Embodiment in Luo Ohangla Performance

The question of identity within the postcolonial African nation has continued to occupy social and academic discourse since the 1960s. In recent years, this has generated interest in how communities actively engage in the construction of identity through various media, including the arts. This book examines the nature and function of Ohangla, a musical genre of the Luo community of western Kenya. It explores the origins of the form and the reasons for its popularity in the post colonial period, drawing data from interviews, observation and textual analysis. From the study, it emerges that this very innovative musical genre embodies the aesthetic aspirations of a community, while also providing an important site for the construction of identity in contemporary Kenyan society. The book therefore provides useful insights on the ways in which cultural productions become modes for the creative construction of identity within an increasingly complex multicultural environment. This book provides useful incites for university lecturers and students of Oral Literature, Symbolic Anthropology and Performance Studies.

Autorentext

Joseph Basil Okong'o holds Ph.D. (Anthropology) and MA (Literature) from Moi University, Kenya, where he teaches Oral Literature and Performance Studies in the Department of Literature, Theatre and Film. He has published on aspects of African performing arts in a number of accredited journals.