Dialectical performance of Uganda's political landscape: a study of the songs of selected Ugandan artists

Abstract

This study explores the dialectical performance of Uganda’s political landscape in songs of selected artists. It examines the songs produced between 2011-2018 a period when Uganda is under the leadership of the National resistance movement (NRM) government. The study is guided by three objectives; the themes embedded in the songs critical of government and those in praise of government, the figurative language employed in the songs and the performance of the songs. The study is library based and employs qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. It employs Marxist literary theory’s tenet of dialectical criticism to analyze the songs from selected Ugandan artists and how they controversially portray Uganda’s political landscape. The findings of the study show that the themes of songs critical of government include corruption, social injustice, erosion of rule of law and the need for civic engagement, while the themes in songs in praise of government are provision of security, provision of adequate Education and health care, women empowerment and economic stability. The study also examines the figurative language used in the songs such as metaphors, symbolism, irony, repetition, refrain and the use of opening statements. The study asserts that artist critical of government use figurative language more emphatically than artist in praise of government. The purpose is to defarmiliarise the ills of the regime so that the audience’s perception about them is renewed. The study also analyses the performance of songs. It focuses on elements such as costume, histrionics and dramatization. The study asserts that songs critical of government have more aesthetic success in employing the elements of performance than the songs in praise of government. The purpose is to enhance their messages and clearly portray the ills of the government.