Faculty of Arts
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Item The Socio-Cultural Significance of Indigenous Songs, Praise Poetry and Proverbs among Selected Communities of the Ketu People of Ogun State(Olabisi Onabanjo University, 2026) TAIWO OLAMIDE EMMANUELThe socio-cultural significance of indigenous songs, praise poetry and proverbs among selected communities of the Ketu people of Ogun State has not received enough scholarly research. The observation is that Yoruba oral literature has been receiving considerable scholarly attention while insufficient scholarly effort has been devoted to documenting and analysing the distinctive oral traditions of the Ketu people of Ogun State. Consequently, many indigenous songs, praise poems and proverbs remain inadequately documented despite their importance in preserving the history, language, philosophy, moral values and cultural identity of the people. The study, therefore, identified and documented selected Ketu oral art forms, examined their stylistic features, analysed their socio-cultural functions and investigated their contributions to the preservation and propagation of Ketu cultural heritage and communal memory. The study, also, aimed at contributing to scholarship on African oral literature, folklore and Yoruba studies having addressed an existing knowledge gap in the documentation and analyses of Ketu oral traditions. The study adopted a qualitative research design based on fieldwork. Primary data were collected through oral interviews, participant observation, live performances and audio recordings from knowledgeable custodians of Ketu oral traditions across their selected communities in Ogun State. Secondary data were equally obtained from relevant books, journal articles and other scholarly publications on African oral literature, Yoruba oral traditions and folklore. A purposeful sample of sixty-five (65) oral texts consisting of fifteen (15) indigenous songs, ten (10) praise poems and forty (40) proverbs were analysed in this study by using Functionalist Theory and Aesthetic Theory. Findings revealed that indigenous songs, praise poetry and proverbs remain indispensable components of Ketu oral tradition. Indigenous songs function as instruments of moral instruction, social criticism, communal mobilisation, historical preservation, entertainment and cultural education. Praise poetry preserves ancestry, genealogy, migration stories, communal identity and historical memory while celebrating virtues such as courage, integrity, diligence and leadership. Proverbs communicate indigenous philosophy, regulate social behaviour, promote peaceful coexistence and preserve communal wisdom through concise and figurative expressions. The study further established that these oral art forms possess remarkable aesthetic qualities expressed through imagery, symbolism, metaphor, repetition, rhythm, dialectical variation and performance techniques which enhance audience participation and artistic appreciation. It also revealed that modernisation, urbanisation, religious transformation, migration and the declining use of the Ketu dialect constitute major threats to the continuity of these oral traditions. The study concluded that indigenous songs, praise poetry and proverbs remain vital reservoirs of Ketu history, identity, cultural values and indigenous knowledge. It recommended systematic documentation of Ketu oral traditions through audio-visual recordings and written transcription, greater inclusion of indigenous oral literature in educational programmes, encouragement of intergenerational transmission through festivals and cultural activities, increased scholarly research on other aspects of Ketu oral heritage, amongst others. The study, therefore, contributed to the preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of the Ketu people of Ogun State.