'praise poetry'; the difela, 'mine workers' chants', and the diboko, the latter which as 'family odes', are still performed in rural areas. The research work involved the live performances of 33 diroki, i.e. poets, watched and recorded in their natural environments. The investigators were led by the late Professor Abiola Irele, then of Ohio State University.

Contents:

Introduction

Pressures on the oral poetry of the Basotho

Basotho oral poetry : performance

The subject-matter

Migration of the oral genres

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 237-241) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9789789578351

9789578350

OCLC:

1082877629