African Battle Traditions of Insult: Verbal Arts, Song-Poetry, and Performance (African Histories and Modernities)

This book explores the “battles” of words, songs, poetry, and performance in Africa and the African Diaspora. These are usually highly competitive, artistic contests in which rival parties duel for supremacy in poetry composition and/or its performance. This volume covers the history of this battle tradition, from its origins in Africa, especially the udje and halo of the Urhobo and Ewe respectively, to its transportation to the Americas and the Caribbean region during the Atlantic slave trade period, and its modern and contemporary manifestations as battle rap or other forms of popular music in Africa. Almost everywhere there are contemporary manifestations of the more traditional, older genres. The book is thus made up of studies of contests in which rivals duel for supremacy in verbal arts, song-poetry, and performance as they display their wit, sense of humor, and poetic expertise. About the Book Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction Works Cited and References Part I: African Origins Chapter 2: Battle by All Means: Udje as Oral Poetry and Performance Works Cited and References Chapter 3: Halo: The Ewe Battle Tradition of Music, Songs, and Performance Introduction Hypotheses Adja-Ewe Concept of Music and Dance Halo: Songs and Dance Performance Among the Adja-Ewes Halo: Dramatization of Music Text Through Song and Dance Performance Among the Adja-Ewes Target of Halo Causes Types of Insult Methods of Embellishment Social Roles Religion Editing and Performing Procedure Features of Halo and Social Problematic Halo: Positive and Negative Aspects Lobalo and Hama: Heritage of Halo in Modern Adja-Ewe Society Conclusion Notes References Chapter 4: Poetry and Ping-Pong: Auto/Biographical Verbal Duels in Yoruba Polygamous Households Works Cited Chapter 5: Shairi and Malumbano: The Tradition of Verbal Warfare in Swahili Literature Works Cited Chapter 6: Moral Authority of Shona Women’s Battlesongs: Revising Customary Law in the Context of Performance Within African Indigenous Knowledge System Introduction: The Creativity of Battlesongs of Abuse and Rebuke Research Questions Statement of the Problem Methodologies of the Study Theorizing the Moral Authority of Women-Centred Songs Institutionalized Forms of Rebuke and Insult From the Oral Tradition to the Modern Colonial Culture Shona Women’s Songs that Deride Control of Female Sexualities in Colonial Rhodesia Songs that Recentre Images of Powerful Shona Women During Zimbabwe’s Armed Liberation Struggle Political Satire, and Women’s Songs that Rebuke Personality Cult in Post-Independence Zimbabwe Conclusion References Part II: Diaspora Manifestations Chapter 7: Battles, Raps, Cappin’, The Dozens: African-American Oral Traditions of Insult Introduction History The Dozens as Social Regulation The Dozens as a Methodology for Survival Poverty and Material Conditions of the Impoverished Anti-Blackness Misogyny The Dozens: Shifting Regionally and Adapting to the Times Regional Analogues for Playing “The Dozens” Hip-Hop as the Adaptive “Dozens” Inequality, Dynamics of Power, and Oppressive Institutions Poverty and Effects of Marginalization The Dozens: Back to Its Roots and Out to the Global Masses Works Cited Chapter 8: Black Greek Step Shows Introduction The Divine Nine: Fraternities The Divine Nine: Sororities Black Greek Step Shows: Shimmying, Cutting, and Cracking Strolls/Party Walks, Chants, Group Identity Stepping as a Global Movement Works Cited Chapter 9: Battle Rap: An Exploration of Competitive Rhyming in Hip Hop Introduction Environment Culture Men and Rap Battling Women and Rap Battling East Coast Versus West Coast Beef Rap Battle Leagues Verzuz Battles Conclusion Works Cited Discography Chapter 10: Fighting Words: Songs of Conflict, Censure, and Cussout in Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Works Cited Chapter 11: Oral Tradition and Cultures in Dialogue: Ondjango Angolano and Jongo da Serrinha Introduction Ondjango Angolano: Oral Tradition in Angola Transatlantic Crossing and a Sea Change: From Ondjango to Jongo da Serrinha Voices from the Paraíba Valley: Songs of Resistance Conclusion Work Cited Chapter 12: Stanzas and Sticks: Poetic and Physical Challenges in the Afro-Brazilian Culture of the Paraíba Valley, Rio de Janeiro Approaching Male Challenges Social and Cultural Contexts of Male Challenges Demandas and Martelos: Poetic Challenges Jongo de demanda The Calango The Encounter Between Kings’ Follies, and the ‘Clown’s Hammer’ Physical Challenges: Cudgelling, Swiping Kicks and Chulas Jogo do pau and pernada Physical Challenges in the Kings’ Follies Conclusions References Documentary Films Interviews Works Cited Part III: New Transformations Chapter 13: Yabis, A Nigerian Genre of Insult Introduction What Is Yabis? Nigerian Pidgin and Yabis Yabis in Modern Nigerian Music Yabis Among Nigerian Students Conclusion Appendices: Video Clips Works Cited Chapter 14: Epistemic Recuperation and Contemporary Reconfiguration of the Verbal Battle Tradition in the Poetry of Tanure Ojaide and Kofi Anyidoho Works Cited Chapter 15: The Creativity of Abuse: Power, Song and the ‘Authority of Insults’ in Zimbabwean Music, Post 2017 Introduction: Literature Review and Theoretical Framework Methodology Traditions of Protest Song in Post-Independence Zimbabwe Songs of Abuse and Insulting: Playing ‘Dambudzo Wandinetsa’ in Zimbabwe Post the 2017 Coup Electoral Fraud and Violation of Rule of Law Necro Politics and Necrophilia in Zimbabwe, Post-2017 From the Economy of Affection to Economy of Disaffection Singer-Ordinary People Paradoxes in Contemporary Zimbabwe Romance in Songs of Abuse Conclusion Discography Works Cited Chapter 16: Bongo Fleva: Its Lyrics, “Inappropriate” Content, Source, and Possible Harm Introduction Methodology The Presence and the Rate of Inappropriate Content in Bongo Fleva Figuring out the Sources of the “Maladjusted Content” in Bongo Fleva Lyrics Inheritance Explanation Borrowing, Creativity, and Adaptation Market Forces Explanation Conclusion Works Cited Correction to: Stanzas and Sticks: Poetic and Physical Challenges in the Afro-Brazilian Culture of the Paraíba Valley, Rio de Janeiro Correction to: Index